Prediction of thermal conductivities of laminated composites using penny-shaped fillers

A new model is proposed to predict the thermal conductivities of laminated composites, where the Eshelby method modified with Mori-Tanaka’s mean field approach is employed to consider the interaction effect. Based on the equivalency of composites with penny-shaped fillers and composites with layers of components, each lamina is considered as a penny-shaped filler and its thermal conductivities are computed by modified Eshelby method. The laminated composites are then simulated as the matrix and penny-shaped fillers of different thermal conductivities. By comparing the results of the laminated composites predicted by the present model and conventional approach combined with the potential theory and electrical analogy, the applicability of the present model to predict the thermal conductivities of the laminated composites is validated. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dongsik Kim Jae-Kon Lee received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1985. He then went on to receive his M.S. degree from KAIST and Ph.D. degrees from University of Washington in 1987 and 1996, respectively. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering at Catholic University of Daegu in Kyeongsan, Korea. Dr. Lee’s research interests are in the area of design and analysis of smart composite materials using mechanical, thermal, and piezoelectric properties.