Temperature Field and Thermal Stress Analysis of a Composite Wing Electric Heating System with Delamination Damage

Electrothermal anti-/de-icing systems are widely used in aircraft, and the structures of these systems are generally consist of multiple layers laminated together. In service, laminated structures are prone to structural deformation and delamination, which can significantly affect heat conduction. Therefore, it is essential to study the temperature field of these electrically heated anti-icing structures during operation and analyse the impact of delamination damage on the temperature distribution. In this thesis, a dynamic multiphysical field study of an electric heating anti-icing structure is conducted using a thermal expansion layer-by-layer/3D solid element method. By studying the electric heating process of composite plates experiencing pre-positioned delamination, the thermal expansion layer-by-layer/3D solid element method considers the thermal convection boundary conditions as well as a constant heat source. In addition, to considering the influences of the geometric shape and delamination damage, we apply the thermal expansion layer-by-layer/3D solid element method to the electric heating anti-icing process of airfoil structures using a coordinate transformation matrix. The calculations show that when delamination damage is located above the heating layer, the maximum temperature of the structure reaches 450 °C at 50 s, which severely affects the normal functioning of the structure. Additionally, the surface temperature of the anti-icing system decreases to the ambient temperature at the delamination. In contrast, delamination damage located below the heating layer has a minimal effect on the surface temperature distribution. Moreover, the damage caused by multiple types of damage is greater than that caused by a single type of damage.