Numerical and Experimental Study of Enhanced Heat Dissipation Performance of Graphene-Coated Heating Cables

Abstract

Low-temperature radiant heating systems utilizing heating cables face challenges including low heat dissipation efficiency and high energy consumption, hindering widespread application. Graphene coatings, characterized by high thermal conductivity and far-infrared radiation properties, offer a novel approach to enhance cable heat dissipation efficiency. This study systematically investigates the effects of coating position, thickness, and ambient temperature on cable heat dissipation using numerical simulations and experiments. A three-dimensional heat transfer model of the heating cable was established using Fluent software (2022R1). The radiation heat transfer equation was solved using the Discrete Ordinates (DO) model, and the coating position and thickness parameters were optimized. The reliability of the simulation results was validated using a temperature-rise experimental platform. The results indicate that graphene coatings significantly improve the heat dissipation performance of cables. Under optimal parameters (coating thickness: 100 μm, coating position: aluminum fin surface, initial temperature: 5 °C), the heat flux increased by approximately 26%, aluminum fin surface temperature decreased to 41.5 °C, and experimental temperature-rise efficiency improved by nearly 50%. The discrepancy between simulated and experimental results was within 8.5%. However, when coating thickness exceeded 100 μm, interfacial thermal resistance increased, reducing heat dissipation efficiency. Additionally, higher ambient temperatures suppressed heat dissipation. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the energy efficiency of low-temperature radiant heating systems.