%0 Journal Article %A Kucuk, Gulsad %A Gonzalez, Marcial %A Cuitino, Alberto M. %D 2015 %I Begell House %K thermomechanical coupling, heat networks, force networks, cross-property relation, granular materials, contact mechanics %N 5-6 %P 515-526 %R 10.1615/ComputThermalScien.2016015767 %T 2D PARTICLE MECHANICS SIMULATIONS ON EVOLUTION AND INTERACTIONS OF HEAT CHAINS AND FORCE NETWORKS UNDER STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/648192910890cd0e,4860a26f63ba7840,04f6ba5f44b720c1.html %V 7 %X Unlike continuum media, granular materials host an inhomogeneous distribution of contact networks, which results in an uneven distribution of loads inside the dense particulate assemblies. These structural arrangements play a critical role in determining the preferred paths of heat transport, due to the fact that thermal contact conductance is a function of the contact interfaces formed between particles. In spite of recent experimental and theoretical studies on the evolution of force chains, the formation of heat chains and the correlation between them still remain unclear. In this regard, a two-dimensional discrete model based on a particle mechanics approach is developed to unveil the characteristics of these microstructural arrangements, and the interactions between them under steady-state and equilibrium conditions. Thermally-assisted compaction of powders is a widely used manufacturing technique. Therefore, in this work, we model a two-dimensional configuration of randomly distributed spherical particles confined in a rigid die under mechanical and thermal loads. For this particular configuration, we study fundamental concepts such as formation of force and heat chains, evolution of force and heat distributions with respect to compaction parameters, and cross-property relation between normal force and heat transferred at the contact surfaces. %8 2016-06-27