Author(s)

V.A.F. Costa and A.C.M. Sousa

Abstract

Numerical simulation of flow and thermo- kinetics during the autoclave-assisted cure of thick laminated composites V.A.F. Costa* and A.C.M. Sousa^ 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Abstract The present study is focused on reviewing the ongoing research effort dealing with the modelling and simulation of resin flow, heat transfer and the curing of thick composite laminates during autoclave processing. A three-dimensional numerical model, which incorporates some of the best features of models already reported in the literature, is proposed. The model is based on the Darcy law, the convection-diffusion heat equation, and appropriate constitutive relations. Its predictions compare well with available experimental and numerical data. It is found that the final degree of consolidation is strongly dependent upon the compacting pressure, which corroborates

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