Measurement and modelling of dynamic fluid saturation in carbon reinforcements

Measurement and modelling of dynamic fluid saturation in carbon reinforcements

Teixidó, Helena (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
Broggi, G.C. (TU Delft Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
Caglar, Baris (TU Delft Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies)
Michaud, Véronique (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

2023

We propose a methodology to monitor the progressive saturation of a non-translucent unidirectional carbon fabric stack through its thickness by means of X-ray radiography and extract the dynamic saturation curves using image analysis. Four constant flow rate injections with increasing flow speed were carried out. These were simulated by a numerical two-phase flow model for both capillary and viscous leading flow conditions. The hydraulic functions describing pressure and relative permeability versus saturation were determined by fitting the saturation curves using a heuristic optimization routine. As the fluid velocity increases and the flow regime at the flow front shifts from capillary to hydrodynamically driven, the resulting capillary pressure curves for a given saturation level are shifted to higher values, from negative to positive. These as well as the capillary pressure calculated from the pressure drop within the unsaturated region of the fabric correlate well with a corresponding change in the averaged dynamic contact angle.

A. Carbon fibers
B. Wettability
C. Process Modeling
E. Resin Flow

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1fc79eac-7291-4e92-8ff2-1a9169288c2b

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2023.107520

1359-835X

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 169

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 Helena Teixidó, G.C. Broggi, Baris Caglar, Véronique Michaud