A helical tow model and numerical simulation of on-line thermal curing of thermoset composites in filament winding

• Published in: International journal of heat and mass transfer Vol. 47; no. 22; pp. 4807 - 4820
• Main Authors: Wang, Xuefeng, Lou, David Y.S., Zhang, Nengli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anisotropic medium; Applied sciences; Composites; Curing; Exact sciences and technology; Filament winding; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Helical tow model; Numerical grid generation; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Helical tow model; Curing; Numerical grid generation; Filament winding; Anisotropic medium; On line; Fiber reinforced material; Theoretical study; Polymer; Modeling; Composite material; Thermosetting resin; Kinetic model; Curing(plastics); Numerical simulation; Manufacturing; Heat transfer
• ISSN: 0017-9310; 1879-2189
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2004.05.010

A helical tow model of on-line curing of thermoset composites in winding is developed and solved numerically. Actual shape of tow in winding process is considered, and consequently, the modeling of the on-line curing process is more realistic. A numerical grid generation method is developed for the complicated geometry. Transformations of three-dimensional energy equation and its boundary conditions from physical domain to computational domain are performed, which are crucial in numerical grid generation method when an anisotropic medium is involved. A set of concise and regular equations is obtained. The numerical simulation results show that the helical tow model, in stead of a simplified model, should be used when the ratio of the diameter of fiber-wound composite structure to the diameter of tow is small.