The Effect of Dissipation on the Moulding of Composite Articles in Closed Moulds

Abstract

The flow and heat exchange in the process of impregnation of filler by non-Newtonian fluid during the moulding of composite articles in closed moulds are investigated. Flow is described by the modified Brinkman equation. From the rheological point of view, the medium comprises a power-law fluid. In writing the energy equation, a single-temperature model is used. Dissipative heat generation is taken into account. The problem is solved by the numerical finite difference method. The effect of dissipation (the Brinkman number) on the distribution of the mass-average temperature over the length of the cavity with different Péclet numbers is shown.