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Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) Process Incorporating Gravitational Effects: A Closed-form Solution

Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA

Joyce Baidoo

Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA

John W. Gillespie, Jr.

Center for Composite Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA

Dirk Heider

Center for Composite Materials, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA, heider{at}ccm.udel.edu

Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is ideal for the manufacture of large-scale composite structures. However, gravitational effects on flow behavior can be significant in increasingly tall structures. In this study, an analytical solution incorporating the gravitational effects is developed to predict the flow and pressure distributions of uniform thickness preforms under vacuum infusion conditions. Injection scenarios of preforms of various lengths and inclination angles ranging from horizontal to vertical are studied. Nondimensional process parameters in terms of the resin fill time, mold angle, permeability, radius and length of injection tubes, and preform cross-sectional area for horizontal, downward, and upward injection scenarios are considered. The analytical results show good agreement with the experimental data collected in horizontal and vertical infusions. The parametric study provides insight into the design and optimization of the VARTM process for infusion of tall composite structures.

Key Words: vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) • tall structure • gravitational effect • resin flow front • fill time

This version was published on December 1, 2005

Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 39, No. 24, 2227-2242 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0021998305053510


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