Autonomic thermal management of graphite fiber/epoxy composite structures using an addressable conducting network

This paper aims to develop an autonomic thermal management system of graphite fiber/polymer composite structures using their electrical property. A number of copper tapes are integrated on top and bottom surfaces of a composite plate, and through the thickness resistances between these tapes are measured on a hotplate for temperature monitoring. The resistance at warmer area successfully reflected the temperature distribution taken by an IR imaging camera. The same copper tapes are subsequently used for generating resistive heat by supplying a large amount of current. The effective heat generation is investigated by a finite element analysis, showing that the temperature of a laminate can be controlled by adjusting the conductivity in the fiber and thickness directions.