Composite Microwave Curing Hybrid Simulation Model

TDA proposes to develop a multi-physics-based model to simulate and optimize the microwave curing process of thick fiber reinforced composites. The primary objective is to improve the manufacturing speed and cost of high-quality carbon fiber reinforced composites by quickly identifying the right processing parameters for a given part during microwave processing. The model will account for the interaction of electromagnetic (EM), thermal, and chemical mechanisms induced during the curing process, and it will be used to predict the curing behavior and material properties of aerospace-grade thermoset composite materials. The proposed tool will reduce the number of test runs required for composite part production, make production more adaptive, produce high quality (more even cured) parts and save scheduling time and costs. The software product outcome of this topic has extensive applications in the manufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite parts, in particular those that now use an autoclave process.