Curing Cycle Optimization for Thick Composite Laminates Using the Multi-Physics Coupling Model

A multi-objective optimization method which takes the multi-physics coupling characteristic into account is proposed to determine the cure cycle profile for polymer-matrix composites. First, a numerical model which considers the effects of heat transfer, cure kinetics, resin flow-compaction process has been developed to predict the temperature and degree of curing. The simulation results agree well with the experimental measurements from the previous publication to validate the practicability of the FE model. A surrogate model based on the Surface Response Method is built to make the solution feasible according to the entire calculation time. The surrogate model was integrated into the optimization framework to optimize cure cycle profile using NSGA-II algorithm. The results show that the duration of the cure time and the maximum gradient of temperature are about 44.8% and 34% shorter than in the typical cure profile, respectively. It is also shown that the multi-physics coupling characteristic should be considered in the optimization process for thick composite component.