Temperature field study and numerical computation of carbon fiber epoxy composite materials under unilateral thermal radiation

Siyi Lu; Zhi Wang; Yinghui Piao; Junjie Mao

doi:10.1515/ipp-2024-0096

Article

Temperature field study and numerical computation of carbon fiber epoxy composite materials under unilateral thermal radiation

Siyi Lu , Zhi Wang , Yinghui Piao and Junjie Mao

Published/Copyright: November 22, 2024

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From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 40 Issue 1

Abstract

Composite materials are extensively utilized in the aerospace industry. Nevertheless, fire hazards persist as a significant safety challenge. Exposure to fire environments causes pyrolysis in composite materials, resulting in diminished structural integrity and the emission of heat, gases, and smoke, thereby posing significant risks to passenger safety and flight operations. To examine the thermal response of composite panels under unilateral heating, we selected a representative carbon fiber epoxy composite panel commonly found in aircraft structures. A thermal response test platform was established to perform high-temperature experiments on the composite panels. Utilizing principles of energy conservation, the Arrhenius thermal decomposition rate, and mass conservation equations, a nonlinear mathematical model was formulated to predict the time-temperature profiles of both exposed and unexposed surfaces of the composite panel under thermal radiation. The results demonstrate that the developed model effectively predicts the time-temperature profiles of both surfaces, showing good agreement with experimental data. Steady-state temperature errors were calculated at 2.5 % and 5.7 %, respectively, both falling below the 10 % threshold, thus confirming the validity of the numerical computation.

Keywords: carbon fiber epoxy composite; thermal response; thermal radiation; time-temperature profiles; numerical computation

Corresponding author: Zhi Wang, School of Safety Engineering, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang 110136, China; and Liaoning Key Laboratory of Aircraft Fire Explosion Control and Reliability Airworthiness Technology, Shenyang 110136, China, E-mail: zhiwang@sau.edu.cn

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: The financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No.: 61901283) is greatly acknowledged.
Data availability: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Received: 2024-08-01

Accepted: 2024-10-08

Published Online: 2024-11-22

Published in Print: 2025-03-26

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ipp-2024-0096

Keywords for this article

carbon fiber epoxy composite; thermal response; thermal radiation; time-temperature profiles; numerical computation