On the numerical prediction of radiative heat transfer for thermoset automated fiber placement

Abstract During thermoset automated fiber placement the material temperature has to be adapted to the material being processed. The position and orientation of infrared emitters relative to the substrate influence the material temperature, as do power output and processing speed. The novelty of this paper resides in the numerical description of the radiative heat produced by an infrared emitter as a function of the position and orientation and power density of the emitter. The combination with a 2D thermal model allows the prediction of material temperatures during the process. The model was validated by comparing with experimental data. The change in material temperature depending on different positions and orientations of the infrared emitter was demonstrated. The model allows the optimization of processing speed and power output of the infrared emitter for different positions and orientations in order to obtain a constant laminate surface temperature.