In-situ curing of composite vessel using heating gasbag

摘要

Composite vessels are used as replacements for metal vessels, because they offer significant weight savings. This paper describes the in-situ curing of such vessels, using compressed air to heat the liner of a vessel and realize the curing and molding of the vessel. To overcome uneven heating, a heating gasbag with small holes is inserted into the liner of the vessel to provide heating. A simulation program based on a mathematical model is developed using the finite element method on an ANSYS software platform. The factors affecting the curing temperature, degree of curing, and deformation of a composite vessel are identified by a numerical simulation. The curing temperature, the degree of curing, and the deformation of the composite vessel are influenced by the room temperature, surface convection coefficient, fiber volume fraction, and thickness of the composite vessel, although to different degrees. The type of metal used for the liner has little influence on the curing. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.