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 the metallic network, both in terms of optical transparency and thermal performance. In this paper, a coupled electro‐thermal model and an electromagnetic model are developed to investigate the properties of an embedded metallic mesh in a polymer matrix. Infrared thermal imaging and ultraviolet‐visible spectrophotometry are used to quantify thermal transport and transparency in the system and to verify the performance of finite element 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 is established which can provide desirable network configurations to optimize performance.

中文翻译：

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网络拓扑对基于嵌入式随机金属网格的透明热加热器电热和光学特性的影响

基于金属网络的透明热加热器由于其卓越的响应时间、低薄层电阻和低成本的制造成本，在过去几年中引起了相当大的关注。为了提高热加热器的机械稳定性和可靠性，需要将金属网络嵌入某种形式的基体中。然而，嵌入网络改变了热传导的性质，使得面内和面外热传导对于确保可靠性和均匀的热分布非常重要。嵌入式热加热器的性能在光学透明度和热性能方面也受到金属网络几何形状的显着影响。在本文中，开发了耦合电热模型和电磁模型来研究聚合物基体中嵌入金属网的特性。红外热成像和紫外可见分光光度法用于量化系统中的热传输和透明度，并验证有限元模型的性能。然后进行系统研究，以评估网络拓扑对面内和面外热分布以及光学性能的作用。根据数值分析，建立了结构-性能关系，可以提供理想的网络配置来优化性能。