Analysis of the vacuum infusion moulding process:: I.: Analytical formulation

The present work is primarily concerned with the analytical formulation of governing equations for flow of incompressible fluids through compacting porous media and their application to vacuum infusion (VI) of composite materials. The literature on VI and the effects of compacting media on permeability and flow is reviewed. A complete development of the proposed governing equation is shown along with a suggested numerical solution. The proposed model is subsequently used to quantify the effect of process parameters such as inlet and outlet pressures, fibre architecture and lay-up. Implications for industrial production are discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.