Abstract
In this work, we are interested in numerical simulation in free and confined inflation of a thin, isotropic and incompressible thermoplastic membrane, using the dynamic finite element method. Inflation of the membrane is controlled by the gas equation of state flowing into the enclosed volume. The dynamic pressure loading used in modeling is thus deduced from one of the three equations of state: the Redlich—Kwong, the van der Waals and the ideal equations. The viscoelastic behavior of the Lodge model is considered. The Lagrangian formulation, together with the assumption of the membrane theory, are used. The effect of the gas on the thickness and stress distribution, for the free and confined inflation (thermoforming process), is analyzed for these three gas equations of state.
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