Permeabilty

Prediction
Homogenization Process

RTM process
1. Selection of fiber reinforcements (and matrix resin) recommended by the
design office.
2. Preparation of fibrous preform (orientation of fibers and stacking
sequence) .
3. Placement of fibrous preform, mold closing and venting operation.
4. Injection of the resin, progressive flow of resin and impregnation of the
fiber bed until filling.
5. Polymerisation process, drying and hardening of the resin (curing).
6. Opening the mold and demolding the composite blade part .

RTM process

Permeability Components
All interactions between the injected resin and

the dry fabric perform are lumped into a

matrix called permeability matrix:

Permeability Components
The flow through real fiber involves meso flow

that distributes fluid around a fiber bundle and

micro flow that penetrates into the fiber bundle:

Permeability Components
Micro permeability is generally predicted using

one of the Analytical Models Kmicro

Meso permeability is generally predicted

using one of the Numerical or Analytical

Models Kmeso or Kmacro (by some authors)

Homogenization Methods(1)
Choi. & all

For a parallel flow

Homogenization Methods(1)
Choi. & all

For a transversal
flow:

Homogenization Methods(2)
Papathanasiou

Papathanasiou proposed a semiemperical model for transversal

permeability.

is the permeability in the

channels with impermeable tow.

After numerical calculations for

triangular cylindrical bundles.

Y.D.Papathanasiou:Flow across structured fiber bundles:a dimensionless correlation. International

Journal of Multiphase Flow, 27(8):1451-1461,2001.

Homogenization Methods
After get the overall permeability 2 methods are
used to evaluate the permeability of a
multilayer perfom
To get the In-plane permeability for a

multilayer perform the following averaging

equation is used:

To get the Transversal permeability for a

multilayer perform an Harmonic Averaging