Heat Transfer Analysis of Continuous Fiber/Thermoplastic Matrix Composites During Manufacture

The thermal behavior of a continuous fiber/thermoplastic matrix composite laminate being cooled in a large steel mold is simulated using a finite element method. The heat released by crystallization is a small part of the total, and is treated approximately using a temperature-dependent specific heat. We present arguments and procedures for combining several lamina in one finite element to gain computational efficiency. Experi ments are carried out on flat panels of APC-2 in a compression mold with asymmetric cooling. The model accurately predicts temperature histories in the laminate. In our exam ple problem, heat transfer is dominated by the convective heat transfer coefficient in the cooling channel, the in-plane conductivity of the steel mold, and the thickness-direction conductivity of the composite. Fiber orientation in the composite has a negligible in fluence on the temperature history.