Optimization of the cycle time in resin transfer molding process by numerical simulation

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) has become one of the most efficient processes in the field of composite materials, among the steps in composite part processing is the curing reaction. In the majority of cases this reaction is of exothermic nature and accompanied by a rise in temperature in the center of the laminate, this leads to the appearance of a thermal gradient. This research work aims to highlight the thermal gradient generated as a result of a cross linking reaction. The objective is to reduce the temperature excess in the Polyester / Glass laminate. By means of a one-dimensional numerical study using the finite-difference method we have shown that the energy balance depends not only on the temperature and the degree of curing but also on several other factors namely: the volume fraction of the fibers and the temperature cycle. The comparison of the results with literature showed a good agreement.

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“…The expressions of density, specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity are given, respectively, by [7,9]:…”

Section: Mathematical Model 21 Heat Transfer Equationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution to the numerical study of the thermal gradient during the fabrication of composite materials by the RTM process.

Elyoussfi¹,

Oujdi²,

Saad³

et al. 2019

Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Computing and Wireless Communication Systems, ICCWCS 2019, April 24-25, 20

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“…Therefore, the process of RTM is nonisothermal and temperature plays an important role in the whole process . Moreover, the curing reaction of resin is exothermic and sensitive to temperature . Unreasonable heating system can easily lead to a nonuniform development of the curing reaction then resulting in large thermal gradients, which include the temperature gradients and curing degree gradients .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization method to reduce three‐dimensional thermal gradients in resin transfer molding

Yang

Liu

2020

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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Presently, the mold and resin are heated to promote resin flow and shorten curing period in order to improve manufacturing efficiency of resin transfer molding (RTM). This nonisothermal manufacturing process easily generates three-dimensional thermal gradients in the direction of resin flow and thickness of composite part. However, the existing heating systems only consider the thermal gradients along thickness direction. The thermal gradients in direction of resin flow cannot be reduced which will lead to residual stress even deformation and cracking in composite part. This article aims at reducing the three-dimensional thermal gradients in the direction of resin flow and thickness of composite part. Based on the theory of energy and fluid flow, an optimization method of heating system design by using numerical simulation is proposed. The results show this method reduces the three-dimensional thermal gradients effectively in composite part manufactured by RTM process. This study can provide powerful tools for heating system design to manufacture composites products in polymer industry.

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“…Meanwhile, some modifications of the VARTM processes have been developed to improve its quality, versatility and performance that allowed to significantly expand the scope of the process in the practice of composites manufacturing. Among these contrivances, which were able to overcome the difficulties associated with low permeability of the preforms, are a high permeability (HPM) and flow distribution media [5,15], air-permeable membrane [5], use of multiple injection lines and vents with independent control of resin and vacuum pressure [5,6,[16][17][18][19][20][21]. A distributed thermal control sometimes is used to reduce the resin viscosity while ensuring a low degree of the resin cure at the end of the preform filling [20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to eliminate these disadvantages some later works proposed the partial improvements. But these perfectionings were used at the optimization of the relatively simple objectiveminimization of the filling time by varying the number of vents, their location, injection pressure and temperature [9,18,21]. Any defects formation did not modeled in these works.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and Numerical Study of Vacuum Resin Infusion for Thin Walled Composite Parts

Shevtsov¹,

Zhilyaev²,

Chang³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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This paper considers a new approach to the modeling of the vacuum infusion process at the manufacturing three-dimensional composite parts of complex shape. The developed approach and numerical methods are focused on the reliable prediction with the needed accuracy and elimination the unrecoverable defect of composite structure such as the dry spots. The paper presents some experimental results, which demonstrate two cases of dry spots formation in large aircraft composite panels, and analyses the reasons of these defects arising. Our numerical technique is based on the vacuum infusion of the liquid resin into porous preform as the two phase flow, which is described by the phase field equation coupled with the Richards equation describing the fluid motion in unsaturated soils with spatially varied pressure dependant porosity and saturation. This problem statement allowed to correctly reconstruct the resin front motion and formation of inner and outer dry spots depending on its movement. For the rapid detection of preform zones that are suspicious for defect formation two indicators calculated during process simulation are proposed and tested at the numerical experiments. The auxiliary program tool has been developed in MATLAB environment to correctly detect the times of formation, localization and dimensions of the arising dry spots by using the results of the finite element model simulation.

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Optimization of the cycle time in resin transfer molding process by numerical simulation

Cited by 24 publications

References 28 publications

Contribution to the numerical study of the thermal gradient during the fabrication of composite materials by the RTM process.

Contribution to the numerical study of the thermal gradient during the fabrication of composite materials by the RTM process.

Optimization method to reduce three‐dimensional thermal gradients in resin transfer molding

Experimental and Numerical Study of Vacuum Resin Infusion for Thin Walled Composite Parts

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