Simulation of liquid composite moulding using a finite volume scheme and the level-set method

In this paper, a 2D numerical framework for the simulation of flows in porous media that are characterised by a sharp transition between the saturated and unsaturated zone is presented. Using a finite volume scheme and the level-set method, the framework is derived based on a conventional, implicit solution of Darcys law for the pressure field, while the level-set function is advected explicitly locally at the flow front.

With the main application to liquid composite moulding (LCM) in mind, the numerical framework is verified against analytical solutions, experiments, and other benchmark cases for a variety of situations that occur in this composite manufacturing process. The cases include local changes in permeability related to edge-effects, merging of flow fronts, and continuous manufacturing processes.

It is highlighted that the numerical framework achieves convergence with a spatial accuracy between 1st and 2nd-order; the level-set operations only take about 20% of the total CPU time; and the propagation of the resin front can be achieved with CFL-sized time steps without overfilling cells and without applying any artificial smoothing.