Non-linear calculations of transient thermal conduction in composite materials

Abstract

Using the recently formulated Lattice Monte Carlo method this work addresses transient thermal response in composite materials. Lattice-based random walks of virtual thermal energy particles are used to obtain temperature profiles in homogeneous and simple two-phase composites and compared to finite element calculations for validation. In particular, temperature-dependent thermal properties of the base material(s) are accounted for. In the second part of the paper, transient heat transfer into several different types of cellular metals is considered. The geometric discretisation is based on computed tomography scans of real materials. In addition to acquisition of temperature profiles inside the cellular metals, the amount of energy transferred over time is determined in order to evaluate their applicability in heat sinks.