Numerical simulation on the permeability of non-crimp Carbon fiber epoxy using out-of-autoclave manufacturing method

Abstract

Composites made using Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) processes have attractive properties to the aerospace and automotive industries because they can produce complex composite parts with good surface finishing. However, it still has a problem filling a large part with high fiber content at low injection pressure. Therefore, during the experiment, resin flow has to be the primary concern. This work presents a resin flow simulation of two types of mold where it will visualize the manufacturing process without actually doing it. Numerical simulation for the RTM manufacturing process is attempted by using Fluent-Ansys. It allows us to simulate the resin flow through the porous medium and obtain the total mold filling time and volumetric flow rate. It will lead to an explanation of the strength of the composite produced. Several assumptions and techniques are used to simplify the problem. Some variables, such as porosity and pressure injection, will be varied to see the effect of those variables on the RTM manufacturing process. According to the simulation result, porosity and pressure injection affect the RTM manufacturing process, especially for resin filling time and volumetric flow rate. The increase of porosity will increase the flow time, while pressure injection will decrease the flow. It happens due to how easy the resin flows through the porous medium, and the total area needs to be filled by the resin. This work is validated by comparing the obtained results with analytic solutions for a specific mold of Darcy’s law.