Composite manufacturing: Simulation of 3-D resin transfer molding

A technique was developed for simulating the resin transfer molding (RTM) process. The major feature of the technique is a computational steering system that enables the user to make changes during the simulation. Specifically, at any instance, the user can inspect the progress of the resin front. On the basis of the observed resin front position, the user can, as needed, change the port and vent locations, open and close ports and vents, adjust the inlet and exit pressures or flow rates, and reorient the mold with respect to the gravitational field. Additionally, the user can "rewind" the simulator to any previous time in the mold filling process, make any of the above changes, and then continue the simulation. The technique is augmented by a computer code which has three main components: the Simulator, the Graphics User Interface (GUI), and the Global Data Storage. The Simulator is a finite element code that calculates the resin flow inside the fiber preform. The GUI serves as the interface between the user and the Simulator; it provides the commands to the Simulator and displays the results. The Global Data Storage is the module that manages the exchange of data between the GUI and the Simulator. The computer code (designated as SUPERTM_3D) is suitable for simulating the resin flow inside two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional fiber preforms of arbitrary shapes. The use of this computer code is illustrated through sample problems. These problems demonstrate how (with this code) the designer can establish the port and vent locations, opening and closing sequences of ports and vents such that the fiber preform is filled completely in the shortest time with the fewest number of vents.