In situ measurement and monitoring of whole-field permeability profile of fiber preform for liquid composite molding processes

摘要

For liquid composite molding (LCM) processes, such as resin transfer molding (RTM), the quality of final parts is heavily dependent on the uniformity of the fiber preform. However, the conventional permeability measurement method, which uses liquid (oil or resin) as its working fluid, only measures the average preform permeability in an off-line mode. This method cannot be used to create an in situ permeability profile because of fiber pollution. Further, the conventional method cannot be used to reveal preform's local permeability variations. This paper introduces a new permeability characterization method that uses gas flow to detect and measure preform permeability variations in a closed mold assembly before resin injection. This method is based upon two research findings: (1) resin permeability is highly correlated with air permeability for the same fiber preform with well-controlled gas flow, and (2) the whole-field air permeability profile of a preform can be obtained through measuring the pressure field of gas flow. In this study, first the validity of the gas-assisted, in situ permeability measurement technique was established. Then the technique was demonstrated as effective by qualitatively detecting non-uniformities and permeability variations in fiber performs. Finally, a two-dimensional flow model, based on the finite difference scheme, was developed to quantitatively estimate the whole-field preform for permeability profile using predetermined pressure distribution. The efficacy of the new method was illustrated through experimental results.