Modelling multiple scales in composites manufacturing

Paper in proceeding, 2010

In this contribution, we develop a generic two-phase porous media continuum and the associated FE implementation aimed for modelling simultaneous sub-processes accruing at different spatial and temporal scales. The development is based on our previous work [1], where focus has been on coupling the preform deformation on different scales to the process of micro infiltration. In this work, we extend the previous developments with respect to the Darcian interaction on the macro scale. The background idea is to identify a set of relevant phases, i.e. solid and fluid, and assign a separate continuous medium to each phase. The result is a set of overlapping continuous media, each having its own density-, velocity- and stress field on the macroscopic scale. In addition, we allow for phase compressibility and introduce internal variables to describe irreversible micro-processes in the system, such as microscopic infiltration. A coupled displacement-pressure, fully non-linear, finite element model is presented. The approach is applied to a representative numerical example, displaying the relevance of the involved sub-processes.