Three-dimensional modeling of the advanced grid stiffened structures in the co-curing process

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Advanced grid stiffened (AGS) structures are made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites, which consists of a main panel with isogrid stiffeners. During the co-curing process, the autoclave pressure will compress the surface of the AGS structure to repel excess resin and voids. Because of the thermal expansion of the rubber, the rubber mold can provide the necessary lateral compacting forces on the rib stiffeners. This study constructs a three dimensional numerical model to simulate the consolidation behavior between the skin prepreg and the silicone rubber under a preset temperature profile. The model could provide the thickness distribution and fiber volume fraction of the AGS after the co-curing process. The consolidation pressure of the silicone rubber is proportional to its CTE and the curing temperature. With the numerical model, a suitable type of silicone rubber can be selected for the tooling.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19-25
Number of pages7
JournalComposites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Volume46
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Mechanics of Materials

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Three-dimensional modeling of the advanced grid stiffened structures in the co-curing process'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this