Transient Temperature Distributions in a Thermally Orthotropic Plate With Non-Uniform Surface Heating

ent temperature variation in a thermally orthotropic plate which is subjected to an arbitrary heating rate distribution along one face with all other surfaces being insulated. Dimensionless temperature histories and distributions determined from this solution are presented for the special, but representative, case of a linearly varying heating rate distribution on plates with varying degrees of thermal orthotropy. These results establish quantitatively the value of a material with high planar and low normal thermal conductivities for applications where it is desired to maintain minimum temperatures on the rear or unheated surface of a heat shield when the heated surface is subjected to a very non-uniform heating rate distribution. The applicability of simplifying assumptions in analyzing such a system is discussed. Experimental temperature measurements in a pyrolytic graphite plate heated by an oxyacetylene flame were made to verify the analytical results. Achievement of satisfactory agreement wss found to be dependent upon use of thermal property values differing from those presently available for this material. This is not unusual in that differences in production methods are known to introduce substantial property variations in anisotropic materials such as pyrolytic graphite. (auth