A two-phase flow model to simulate mold filling and saturation in Resin Transfer Molding

This paper addresses the numerical simulation of void formation and transport during mold filling in Resin Transfer Molding (RTM). The saturation equation, based on a two-phase flow model resin/air, is coupled with Darcy’s law and mass conservation to simulate the unsaturated filling flow that takes place in a RTM mold when resin is injected through the fiber bed. These equations lead to a system composed of an advection–diffusion equation for saturation including capillary effects and an elliptic equation for pressure taking into account the effect of air residual saturation. The model introduces the relative permeability as a function of resin saturation. When capillary effects are omitted, the hyperbolic nature of the saturation equation and its strong coupling with Darcy equation through relative permeability represent a challenging numerical issue. The combination of the constitutive physical laws relating permeability to saturation with the coupled system of the pressure and saturation equations allows predicting the saturation profiles. The model was validated by comparison with experimental data obtained for a fiberglass reinforcement injected in a RTM mold at constant flow rate. The saturation measured as a function of time during the resin impregnation of the fiber bed compared very well with numerical predictions.     

Flow analysis during compression of partially impregnated fiber preform under controlled force

Compression resin transfer molding (CRTM) is an alternative solution to conventional resin transfer molding processes. It offers the capability to produce net shape composites with fast cycle times making it conducive for high volume production. The resin flow during this process can be separated into three phases: (i) metered amount of resin injection into a partially closed mold containing dry fiber preform, (ii) closure of the mold until it is in contact with the fiber preform displacing all the resin into the preform and (iii) further mold closure to the desired thickness of the part compacting the preform and redistributing the resin. Understanding the flow behavior in every phase is imperative for predictive process modeling that guarantees full preform saturation within a given time and under specified force constraints.     

树脂传递模塑成型注模过程的光纤光栅监测

有效监测树脂传递模塑成型(RTM)的树脂注模过程对于生产大型共固化复合材料结构十分必要.本文重点讨论利用光栅传感器监测注模过程的树脂流动问题.本文在复合材料层的不同位置布置了1个温度传感器用来监测温度,2个应变传感器用来监测树脂流动前沿到达时间,试验结果表明50 min和115 min时树脂流动前沿分别到达No.1和No.2应变传感器,166 min时完成注模,此时监测温度为最低的24.59℃.光栅传感器完全可实现树脂传递模塑注模过程的监测.     

Sensitivity analysis of viscoplastic deformation process with application to metal preform design optimization

The sensitivity analysis of rigid viscoplastic deformation processes with application to metal preform design optimization is investigated. For viscoplastic constitutive models, the deformation process is path-dependent in nature and thus the sensitivity analysis of the deformation history is formulated in an incremental procedure. To this end, an algorithm is derived on the basis of the time integration scheme used in the primary finite element analysis, where the contact conditions are treated with the penalty method. The discretized equilibrium equations, as well as the time integration equations, are directly differentiated with respect to the design variables. The discrete form of the sensitivity equations is then solved with procedures similar to those used in the direct analysis, where the secant matrix decomposed in the direct analysis can also be utilized at each time instant. Thus the sensitivity of the deformation history is evaluated in a step-wise procedure. The present algorithm can be employed for the optimization of metal forming processes. The accuracy of the proposed sensitivity analysis as well as its applicability are demonstrated by numerical examples with reference to preform design optimization problems, where the aggregate function method is employed for converting the non-smooth Min–max type objective function into a numerically tractable one.     

Molten glass flow stability during fiber drawing through a nozzle

We report a computer simulation study of the diameter uniformity of optical fibers produced by drawing through a nozzle. We determine the natural frequency and decrement of melt flow rate oscillations downstream of the nozzle and examine the effect of temperature ripple on deviations of the fiber diameter from its nominal value. It is shown that cooling the melt jet stabilizes the melt flow and the fiber diameter.     

树脂传递模塑过程的固化反应热效应的数值分析

根据化学热力学,分析了双马来酰亚胺树脂传递模塑过程的固化反应热效应现象;采用增量方法,根据化学反应动力学模型,推导了反应热释放量及其强度的数值计算式.采用有限元方法,数值模拟了在复杂变温条件下的树脂固化反应过程,获得了树脂温度、固化率、反应热释放量及其强度在时空间的分布规律,进而分析了影响因素.     

RTM成型过程中树脂/纤维界面性能表征及分析

通过测试树脂的表面张力、碳纤维的表面能以及树脂与纤维动态接触角来分析RTM成型过程中树脂/纤维界面性能,并对比分析了树脂对涂覆溶液定型剂前后的纤维浸润性能的影响。结果显示,随着温度升高,树脂表面张力降低,纤维的表面能升高,使得树脂/纤维的动态接触角变小,利于树脂浸润单丝纤维;树脂对涂覆溶液定型剂后的碳纤维织物浸润较为困难。     

RTM工艺中单向纤维排列中的缺陷迁移的数值模拟

Decreasing the amount of residual voids during the resin infiltration into fibrous porous media is an important aspect in manufacturing high performance composite materials.In order to better understand void transports and flow behaviors in filling process,which affects immediately the final void content,a finite-element scheme for transient simulations of the void migration in a transverse flow through the uniaxial micro-structured fibrous media is developed in this work.A volume-of-fluid (VOF) method has been incorporated in the Eulerian frame to capture the free surface of the resin flow.The implementation of periodic boundary condition to the vertical direction avoids unwanted wall effect.The void migration in a dual-scale fiber tow model was investigated.The voids are observed to be transported through the inter-tow region as well as entrapped into fiber tow.It is that the motion of void lagged behind macro flow front which implies that the adequate resin bleeding after mold filling is crucial to remove the entrapped air.     

Drop deformation in Stokes flow through converging channels

This work presents an application of a direct boundary element method (BEM) formulation for drop deformation and interaction in Stokes flows through converging channels. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effect, on drop deformation, of the channel's convergence ratio, the drop-fluid viscosity ratio, the interfacial tension and the initial relative position of the drops.     

Modelling the flow of particle-filled resin through a fibrous preform in liquid composite molding technologies

During the manufacturing of particle-filled resin composite parts with a liquid composite molding (LCM) process, undesirable issues arise like resin viscosity increase or particles filtration. As the filled resin flow is taking place, the fibrous preform may act as a filter and hinder the even repartition of the fillers throughout the part or even stop the mold filling. The present paper proposes an experimental investigation of the particle filtration during the injection of a composite part. The model proposed by Erdal et al. is analysed and improved in order to take liquid retention phenomenon into account. Finally, simulated and experimental data are compared.     

Multiscale modeling of unsaturated flow of dual-scale fiber preform in liquid composite molding II: Non-isothermal flows

A novel multiscale approach is developed for modeling non-isothermal flows under unsaturated conditions in the dual-scale fabrics of liquid composite molding (LCM). The flow and temperature governing equations at the global or gap or inter-tow (∼m) level and the local or intra-tow (∼mm) levels are based on a previous dual-scale volume averaging method. To solve the coupled equations at two length-scales, a coarse global mesh is used to solve the global flow over the entire domain, and a fine local mesh in form of the unit-cell of periodic fabrics is employed to solve the local tow-impregnation process. (The latter is used to compute sink terms required for solving the former.) A multiscale algorithm based on the hierarchical computational grids is then proposed to solve the dual-scale flow under non-isothermal (but non-reactive) conditions. To test the proposed multiscale model, we first carry out a validation study in which the temperature histories predicted by the multiscale method are compared with experimental data available in a publication for a simple 1-D flow. Despite the lack of information about various model parameters, a reasonably good comparison with the experimental results is achieved. Then, the non-isothermal flow through a simple 1-D flow domain is carried out and the predictions of the multiscale simulation are compared with those of a previously published two-layer model. The multiscale predictions are found to be very similar to the two-layer predictions. A significant difference between the gap and tow temperatures is observed. The ratio of pore volumes in the tow and gap regions, thermal conductivity of the tows, and fiber types are identified as the important parameters for temperature distributions in the gap and tow regions. A further comparison with the single-scale flow simulation highlights significant differences between the conventional single-scale and the proposed dual-scale modeling approaches.     

变厚度复合材料U型零件固化变形仿真预测与结构影响因素

为了准确预测变厚度CCF800H/AC531碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料U型零件的固化变形,并分析弯边以及变厚区参数对变形的影响。首先,利用自洽方法确定了单层复合材料力学性能,采用细观有限元方法预测了层合板的整体性能以避免仿真建模时复杂的铺层设置。而后结合固化硬化瞬时线弹性模型建立了零件的固化变形预测方法并进行了验证。变厚区对相邻区域的变形的影响规律由变厚区结构参数确定,与铺层方式和材料种类无关。运用Box-Behnken响应面方法,拟合了两个二次模型以分析弯边参数和变厚度结构参数对固化变形的影响规律。变厚区对较薄区域的影响较大,变形最大减小幅度达15%,而对较厚区域的影响可以忽略。采用方差分析比较了不同因素的影响,变厚区的宽度变化对变形的影响较小。当截面距变厚区的距离大于150 mm时,变厚区对较薄区域的影响接近为0。     

An amorphous ceramic Al32.4Er7.6O60 fiber with large viscous flow deformation and a high-strength nanocrystallized ceramic fiber

An amorphous ceramic Al_32.4Er_7.6O₆₀ continuous fiber with a diameter of about 20 m could be made successfully by using the melt extraction method. This fiber shows large viscous flow deformation at the supercooled liquid state (about 1273 K). The fiber's tensile strength is about 900 MPa and this strength is maintained up to around 1100 K. A high-strength continuous ceramic fiber with a uniform Er₃Al₅O₁₂ nanocrystalline phase in an amorphous matrix can also be obtained with suitable crystallization from the amorphous state by heat treatment. The heat resistance, Young's modulus, and other properties are therefore improved. The nanocrystallized fiber which was heat-treated at 1373 K for 2 hours in an air atmosphere has a maximum room temperature tensile strength of 1.9 GPa, around twice that of an as-extracted amorphous fiber. The amorphous continuous ceramic fiber is promising as a ceramic that can be easily shaped at relatively low temperatures (about 1273 K), and as a reinforcing fiber for composites that can undergo secondary processing. Furthermore, this fiber can be considered as more superior to glass fibers because of its greater high-temperature strength and its high Young's modulus.     

Control of flow direction in microfluidic devices with polyelectrolyte multilayers

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) is commonly utilized in microfluidics. Because the direction of the EOF can be determined by the substrate surface charge, control of the surface chemical state offers the potential, in addition to voltage control, to direct the flow in microfluidic devices. We report the use of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) to alter the surface charge and control the direction of flow in polystyrene and acrylic microfluidic devices. Relatively complex flow patterns with simple arrangements of applied voltages are realized by derivatization of different arms of a single device with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. In addition, flow in opposite directions in the same channel is possible. A positively derivatized plastic substrate with a negatively charged lid was used to achieve top-bottom opposite flows. Derivatization of the two sides of a plastic microchannel with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes was used to achieve side-by-side opposite flows. The flow is characterized using fluorescence imaging and particle velocimetry.     

Variations in unsaturated flow with flow direction in resin transfer molding: An experimental investigation

The dual-scale nature of fiber preforms due to the presence of large continuous gaps between fiber tows gives rise to the unsaturated flow in resin transfer molding (RTM) process which is characterized by a droop in the injection pressure history due to the delayed absorption of fiber tows (the ‘sink’ effect). In this study, we experimentally investigate the effect of change in flow direction on the unsaturated flow in three anisotropic dual-scale fiber mats. A series of 1-D mold-filling experiments involving a constant flow rate were conducted for a unidirectional woven fiber-mat, a biaxial stitched mat, and a triaxial stitched fiber-mat along with a reference single-scale random mat. In the case of the unidirectional mats, the droop in the inlet-pressure history, signifying the strength of the sink effect, is found to be strongest for flow along the micro-channels aligned with fiber tows. The droop, and hence the sink effect, is observed to weaken progressively for flow-directions at 45° and 90° to this principal direction. In the case of the biaxial and triaxial mats, the situation is more complex due to the multi-layer construction of such mats: maximum droop is found when mats are oriented at a 45° angle with respect to the fiber-mat coordinate, and it weakens in the 0° and 90° directions. The unsaturated flow effect is also quantified by measuring percentage deviation in the area under the experimental curve from that of the predicted curve. A clear correlation between the droop (through the percentage deviation) and the permeability along a flow direction in the unidirectional mats is observable, though such a relationship eludes the triaxial mat. The effect of unsaturated flow on liquid-front progress during the 1-D experiment was also studied. In contrast to the reference single-scale random mat where the observed front progress closely follow the prediction based on the single-scale physics, a small difference was observed between the observed and predicted front progress for the three dual-scale mats considered. However the difference was too small to yield any significant correlation with the flow direction.