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Title: A model of the winding and curing processes for filament-wound composites

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5211536

A two-dimensional model that describes the winding and curing processes of filament-wound composite structures was developed in two parts. The first part is the cure model which relates the cure temperature, applied at the boundaries of the composite, to the thermal, chemical, and physical processes occurring in the case during cure. For a specified cure cycle, the cure model can be used to calculate the temperature distribution, the degree of cure of the resin, and the resin viscosity inside the composite case. The second part is the layer-tension loss and compaction model which relates the winding-process variables (i.e., winding pattern, mandrel geometry, initial winding tension, and the properties of the fiber and resin system) to the instantaneous position and tension of the fibers in each layer of the case. Verification of the cure submodel was accomplished by measuring the temperature distributions in a 5.75-inch-diameter graphite - epoxy test bottle and a 4-inch-diameter graphite - epoxy tube during cure. A parametric study was performed by using the finite-element FWCURE computer code. Results illustrate the information that can be generated by the models and the importance of different processing and material parameters on the fabrication process.

Research Organization:
Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5211536
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English