MODELING THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF A FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC--CARBON FOAM SANDWICH PANEL

摘要

This study is objective was to parametrically model the thermal performance of a sandwich panel, thereby enabling simulation-driven design to tune a product for a variety of applications. A commercial finite element method package was used to simulate the heat transferred through a panel consisting of fiberglass reinforced plastic skins and webs with a carbon foam core. The first test for the model was to design panels for a mine safe house capable of withstanding an initial blast of 50 psi and the predicted temperature profile that would follow such an explosion. The thickness of the carbon foam and fiberglass skin, as well as the spacing of the fiberglass webs were optimized to prevent the temperature inside the safe house from climbing above 32 deg C, ensuring the safe rescue of the trapped mine workers. The advantages of employing simulation-driven design will be discussed, namely the time and cost savings awarded to the designer due to the ability to quickly test how altering materials and environmental conditions affect results. The accuracy of the model is predicted temperatures were confirmed using empirical data from a third party testing facility.