Analysis of transient heat transfer in multilayer thin films with nonlinear thermal boundary resistance

Transient energy transport in thin-layer films with a nonlinear thermal boundary resistance is analyzed theoretically within the framework of the dual-phase-lag heat conduction model. An iterative finite difference numerical method is used and is verified using a derived semi-analytical solution of the problem. Effects of the thermo-physical properties on energy transport when a two-layer film is exposed to a thermal pulse of certain duration and strength are presented. The thermal boundary resistance, the heat flux and temperature gradient phase lags and the thermal conductivities and heat capacities all are important factors that characterize energy transport through the interface and the temperature distribution in the two layers. The maximum interfacial temperature difference that takes place in the transient process of thermal pulse propagation is found to be the proper choice to measure the perfect-ness of the interface with a finite thermal boundary resistance. The results show that even with high values of the thermal boundary resistance the maximum interfacial temperature difference can be very small when the thermal pulse propagates from a high-thermal conductivity and heat capacity layer to a low-thermal conductivity and heat capacity layer. For a certain range of the thermal conductivities and heat capacities, the maximum interfacial temperature difference approaches zero even with high values of the thermal boundary resistance. Thermal conductivities and heat capacities are much more important in characterizing transient heat transfer through the imperfect interface than the phase lags of the heat flux and temperature gradient.