A simplified approach for heat conduction analysis of CNT-based nano-composites (Q2574269)

The remarkable mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties of carbon nano-tubes (CNT) have attracted considerable attention from both scientists and engineers. Inter alia, the unique thermal properties of CNT is the basis for development of really new composite materials. In this paper the authors propose a simplified approach for heat conduction analysis of CCN-base nano-composites. Taking into account that the temperature distribution in CNT is almost uniform due to its exceptionally high heat conductivity, the authors are considering an essential simplified mathematical model of heat conduction in CNT composites. In such a model with substantially reduced degrees of freedom, the host polymer is the only domain which is modelled, while the CNTs are treated as heat superconductors with constant unknown temperature constrained on their surfaces. The aim of this comprehensive study is to investigate the thermal properties of representative volume element (RVE) -- a concept widely used for conventional fiber-reinforced composite at the microscale analyses -- of CNT-based composites through numerical simulations. ``All calculations clearly demonstrate that the heat conducting behaviour of CNT-based composites can be simulated by the simplified approach without loss of accuracy. The simplified approach provides remarkable improvements to overall computational efficiency and allows for the solution of complicated problem using less computer memory, thus the increases the number of CNTs contained in a RVE that can be analysed within the available computer resorces''. The paper is organised as follows: 1. Introduction, 2. Hybrid boundary node method for the multi-domain solver, 3. Formulation of the simplified approach, 4. Numerical results (4.1. An RVE containing simple CNT, 4.2. An RVE containing two CNTs, 4.,3. Maximum temperature difference within a CNT), 5. Conclusions.