Numerical modelling of CFRP induction heating using temperature-dependent material properties

Induction heating of CFRP is an energy-efficient and fast method that may be used for example during consolidation of thermoset-based CFRP or welding of thermoplastic-based CFRP. This study investigates how induction heating of CFRP is affected by the temperature dependence of the thermal and electrical properties and presents a simple numerical model for computation of the temperature distribution during induction heating with a circular coil. Temperature-dependent electrical and thermal properties are measured on a macroscopic level and used in the numerical model. Thermographic recordings are made during induction heating to validate the results from the numerical model. The result shows the importance of using temperature-dependent thermal properties in the numerical model, while it might not be necessary to use temperature-dependent electrical conductivity because of the small impact on the computed heat generation and temperature.