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HomeMaterials Science ForumMaterials Science Forum Vol. 1182Numerical Simulation of Liquid Resin Impregnation...

Numerical Simulation of Liquid Resin Impregnation in a Real Digitized Reinforcement during Liquid Composites Molding Processes

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Abstract:

Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) processes, used for producing high-quality, complex composite parts, rely on the uniform infiltration of liquid resin into fibrous fabrics. These fabrics possess a dual-scale structure: highly porous inter-tow spaces surrounding denser fiber tows. The resulting disparity in permeability and flow rates is a primary cause of defect formation, such as voids. To minimize these defects, accurate simulation, incorporating the critical influence of capillary pressure on resin infiltration within the fiber tows, is essential. This work presents a robust numerical model developed to simulate the two-phase resin flow and impregnation dynamics within a digitized, real plain-weave E-glass reinforcement obtained via X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT). The simulation utilizes the open-source multiscale multiphase solver, hybridPorousInterFoam, which employs a Darcy-Brinkman approach, transitioning between Darcy's law in porous regions and Navier-Stokes in free space. A key methodological enhancement involved modifying the advection algorithm using the isoAdvector scheme to mitigate numerical instabilities caused by the high viscosity ratio between the resin and air. Capillary effects at the mesoscale are incorporated through multiscale parameters, specifically the drag and surface tension forces. The key findings demonstrate that the modified solver successfully handles the fluid-fluid interface advection for high viscosity ratios. A parametric study highlighted the significant effect of capillary pressure on multiphase flow within the dual-scale porous media. The numerical results for flow front advancement showed very good agreement when compared against dedicated experimental validation data, confirming the model's high predictive accuracy and its potential for optimizing LCM injection conditions.

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Periodical:

Materials Science Forum (Volume 1182)

Pages:

103-112

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-VmX8fD

Citation:

Cite this paper

Online since:

April 2026

Authors:

Mouadh Boubaker*, Arthur Cantarel, Gérald Debenest

Keywords:

Capillary Effects, Liquid Composite Molding, Process Simulation, Unsaturated Flow

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Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

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* - Corresponding Author

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