Experimental and modeling analysis of thermal characteristics in carbon fiber wires

To understand the thermal characteristics of carbon fiber heating wires, we tested the heating rules of carbon fiber heating wires with inner core tows of 12k and 24k and different lengths. We found that the surface temperature of the carbon fiber heating wires rose and fell quickly when the power supply was turned on and off by 82.9 and 18.3°C/min, respectively. After the quick rise period, the surface temperature tended to be steady with ±2°C of fluctuation; the steady temperature decreased as the length increased. With an increase in the length from 7 to 12 m, the steady temperature of the 12k and 24k wires reduced from 122°C and 166°C to 53°C and 71°C, respectively. Using the COMSOL Multiphysics software to simulate the carbon fiber heating wires, the simulated surface temperatures were in good agreement with the experimental results, with errors less than 7%. The convective and radiative heat transfer of the simulated carbon fiber electric heating wire decreased with an increase in length and the number of tows, and the convective heat transfer was much higher than the radiative heat transfer to indicate that the convective heat transfer is the main heat transfer mode in the heat dissipation of the carbon fiber electric heating wire. Results indicate that there is a rapid increase in temperature when power is on, and thereafter temperature remains constant. These are the important characteristics of carbon fiber heating wires.