Parametric Study on Effective Thermal Conductivity of Dispersed Disks with Internal Heat Sources

Composite materials are widely used in various fields due to their superior properties. Given their complex internal structures, they are often modeled as homogeneous materials in engineering applications to simplify temperature distribution analysis. The key parameter in this approach is effective thermal conductivity (ETC). Conventional ETC models, based on Fourier’s law or the effective field approach, tend to underestimate temperatures when applied to composites containing internal heat sources, such as nuclear fuels. Preliminary studies have been conducted on ETC models for composite plates and particle-dispersed spheres with internal heat sources, using average temperature as the conserved quantity instead of the heat flux. This study focuses on dispersed disks containing internal heat sources. The finite element method is used to calculate its average-temperature-based ETC. The influence of filler size, filling fraction, and component thermal conductivities on the ETC is analyzed. Additionally, the impact of internal heat sources on ETC is discussed based on the theoretical model for the ETC of a one-dimensional composite plate. This research enhances understanding of ETC in composites with internal heat sources, reveals the connection between conventional and temperature-based ETC models, and provides insights for developing an ETC model for dispersed disks.