Monitoring and Heat Transfer Modelling of the Cure of Thermoset Composites Processed by Resin Transfer Moulding.

Experimental studies have demonstrated the existence of significant thermal gradients during the cure stage of Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM). Presence of such thermal gradients can affect the final degree-of-cure distribution and cause the development of residual stresses, leading to a deterioration of the final composite component properties. Therefore the incorporation of heat transfer modelling in the general context of RTM modelling and monitoring of the process is necessary. The present work focuses on the application of combined monitoring and heat transfer modelling to the process. A finite element heat transfer model incorporating resin cure kinetics has been developed and tested. An inverse solution of the heat diffusion model has been implemented in order to extend the local measurements given by in-situ monitoring to global information about the temperature distribution and the degree-ofcure distribution during the cure.