Simulation of compression resin transfer molding to manufacture thin composite shells

The resin flow through fiber reinforcements in Compression Resin Transfer Molding (CRTM) has been modeled by Pham et al. (1). First the preform is partially filled by resin during the injection phase. Then it is compressed by the mobile part of the mold. The resin flow in the fiber bed is governed by Darcy's law. The consolidation of the saturated preform is described by the total mass conservation. A mathematical model is developed for thin curved composite parts. A filling algorithm based on resin conservation on a deformable grid is used to advance the flow front at each time step. Resin pressure and velocity are calculated by the finite element method. Several control parameters of the CRTM process are investigated in this study, such as the compaction speed of the mold upper wall, the injection pressure and the closing/opening of the injection gate. The numerical model allows the calculation of pressure distribution in the mold, which is compared with analytical solutions and experimental results.