Unsaturated and Saturated Flow Front Tracking in Liquid Composite Molding Processes using Dielectric Sensors

Abstract

Liquid composite molding processes are manufacturing techniques involving the impregnation and saturation of dry fibrous preforms by means of injection or infusion of catalyzed resin systems. Complete wetting of the reinforcement and reduction of voids are key issues to enhance mechanical properties of the final product, as a consequence on line monitoring and control of resin flow is highly desirable to detect and avoid potentialbet macro- as well as micro-voids. In this paper, parallel-plate dielectric sensors were investigated to track the position of unsaturated as well as saturated flow fronts through dual scale porous media. Sensors configuration was analyzed and improved via electromagnetic (EM) finite element simulations. The effectiveness of the proposed system was assessed in one-dimensional impregnation tests. Good agreement was found between unsaturated front positions provided by the considered system and acquired through conventional visual techniques. An indirect verification strategy, based on CFD and EM simulations of the process, was applied to investigate the reliability of dielectric sensors with respect to saturation phenomena. Obtained outcomes highlighted the intriguing capabilities of the proposed method.