Characterization of Flow Front in Resin Transfer Molding

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devdas Pai ◽  
Samuel Owusu-Ofori ◽  
Robert Sadler
Keyword(s):  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Flow Front ◽  
Transfer Molding

Characterization of polyurethane composites manufactured using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (sup1) ◽  
pp. 13-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mohamed ◽  
R.R. Vuppalapati ◽  
V. Bheemreddy ◽  
K. Chandrashekhara ◽  
T. Schuman
Keyword(s):  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Polyurethane Composites

A Closed Form Solution for Flow During the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding Process

1999 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
K-T. Hsiao ◽  
R. Mathur ◽  
S. G. Advani ◽  
J. W. Gillespie, ◽  
B. K. Fink
Keyword(s):  
Closed Form ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Closed Form Solution ◽  
Form Solution ◽  
Flow Front ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Front Region ◽  
Insight Into

A closed form solution to the flow of resin in vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process (VARTM) has been derived. VARTM is used extensively for affordable manufacturing of large composite structures. During the VARTM process, a highly permeable distribution medium is incorporated into the preform as a surface layer. During infusion, the resin flows preferentially across the surface and simultaneously through the preform giving rise to a complex flow front. The analytical solution presented here provides insight into the scaling laws governing fill times and resin inlet placement as a function of the properties of the preform, distribution media and resin. The formulation assumes that the flow is fully developed and is divided into two regimes: a saturated region with no crossflow and a flow front region where the resin is infiltrating into the preform from the distribution medium. The flow front region moves with a uniform velocity. The law of conservation of mass and Darcy’s Law for flow through porous media are applied in each region. The resulting equations are nondimensionalized and are solved to yield the flow front shape and the development of the saturated region. It is found that the flow front is parabolic in shape and the length of the saturated region is proportional to the square root of the time elapsed. The results thus obtained are compared to data from full scale simulations and an error analysis of the solution was carried out. It was found that the time to fill is determined with a high degree of accuracy while the error in estimating the flow front length, d, increases with a dimensionless parameter ε=K2xxh22/K2yyd2. The solution allows greater insight into the process physics, enables parametric and optimization studies and can reduce the computational cost of full-scale 3-dimensional simulations. A parametric study is conducted to establish the sensitivity of flow front velocity to the distribution media/preform thickness ratio and permeabilities and preform porosity. The results provide insight into the scaling laws for manufacturing of large scale structures by VARTM. [S1087-1357(00)02002-5]

On-Line Characterization of Bulk Permeability and Race-Tracking During the Filling Stage in Resin Transfer Molding Process

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (17) ◽  
pp. 1525-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Devillard ◽  
Kuang-Ting Hsiao ◽  
Ali Gokce ◽  
Suresh G. Advani
Keyword(s):  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Filling Stage ◽  
On Line
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