Abstract
Transparent thermal heaters based on metallic networks have gained considerable attention in the last few years as a result of their superior response time, low sheet resistance and low cost of manufacturing. To increase the mechanical stability and reliability of the thermal heater, it is desirable to embed the metallic network in some form of matrix. Embedding the network however, changes the nature of thermal conduction making both in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conduction important for ensuring reliability and uniform thermal distribution. The performance of embedded thermal heaters is also significantly influenced by the geometry of metallic network, both in terms of optical transparency and thermal performance. In this paper, we have developed a coupled electro-thermal model and an electromagnetic model to investigate the properties of an embedded metallic mesh in a polymer matrix. IR thermal imaging and UV spectrophotometer have been used to quantify thermal transport and transparency in the system and to verify the performance of FE models. A systematic study is then performed to assess the role of network topology both on in-plane and out-of-plane thermal distribution and optical performance. According to numerical analysis, a structure-property relationship has been established which could provide desirable network configurations to optimize performance.