Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation of Heat Transfer Through a CFRP Heating Flatbed with a Sand Thermal Buffer

Abstract

Stable conductive heating is required to reproduce desert basking conditions for captive Uromastyx aegyptia, but conventional platforms may be heavy and thermally non-uniform. This study aimed to determine a suitable sand-buffer thickness for a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) heating flatbed and experimentally validate the predicted surface temperature. A steady-state SOLIDWORKS Simulation model represented CFRP as orthotropic and dry sand as isotropic silicon dioxide. The measured heater condition was 77.4 °C; ambient temperature, convection coefficient, emissivity, and view factor were 298.9 K, 1.79 W/(m²·K), 0.9, and 0.5, respectively. Iterative modelling selected a 50 mm sand layer and predicted a surface temperature of 54.90 °C. The prototype was evaluated by infrared thermography at six intervals over 240 min in three trials. At 240 min, the mean centre temperature was 55.53 °C. The absolute difference from the prediction was 0.63 °C and the relative deviation was 1.15%, below the predefined 5% criterion. The final spatial maximum of 58.57 °C shows that centre-temperature agreement must be considered together with surface uniformity. The CFRP-sand configuration therefore produced a stable conductive surface, and the model provides a practical basis for preliminary thickness selection under the tested conditions.