We present analytical modeling and closed form solutions for composite resin infusion processes such as the vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI) process and the resin film infusion (RFI) process. As a flexible bag is placed on the top of fabric stack, while a rigid tooling is still used on the other side, a fabric deformation takes place as the resin pressure changes during the resin infiltration process. Subsequently, it is important to take into account the reinforcement compaction as well as the resin flow in the analysis of resin infusion processes. We present a fully analytical modeling of resin pressure distribution, resin flow front position, fiber volume fraction distribution, and part height change during the resin infusion process. Parametric studies are provided to investigate the influences of process parameters on the process feasibility. The evaluation of bulk permeability in the RFI process implies that the fabric compaction should be taken into account to exactly characterize the through-thickness permeability of fibrous reinforcement.
Williams, C. , Summerscales, J. and Grove, S. (1996). Resin Infusion under Flexible Tooling (RIFT): A Review, Composites Part A, 27A: 517-524.
2.
Kang, M.K., Lee, W.I. and Hahn, H.T. ( 2001). Analysis of Vacuum Bag Resin Transfer Molding Process , Composites Part A, 32: 1553-1560.
3.
Kessels, J.F.A. , Jonker, A.S. and Akkerman, R. (2007). Fully 2.5D Flow Modeling of Resin Infusion under Flexible Tooling using Unstructured Meshes and Wet and Dry Compaction Properties, Composites Part A, 38: 51-60.
4.
Jing, L., Zhang, C., Liang, R., Wang, B. and Walsh, S. ( 2008). Modeling and Analysis of Thickness Gradient Variations in Vacuum-assisted Resin Transfer Molding Process, Polymer Composites, 29(5): 473-482.
5.
Kang, M.K. and Lee, W.I. ( 2004). A Dual-scale Analysis of Macroscopic Resin Flow in Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding, Polymer Composites, 25(5): 510-520.
6.
Han, K., Jiang, S., Zhang, C. and Wang, B. ( 2000). Flow Modeling and Simulation of SCRIMP for Composites Manufacturing, Composites Part A, 31: 79-86.
7.
Ouahbi, T., Saouab, A., Bréard, J., Ouagne, P. and Chatel, S. ( 2007). Modelling of Hydro-mechanical Coupling in Infusion Processes , Composites Part A, 38: 1646-1654.
8.
Han, N.L. , Suh, S.S., Yang, J.M. and Hahn, H.T. (2003). Resin Film Infusion of Stitched Stiffened Composite Panels, Composites Part A , 34: 227-236.
9.
Park, J. and Kang, M.K. ( 2003). A Numerical Simulation of the Resin Film Infusion Process , Composite Structures, 60: 431-437.
10.
Loos, A.C. and MacRae, J.D. ( 1996). A Process Simulation Model for the Manufacture of a Blade-stiffened Panel by the Resin Film Infusion Process, Composites Science and Technology, 56: 273-289.
11.
Loos, A.C., Rattazzi, D. and Batra, R.C. ( 2002). A Three Dimensional Model of the Resin Film Infusion Process, Journal of Composite Materials, 36(10): 1255-1273.
12.
Lopatnikov, S. , Simacek, P., Gillespie, J.W. and Advani, S.G. (2004). A Closed Form Solution to Describe Infusion of Resin under Vacuum in Deformable Fibrous Porous Media , Modelling and Simulation in Materials science and Engineering , 12: 191-204.
13.
Modi, D., Johnson, M., Long, A. and Rudd, C. ( 2009). Analysis of Pressure Profile and Flow Progression in the Vacuum Infusion Process, Composites Science and Technology , 69(9): 1458-1464.
14.
Yenilmez, B., Senan, M. and Sozer, E.M. ( 2008). Variation of Part Thickness and Compaction Pressure in Vacuum Infusion Process, Composites Science and Technology , doi: 10.1016/ j.compscitech.2008.05.009.
15.
Govignon, Q., Bickerton, S., Morris, J. and Kelly, P.A. ( 2008). Full Field Monitoring of the Resin Flow and Laminate Properties during Resin Infusion Process, Composites Part A, 39: 1412-1426.
16.
Correia, N.C. , Robitaille, F., Long, A.C., Rudd, C.D., Simacek, P. and Advani, S.G. (2005). Analysis of the Vacuum Infusion Moulding ProcessI. Analytical Formulation, Composites Part A, 36: 1645-1656.
17.
Song, Y.S. and Youn, J.R. ( 2008). Modeling of Resin Infusion in Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding, Polymer Composites, 29(4): 390-395.
18.
Scholz, S., Gillespie, J.W. and Heider, D. ( 2007). Measurement of Transverse Permeability using Gaseous and Liquid Flow, Composites Part A, 38(9): 2034-2040.
19.
Nedanov, P.B. and Advani, S.G. (2002). A Method to Determine 3D Permeability of Fibrous Reinforcements, Journal of Composite Materials, 36(2): 241-254.
20.
Drapier, S. , Pagot, A., Vautrin, A. and Henrat, P. (2002). Influence of the Stitching Density on the Transverse Permeability of Non-crimped New Concept (NC2) Multiaxial Reinforcements: Measurements and Prediction, Composites Science and Technology, 62: 1979-1991.
21.
Drapier, S. , Monatte, J., Elbouazzaoui, O. and Henrat, P. (2005). Characterization of Transient Through-thickness Permeabilities of Non Crimp New Concept (NC2) Multiaxial Fabrics, Composites Part A, 36: 877-892.
22.
Kempner, E. and Hahn, H.T. ( 1998). A Unified Approach to Manufacturing Simulation for Composites , In: Proceeding of the First Korea-U.S. Workshop on Composite Materials, Seoul, Korea.
23.
Kozeny, J. ( 1927). Sitzungsber, Wiener Akad. Wiss, Abt Ila , 136.
24.
Carman, P.C. (1937). Fluid Flow through Granular Beds, Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, 15: 157-182.
25.
Gebart, B.R. (1992). Permeability of unidirectional reinforcements for RTM, Journal of Composite Materials, 26(8): 1100-1133.
26.
Song, X. ( 2003). Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM): Model Development and Verification, PhD Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
27.
Gutowski, T.G. , Morigaki, T. and Cai, Z. (1987). The Consolidation of Laminate Composites, Journal of Composite Materials, 21: 172-188.
28.
Robitaille, F. and Gauvin, R. (1998). Compaction of Textile Reinforcements for Composites ManufacturingI. Review of Experimental Results, Polymer Composites, 19(2): 198-216.
29.
Robitaille, F. and Gauvin, R. (1998). Compaction of Textile Reinforcements for Composites Manufacturing. II. Compaction and Relaxation of Dry and H2O Saturated Woven Reinforcements, Polymer Composites , 19(5): 543-557.
30.
Robitaille, F. and Gauvin, R. (1999). Compaction of Textile Reinforcements for Composites Manufacturing: III. Reorganization of the Fibre Network in Woven, Polymer Composites, 20(1): 48-61.
31.
Toll, A. and Manson, J.A.E. ( 1994). An Analysis of the Compressibility of Fiber Assemblies , In: Proceeding of the Sixth International Conference on Fiber-reinforced Composites, Institute of Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 25/1-25/10.
32.
Kreyszig, E. ( 1993). Advanced Engineering Mathematics, 7th edn, Wiley, New York.
33.
Kelly, P.A. , Umer, R. and Bickerton, S. (2005). Viscoelastic Response of Dry and Wet Fibrous Materials during Infusion Processes, Composites Part A, 37(6): 868-873.
34.
Bickerton, S. and Buntain, M.J. (2007). Modeling Forces Generated within Rigid Liquid Composite Molding Tools. Part B: Numeircial Analysis, Composites Part A, 38(7): 1742-1754.
35.
Pillai, K.M. ( 2004). Modeling the Saturated Flow in Liquid Composite Molding Processes: a Review and Some Thoughts, Journal of Composite Materials, 38(23): 2097-2118.
36.
Bréard, J., Henzel, Y., Trochu, F. and Gauvin, R. (2003). Analysis of Dynamic Flows through Porous Media, Part I: Comparison between Saturated and Unsaturated Flows in Fibrous Reinforcements, Polymer Composites, 24(3): 391-408.
37.
Elbouazzaoui, O., Drapier, S. and Henrat, P. (2005). An Experimental Assessment of the Saturated Transverse Permeability of Non-crimped New Concept (NC2) Multiaxial Fabrics, Journal of Composite Materials, 39(13): 1169-1193.
38.
Dungan, F.D. and Sastry, A.M. ( 2002). Saturated and Unsaturated Polymer Flows: Micro-phenomena and Modelling, Journal of Composite Materials, 36(13): 1581-1603.
