Method to determine effective thermal conductivity coefficient of porous material based on minimum surface Schoen's I-WP(R) type

Abstract

Currently, to develop the materials with predictable properties at the macrostructural level, triply periodic minimum surfaces (TPMS) are used. The production of materials with an ordered structure of TPMS has become available due to the active development of additive technologies. Such materials have high strength-weight ratio, which is important in many structural problems. The study of the thermophysical properties of materials is necessary for the further design of various types of thermal insulation, heat exchangers, etc. In this regard, the study of the thermophysical properties of materials with an ordered structure based on TPMS is a topical issue. The paper proposes to study the thermophysical properties of materials with an ordered structure of Schoen’s I-WP(R) TPMS. Using the ANSYS software package (Steady-State Thermal module), numerical simulation of the heat transfer process in the material under study is carried out. The study is carried out for a material common in additive technologies, that is PETG plastic. The article presents the results of a study of the thermophysical properties of a material with an ordered macrostructure based on Schoen’s I-WP(R) triply periodic minimal energy surfaces. Based on the simulation results, graphical and analytical dependences of the heat flux density and effective thermal conductivity of the material are obtained. The results of the heat flux density are obtained in different directions with variable geometric parameters of the structure (the thickness of the cell wall and the length of the edge of the cube in which the cell is inscribed). Using the ANSYS software package, numerical simulation of the heat transfer process in the material under study is performed. The calculation results show a linear dependence of the effective thermal conductivity of the homogenized material on the wall thickness of the unit cell. It is shown that the intensity of heat transfer depends not only on the wall thickness and unit cell size, but also on the direction of the heat flux. The obtained results of the study can be used to create materials with predictable thermal conductivity by changing the dimensions (cell wall thickness and cube edge length) and high strength-weight ratio. The production of the material is possible with the help of additive technologies.