Numerical algorithm and adaptive meshing for simulation the effect of variation thickness in resin transfer molding process

Abstract

In resin transfer molding (RTM), the plates employed often consist of reinforcements with a variable number of plies and stacking sequences. A correct simulation of this process requires taking into account all these parameters. The present study relates to the simulation of the effect of thickness variation in the isothermal filling of the molds in RTM process. The approach is based on the control volume finite element method (CV/FEM) and volume of fluid (VOF) on an adaptive fixed mesh, where the numerical algorithm predicts the displacement of the flow front. For a discretization of the calculation domain, we developed a mesh generator to optimize and refine the mesh for the finite element analysis and to assure the accuracy of the simulation. The mesh generator allows to discretize the field in unstructured triangular elements with possibility of local refinement and inclusion of inserts. The developed numerical code aims at optimizing the molding parameters like the positioning of the points of injection and the vents and determining the optimal pressures of injection to minimize the cycle times. This simulation provided useful information for mold filling and can be used to design an optimum mold and make the RTM process more efficient.