A Coupled Thermochemical Model for Predicting Fire-Induced Thermal Responses and Decomposition Behavior

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• Composite materials offer high strength-to-weight ratios crucial for aerospace.
• Fire safety of composites remains a significant challenge in aerospace applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a coupled thermochemical model for predicting composite material thermal response and decomposition under fire conditions.
• To enhance the fire safety of aerospace composites through advanced computational analysis.

Main Methods:

• Integrated heat transfer, resin pyrolysis kinetics, and gas generation dynamics.
• Utilized Rule of Mixtures for temperature-dependent thermophysical properties.
• Employed an n-th-order Arrhenius equation for decomposition kinetics and a hybrid finite element scheme for numerical solution.

Main Results:

• The model accurately predicts thermal response and decomposition behavior.
• Successfully captured char layer insulation, heat flux attenuation, and property transitions.
• Experimental validation confirmed high predictive accuracy according to 14 CFR Part 25 and ISO 2685 standards.

Conclusions:

• The developed model provides a robust computational framework for fire safety analysis of aerospace composites.
• Addresses critical gaps in existing models by incorporating coupled multiphysics.
• Facilitates the optimization of fire-resistant composite materials for aerospace applications.