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

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.