Konstantina Gkournelou, Improving the manufacture of thick composite parts with embedded flow mesh, Master Thesis Project

Description

Vacuum-Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) is commonly used in the manufacturing of large fiber reinforced polymer composite structures, although infusing thick laminates remains challenging due to long filling times. In this study, the influence of the placement of the distribution mesh during the infusion of thick composite laminates was investigated using a combination of experiments and numerical simulations. Due to limited information regarding the permeability of distribution meshes in different laminate positions, the in-plane permeability of three mesh configurations was experimentally characterized. The results showed that mesh position significantly affected permeability and, consequently, flow behavior during infusion. The experimentally determined permeabilities were subsequently implemented in PAM-RTM to investigate the influence of mesh arrangement and laminate thickness on the filling behavior. For the 20 mm laminate, the numerical simulations showed that the addition of Bottom and Interlaminar distribution mesh reduced the filling time by up to approximately 27% compared with the Top mesh configuration, while also reducing the unfilled region behind the advancing flow front by approximately 19%. Based on the numerical results, a 20 mm thick laminate was selected for experimental investigation through the vacuum infusion process, across three different mesh configurations. A second set of numerical simulations was performed to reproduce the experimental conditions and assess the validity of the numerical model in predicting the observed filling behavior. The experimental results showed good agreement with the numerical predictions, despite differences in the absolute filling times. Future work is also discussed, including the need for mechanical testing of laminates containing embedded distribution meshes, the through-thickness permeability characterization, and the investigation of alternative mesh arrangements.

Period	26 Jan 2026 → 26 Jul 2026