Premium
Evaluation of pyrolysis parameters for fiberglass reinforced polymer composites based on multi‐objective optimization
Author(s) -
Kim E.,
Dembsey N.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
fire and materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-1018
pISSN - 0308-0501
DOI - 10.1002/fam.2262
Subject(s) - materials science , thermal conductivity , composite material , emissivity , consistency (knowledge bases) , pyrolysis , fibre reinforced plastic , polymer , kinetic energy , thermal , cone calorimeter , computer science , thermodynamics , waste management , engineering , char , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , optics
Summary This study was conducted to investigate the ability of global, multi‐objective/variable optimization methods to estimate material parameters for comprehensive pyrolysis models—thermo‐physical and optical properties of two fiberglass reinforced polymer (FRP) composites that share the same fiberglass. With these optimization methods used in pair with a comprehensive pyrolysis model, parameter estimation was carefully conducted with considerations given to applying appropriate thermal decomposition kinetic models (three different models from simple to complex) and optimization targets (cone calorimeter data irradiated at 50 kW/m 2 ). Estimation results are compared with independently measured effective properties—thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and emissivity of polymer resins and FRPs. Additionally, fiberglass properties estimated from the two FRPs are compared to analyze for consistency in optimized values. The results show that for a well‐configured parameter estimation exercise using the optimization method described earlier, (1) estimated results are within ±100% of the measurements in general and sometimes comparable to effective property values, (2) increasing complexity of the kinetic modeling for a single component system has insignificant effect on estimated values, and (3) increasing complexity of the kinetic modeling for a multiple component system with each element having different thermal characteristics has positive effect on estimated values. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.