High Temperature Endurance of FRP Composites With Polymeric Thermal Barrier Coatings

High Temperature exposure and the corresponding thermo-mechanical behavior of cylindrical polymer composite pipe using CFD simulation has been investigated in this study. The software FLUENT was employed for the analysis of heat transfer, by coupling equations of energy and motion. Analysis was done based on applied external boundary temperature profile, change in internal energy, the total surface heat flux and surface heat transfer rate in order to evaluate the extent of thermal damage. FLUENT compatible program written in C++ language in the form of user define functions (UDF) has been developed and used to specify the time dependent heat flux generated temperature as well as temperature dependent thermal properties of density, thermal conductivity and specific heat. Available furnace test experimental data from (ASTM 1173-95) database were used as outer surface boundary condition in the model setup by developing it into UDF correlation equations. The outputs of the FLUENT simulations are predictions of transient temperature distribution through the thickness of the pipe wall that were then used in evaluating the thermal stresses of the composite pipe. Validation of the simulation results is done with existing data available in the literature. Using the wall generated temperatures, internal energy, the rate of change of the temperature dependent properties and the heat transfer rate, the thermal endurance of each of the coatings materials has been predicted in this work. At the same time knowledge of the thermal performance of these materials is essential for the optimum design of protection based on the composite application.