2011 Volume 59 Issue 688 Pages 132-139
The present paper deals with a new analytical method to calculate electric current density between two probes in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). Unidirectional CFRP has strongly orthotropic electric conductance. Even when electric current is applied to a CFRP plates using two probes on a single surface, the electric current density is not uniform in the cross section. The electric current concentrates near the surface where the electric current is applied. Although it is quite important to know the electric current density in the CFRP plate for the analysis of lighting effects, it is very difficult to calculate it using 3-D FEM analyses. In the present study, the orthotropic coordinate is transformed into uniform coordinate. Laplace's equation is solved using a potential theory of perfect fluid. The solved equations using an infinite-body approximation are checked comparing with FEM analyses. As a result, the new analysis method is proved to be efficient for unidirectional CFRP. The limitation of the method is also discussed here.
