Microstructural modeling of temperature distribution and heat transfer of 3-D carbon fiber braided circular composite tubes under direct current

Temperature distribution and heat transfer of carbon fiber composites under direct current are key factors to thermal-electric behavior design in aircraft. Here we report the effect of circular braided tubular structure on temperature distribution and heat transfer of carbon fiber braided composites with a microstructure finite element analysis (FEA) model. From the test and FEA results, we found that surface temperature distribution depends on surface braided texture and temperature decreases from the end part to the middle region because of the two heat sources including carbon fiber resistance and contact resistance. The surface temperature distribution has regular high-temperature zone correlated with braided structure. The temperature at the tube internal surface is slightly lower than that at the outside surface due to current distribution difference. The influence of braiding angle on heat generation and temperature distribution was also revealed. The temperature level and increase rate of the braided tube with a greater braiding angle are higher than that with a lower braiding angle.(c) 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.