Curing is an important and time consuming step in the fabrication of thermosetting-matrix composite products. The use of embedded resistive heating elements providing supplemental heating from within the material being cured has been shown in previous studies (Ramakrishnan, Zhu, and Pitchumani, 2000, J. Manuf. Sci. Eng., 122, pp. 124–131; and Zhu and Pitchumani, 2000, Compos. Sci. Technol., 60, 2699–2712.) to offer significant improvements in cure cycle time and cure uniformity, due to the inside-out curing. This paper addresses the problem of determining the temperature and electrical current cycles, as well as the placement configuration of the conductive mats, for time-optimal curing of composites using embedded resistive heating elements. A continuous search simulated annealing optimization technique is utilized coupled with a numerical process simulation model to determine the optimal solutions for selected process constraints. Optimization results are presented over a range of material systems and different numbers of conductive mats to assess the effects of materials reactivity on the optimal number of conductive mats.
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Technical Papers
Optimal Temperature and Current Cycles for Curing of Composites Using Embedded Resistive Heating Elements
A. Mawardi,
A. Mawardi
Composites Processing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3139
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R. Pitchumani
e-mail: r.pitchumani@uconn.edu
R. Pitchumani
Composites Processing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3139
Search for other works by this author on:
A. Mawardi
Composites Processing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3139
R. Pitchumani
Composites Processing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3139
e-mail: r.pitchumani@uconn.edu
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received by the Heat Transfer Division March 21, 2001; revision received August 12, 2002. Associate Editor: A. F. Emery.
J. Heat Transfer. Feb 2003, 125(1): 126-136 (11 pages)
Published Online: January 29, 2003
Article history
Received:
March 21, 2001
Revised:
August 12, 2002
Online:
January 29, 2003
Citation
Mawardi , A., and Pitchumani, R. (January 29, 2003). "Optimal Temperature and Current Cycles for Curing of Composites Using Embedded Resistive Heating Elements ." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. February 2003; 125(1): 126–136. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1527903
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