Cure simulation model for resistance cured composites

摘要

The resistance heating method for curing thermoset composites has been developed as an alternative to oven, autoclave or hot press curing. The composite interior is heated by passing current through embedded carbon fiber patches. These internal energy sources present a nwe form of applied thermal loads not found in the traditional cure simulation models, which typically are limited to external boundary conditions. The paper presents a numerical method for predicting temperature, degree of cure, and cure rate for thermoset resin/fiber composites. Finite difference ofrmulas describe the temporal and spatial derivatives of the energy equation. Heat generation terms are linearized over each time interval to ensure compatibility of cure rate and degree of cure with the corresponding temperature. Internal heating, via resistance heating, and external temperature of flux can be applied. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the sensitivity to various input parameters.