Three-dimensional modelling of heat conduction in laminated plates with the use of a two-dimensional numerical model

This paper presents a two-dimensional numerical (2D) model for analysing the full three-dimensional (3D) problem of heat transport problems in laminated composite plates. A 2D finite element model is enough for good representation of a 3D problem since each single node in the mesh has enough degrees of freedom associated with particular layers of the laminated plate. The 2D numerical model is quite simple and effective and it allows considering multi-layered structures in which individual layers are made of different materials and the structure may consist of a combination of thick and very thin layers without numerical instabilities. The method presented in this paper is combined with a specially tailored postprocessing procedure so that results from the planar mesh can be visualised as 3D graphics. The paper is illustrated with a set of examples in which stationary and non-stationary problems are considered. In these examples modelling of the laminated glass with three glass panes and thin layers of bonding material is presented.