Accuracy Of Permeability Measurements Research Articles

Analysis and Minimization of Race Tracking in the Resin-Transfer-Molding Process by Monte Carlo Simulation.

A numerical analysis of the influence of race tracking on dry spots formation and the accuracy of permeability measurement during the resin-transfer-molding process is presented. In the numerical simulation of the mold-filling process, defects are randomly generated, and their effect is assessed by a Monte Carlo simulation method. The effect of race tracking on the unsaturated permeability measurement and dry spots formation is investigated on flat plates. It is observed that the race-tracking defects located near the injection gate increase up to 40% of the value of the measured unsaturated permeability. The race-tracking defects located near the air vents are more likely to generate dry spots, whereas those near the injection gates have a less significant influence on dry spots generation. Depending on vent location, it has for instance been shown that the dry spot area can increase by a factor of 30. Dry spots may be mitigated by placing an air vent at a suitable location based on the numerical analysis results. Moreover, those results may be helpful to determine optimal sensor locations for the on-line control of mold-filling processes. Finally, the approach is successfully applied to a complex geometry.

Permeability measurements of the flow of interdendritic liquid in equiaxed aluminum-silicon alloys

A method developed recently for measuring instantaneous permeability in the mushy zone of aluminum-copper alloys is used to measure permeability in aluminum-silicon alloys. Permeability was also measured in packed glass beads using water, because measurements could be conducted in the absence of microstructural coarsening. Experimental data are compared with the Kozeny-Carman equation to determine the value of kC, the Kozeny-Carman constant. The results indicate that when kC=5.0, all the instantaneous permeability data agree well with the Kozeny-Carman equation. Factors affecting the accuracy of permeability measurements, such as surface oxidation of the sample, flow channeling during the test, microstructural coarsening, and liquid fraction reduction due to back diffusion in the solid are discussed. An experimental technique that minimizes errors due to these factors is outlined.