The optimization in the simulation time of non-isothermal filling process without losing effectiveness remains a challenge in the resin transfer moulding process simulation. We are interested in this work on developing an improved computational approach based on finite element method coupled with control volume approach. Simulations can predict the position of the front of resin flow, pressure and temperature distribution at each time step. Our optimization approach is first based on the modification of conventional control volume/finite element method, then on the adaptation of the iterative algorithm of conjugate gradient to Compressed Sparse Row (CSR) storage scheme. The approach has been validated by comparison with available results. The proposed method yielded smoother flow fronts and reduced the error in the pressure and temperature pattern that plagued the conventional fixed grid methods. The solution accuracy was considerably higher than that of the conventional method since we could proceed in the mesh refinement without a significant increase in the computation time. Various thermal engineering situations can be simulated by using the developed code.

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The successful manufacture of thick composites is challenging since the highly exothermic nature of thermoset resins and limited temperature control make avoiding the onset of detrimental thermal gradients within the composite relatively difficult. This phenomenon is mainly caused by exothermic heat reactions. The so-called Michaud's model has been largely used in the literature to reduce the gap between experience and simulation with regard to the effective prediction of the temperature cycle in these processes. In this work, another solution is proposed to simulate the curing process for thick composites, namely preheating the resin to activate the curing reaction before resin injection into the mold. A good agreement between the experiment and the simulation is found. Moreover, in order to minimize the thermal gradient in the final composite, the thermophysical properties of the fiber and the torque (temperature, time) of the Plate have been varied leading to interesting results.