Investigation on temperature behavior of CFRP during lightning strike using experiment and simulation

Artificial lightning strike tests on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) were conducted, and the temperature variation on the surface of the specimen was investigated with an all‐fiber transient high‐temperature sensor. The results showed that the temperature increase on the surface of the CFRP was synchronous with the conduction of current, resulting in a fast rising rate. By contrast, the decrease of temperature was much slower, as it was mainly influenced by heat convection with the surroundings. Next, the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity up to the decomposition of the matrix resin was measured, and the results revealed that the melt and decomposition of the resin matrix caused significant variation in the conductivity, especially in the transverse and through‐thickness directions. Based on the measured electrical conductivity, a finite element interaction model of the tested specimen was built, and coupled thermal‐electrical analysis was then implemented. The good consistency between simulation and experiment results indicated that the numerical model was very effective in anticipating lightning Joule heating effects and obtaining an accurate and real‐time temperature value of a specific location during a lightning strike. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3541–3549, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers