• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.587-602
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• 2023

This article presents the numerical modelling of transient heat transfer in highly heterogeneous composite materials where the thermal conductivity, specific heat and density are assumed to be directional-dependent. This article uses a coupled finite element-finite difference scheme to perform the transient heat transfer analysis of unidirectional (1D) and multidirectional (2D/3D) functionally graded composite panels. Here, 1D/2D/3D functionally graded structures are subjected to nonuniform heat source and inhomogeneous boundary conditions. Here, the multidirectional functionally graded materials are modelled by varying material properties in individual or in-combination of spatial directions. Here, fully spatial-dependent material properties are evaluated using Voigt's micromechanics scheme via multivariable power-law functions. The weak form is obtained through the Galerkin method and solved further via the element-space and time-step discretisation through the 2D-isoparametric finite element and the implicit backward finite difference schemes, respectively. The present model is verified by comparing it with the previously reported results and the commercially available finite element tool. The numerous illustrations confirm the significance of boundary conditions and material heterogeneity on the transient temperature responses of 1D/2D/3D functionally graded panels.