Numerical calculations of the thermal conductivities of composites: a 2-D model

Abstract

SUMMARY A 2-D numerical finite-difference model has been developed to calculate the thermal conductivity of a composite material. The method is general in that the distribution of components within the material can be ordered or random. Results from the calculations are compared with those based on a geometric model in which the conductivity of the composite depends on the volume fractions of the different components and with conductivities calculated using real-space renormalization group theory (RSRG) and the effective medium approximation (EMA). The results from the present work compare well with the geometric model and the EMA, whereas the RSRG results generally indicate lower conductivities. Possible reasons for the differences between the RSRG theory and the other methods are discussed.