Axisymmetric numerical study on thermal response of composites to laser irradiation

The investigation into the laser irradiation effects of composites is important to the development of laser application. An axisymmetric model was proposed to predict the thermal responses of carbon fiber resin composite(CFRC) to laser irradiation in time and space domain. The finite element method was used to solve the governing equation. In this model, the boundary conditions were considered, including laser heat flow, heat convection and heat radiation. The progressive change in thermo-physical properties including decomposition degree, mass transfer, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity was determined. A code was developed to predict the transient temperature and thermal decomposing area of composites matrix under laser irradiation, and the results were compared to experimental data. The computed temperatures of composites consist with the experimental measurements well. It was found that when laser intensity was low, the thermal response pattern of CFRC composite was matrix decomposing.