Numerical Simulation of HTPB Resin Curing Process Using OpenFOAM and Study the Effect of Different Conditions on its Curing Time

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to optimize the curing time of HTPB, by analyzing the curing process in different conditions. Solving equations have been performed using OpenFOAM software and according to the finite volume method. To solve the curing equation, a new solver called CureFOAM was developed and added to the Open-FOAM. Using the experimental results available in the sources, the developed solver was validated. The maximum rel-ative error is + 5 %. After validating the CureFOAM solver, the effect of various factors affecting the curing process was simulated. Based on the results, an increase of 10°C temperature reduces curing time to 2 days, and the use of a fan oven in the Reynolds 1500 range, reduces curing time by up to 50 percent. Also, the curing process in the mold of a rectangular cube is done faster than the cylindrical and spherical molds, in different aspect ratios.

Early Cure Analysis to Inform Direct Ink Writing of HTPB Polyurethane: Insights from Spectroscopy, Rheology, and Molecular Simulations

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Research on Determining Suitable Curing Parameters for Epoxy/PET Composites Based on Molecular Dynamics and Finite Element Methods

“…22 To obtain reasonable curing times, a numerical simulation method to simulate the epoxy curing process and optimize the curing time was proposed. 23,24 However, most numerical simulation methods often involve setting the mechanical parameters, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient, and other physical and chemical properties of epoxy composite materials as constant values. These parameters are closely related to the degree of curing and curing temperature, 25−28 and unreasonable parameter settings inevitably introduce errors into the optimization process, which affect the mechanical and electrical properties of the cured structure.…”