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Three-Dimensional Permeability of Thick-Section Glass Fabric Reinforced Polymer Composite by Vacuum-Assisted Resin Infusion Molding

Journal Article · · Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4053332· OSTI ID:1980689
 [1];  [1]
  1. Composites Engineering and Applications Center (CEAC), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204

Abstract Determination of permeability of thick-section glass fabric preforms with fabric layers of different architectures is critical for manufacturing large, thick composite structures with complex geometry, such as wind turbine blades. The thick-section reinforcement permeability is inherently three-dimensional and needs to be obtained for accurate composite processing modeling and analysis. Numerical simulation of the liquid stage of vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) is important to advance the composite manufacturing process and reduce processing-induced defects. In this research, the 3D permeability of thick-section E-glass fabric reinforcement preforms is determined, and the results are validated by a comparison between flow front progressions from experiments and from numerical simulations using ansys fluent software. The orientation of the principal permeability axes were unknown prior to experiments. The approach used in this research differs from those in literature in that the through-thickness permeability is determined as a function of flow front positions along the principal axes and the in-plane permeabilities and is not dependent on the inlet radius. The approach was tested on reinforcements with fabric architectures which vary through-the-thickness direction, such as those in a spar cap of a wind turbine blade. The computational simulations of the flow-front progression through-the-thickness were consistent with experimental observations.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Houston, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
EE0000295
OSTI ID:
1980689
Journal Information:
Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Vol. 144, Issue 7; ISSN 1087-1357
Publisher:
ASME
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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