No abstract

Simulation tools are required to ease the determination of the optimal process parameters and injection strategy of short cycle resin transfer molding (RTM). The developed finite element method/volume of fluid numerical tool aims to simulate accurately and efficiently the flow of a reactive resin mixed on-line in a dual-scale porous reinforcement during the resin transfer molding process. A macroscopic mesh deals with the flow inside of the channels of the reinforcement while a representative microstructure associated to each element allows reproducing both the unsaturated area and the intra-tow resin storage. Degree of cure, temperature, and viscosity are updated and transported at each time step, both in the channels and in the tows of the fabric using advection equations and sink and source terms for inter-scale exchanges. A new flexible approach based on the textile’s geometry defines automatically the representative microstructure associated to each macroscopic element depending on its size and shape. Additionally, tow saturation is simplified under the assumption of high-speed injection to a sum of one-dimensional transverse tow saturation problems, which reduces the computational cost of the simulation. Convergence tests have highlighted the ability for the simulation tool to treat with an equivalent degree of accuracy a saturation problem with elements exhibiting element sizes three times smaller to three times bigger than the length of the unsaturated area. Significant computation time reductions have also been noticed when large elements were used. Finally thermo-chemo-rheological coupled simulations have been conducted, highlighting the importance of taking the dual-scale effect into account when simulating reactive injections with on-line mixing.

Classical dual-scale reactive simulations of the RTM process assume permanent intra-tow resin storage in the saturated domain. However, recent experimental investigations revealed that permanent storage is occurring only in a limited volume of the tows. In the remaining volume, fluid is released in the channels with a rate that depends on the architecture of the textile and on the fiber volume fraction. Based on experimental observations, a new model is proposed to refine the simulation of the high speed reactive RTM process: a simplified microstructural model is used to enable permanent and partial transient storage within the tows. Additionally, a new sink term is proposed to reproduce the kinetics of the convective tow-channel fluid exchanges in the saturated domain. After a state of the art on dual-scale and reactive flow, the experimental inputs of the study are presented. The new model is then introduced, validated and characterized using the experimental inputs. Additionally, the influence of the release mechanisms on a reactive dual-scale injection is estimated by conducting comparative single-scale, and dual-scale simulations with transient or permanent storage. The new model has been demonstrated to be appropriate to reproduce accurately the release mechanisms, and simulations reveal the interest of taking these release mechanisms into account to simulate reactive dual-scale injections with an increased accuracy.

In SMC processes, a charge of a composite material, which typically consists of a matrix composed of an unsaturated polyester or vinylester, reinforced with chopped glass fibres or carbon fibre bundles and fillers, is placed on the bottom half of the preheated mould. The charge usually covers 30 to 90% of the total area. The upper half of the mould is closed rapidly at a speed of about 40 mm/s. This rapid movement causes the charge to flow inside the cavity. The reinforcing fibres are carried by the resin and experience a change of configuration during the flow. This strongly influences the mechanical properties of the final part. Several issues compromises its efficient numerical simulation, among them: (i) the modeling of flow kinematics able to induce eventual fibres/resin segregation, (ii) the confined fibres orientation evolution and its accurate prediction, (iii) local dilution effects, (iv) flow bifurcation at junctions and its impact on the fibres orientation state, (v) charge / mould contact and (vi) parametric solutions involving non-interpolative fields. The present paper reports advanced modeling and simulation techniques for circumventing, or at least alleviating, the just referred difficulties.