1997 Volume 83 Issue 2 Pages 151-156
The estimation method of the effective thermal diffusivity of composite materials by numerical calculation of heat transfer in the composite materials using image data was developed. In this method, time for the numerical calculation was reduced significantly by characterization method of the composite materials. The characterization method of composite materials was applied to original image data as follows: At first, dispersion material and pore were approximated by an ellipse as one component. Next, dispersion material was also approximated by an ellipse. Moreover, frame of matrix material was characterized with thinning method. Finally, these two ellipses and the frame were overlapped each other. In this way, characterized image data were obtained and were used for estimation.
Characterized image data of Fe-Al2O3 dispersion type composite materials were obtained with this method.
The effective thermal diffusivity of the sample was also measured by Halogen Flash method. The estimated results agreed well with the observed data. The effective thermal diffusivity was not affected by the particle size distribution of dispersion material but by existence of pore.