Research on Temperature Field Distribution in a Frame Mold during Autoclave Process

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Autoclave processing is crucial for high-performance composite manufacturing.
• Inhomogeneous mold temperature fields lead to defects like residual stress and voids in composite parts.
• Precise temperature field investigation is essential for meeting high-quality production demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the temperature distribution in a large frame mold.
• To propose a method for controlling the temperature distribution in large frame molds.
• To enhance the quality of composite parts produced via autoclave processing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for autoclave process simulation.
• Validation of the CFD model against experimental results, achieving a 5.92% relative difference.
• Analysis of temperature distribution under various control conditions using the validated CFD model.

Main Results:

• The CFD model accurately predicts temperature evolution in the large frame mold.
• Changing the mold placement angle from 180° to 168° reduced the temperature difference by 13.3%.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method in controlling mold temperature distribution.

Conclusions:

• Accurate temperature control in autoclave molds is vital for defect-free composite manufacturing.
• The validated CFD model provides a reliable tool for analyzing and optimizing mold temperature.
• Adjusting mold placement angle is an effective strategy for improving temperature uniformity and part quality.