As-built FE thermal analysis for complex curved structures in automated fiber placement

Abstract

This research aims to predict and manage material temperatures on complex curved surface structures during automated fiber placement (AFP). A thermal analysis model is developed by incorporating the information of path points as well as the heating time into the radiative heat transfer model. In it, the heating time is determined by the layup speed which is formulated using the S-shaped speed forward planning method. Finally, the thermal analysis algorithm is integrated into a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model to predict and regulate material temperatures on complex curved structures. In this paper, the thermal analysis method is exemplarily applied to a C-beam. The predicted material temperature under the condition of the constant power is validated by the AFP experiments. A good agreement between the temperature-predicted value and the experimental results is observed. Moreover, the power design method based on laying temperature analysis is proposed to manage the material temperatures within the optimal laying specification.