Heat and mass transfer in two-layer elastic composite subjected to thermal infrared radiation

In this paper coupled thermal, mechanical and diffusive processes in two-layer semitransparent composite subjected to thermal infrared radiation are examined. One of the layers is supposed to be multicomponent consisting of deformable matrix and gaseous admixture. Effect of radiation upon a composite is taken into account by heat sources in composite and heat supply to admixture. Model equations are solved within iterative approach. On each step of iterative process radiation equations are solved analytically while for solving diffusion and thermal conductivity equations the finite difference method is applied. Numerical calculations suggested that the presence of the layer located closer to radiation source allows reduce thermal stresses in another layer of two-layer semitransparent elastic composite in both cases when materials of layers are the same and different. The layer located closer to radiation source and whose thickness is less than that of another layer is heated to lower temperatures, their distributions are more homogeneous and consequently, it undergoes weaker stress loading. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.