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Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Dispersion Coefficient for Resin Transfer Modeling

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Abstract

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is a composite manufacturing process. A preformed fiber is placed in a closed mold and a viscous resin is injected into the mold. In this article, a model is developed to predict the flow pattern, extent of reaction, and temperature change during the filling and curing in a thin rectangular mold. A numerical simulation is presented to predict the free surface and its interactions with heat transfer and cure for flow of a shear-thinning resin through the preformed fiber.To simulate this process, using local thermal equilibrium assumption, it is essential to include the thermal dispersion term in energy equation. The best method to achieve this result is experimental simulation and preparing proportionate system at simple conditions without curing. By comparison of recorded temperature values (using installed instruments at various locations), and the corresponding results from numerical solution for different estimated values of dispersion coefficient, this coefficient has been evaluated based on the best matching estimate. The results show that, to simulate composite manufacturing process by RTM method, the effect of dispersion term in energy equation shall not be neglected.

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Abbreviations

A 0 :

Constant in the kinetic equation (Eq. 23)

A c :

Constant in the max conversion equation (Eq. 25)

A μ :

Constant in the viscosity equation (Eq. 24)

b :

Vector function for transforms the average temperature gradient into the pointwise temperature deviation

B c :

Constant in the max conversion equation (Eq. 25)

c p :

Specific heat

C:

Conversion of chemical species

C g :

Max. conversion

C hex :

\({\sum_{{i}={\rm s,f}} {\left( {\rho {c}_{p}}\right)}_{i}\left\langle {{b}_{xi}}\right\rangle }\)

D :

Mass diffusivity

E :

Activation energy in kinetic equation (Eq. 23)

E μ :

Activation energy in viscosity equation (Eq. 24)

F c :

Reaction function

h :

Mold half height

I :

Unit tensor

k :

Thermal conductivity

K :

Permeability tensor

K :

Permeability value

π:

Unit outward normal vector

p :

Pressure

t :

Time

T :

Temperature

T inflow :

Fluid inlet temperature

u :

Velocity component

v :

Velocity vector

x,y,z :

Coordinates

ε:

Volume fractions

μ:

Resin viscosity

ρ:

Density

ΔH :

Heat of reaction

\({\langle\,\rangle}\) :

Volume average

\({\langle\,\rangle^{\rm f},\langle\,\rangle^{\rm s}}\) :

Intrinsic phase averages over the fluid and solid phase

f:

Fluid (resin)

s:

Solid (fiber)

i:

Solid and fluid

w:

Wall

e:

Effective

D:

Dispersion

c:

Characteristic

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, KNTU University of Technology, Mollasadra Avenue, P.O. Box 12345-12345, Tehran, Iran

    M. R. Shahnazari

  2. SNC Lavalin Inc., 2275 Upper Middle Road, 7th Floor, Oakville, ON, L6H 0C3, Canada

    A. Abbas Nejad

Authors
  1. M. R. Shahnazari
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  2. A. Abbas Nejad
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Correspondence to M. R. Shahnazari.

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Shahnazari, M.R., Nejad, A.A. Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Dispersion Coefficient for Resin Transfer Modeling. Transp Porous Med 91, 605–625 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-011-9862-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-011-9862-2

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