Nonlinear Control of Liquid Molding of Advanced Composites with Simulations and Sensor/Actuator Optimization

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Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) is a versatile and attractive process for high volume, high performance, and low cost manufacturing of polymer composites that is gaining prominence in almost all areas of the manufacturing industry. At present, the processing costs are staggering as every new application or prototype requires many trial and correction cycles before one can manufacture a successful part within specifications. The objectives of this project are: (1) developing a realistic simulation of the LCM process and using the simulation tool to develop control strategies and to optimize the sensor locations for the real time controller; (2) formulating non-linear control strategies that can account for part-to part variation and other sensitive model parameters and lead to optimal finishing of the molding process; and (3) Verifying the nonlinear controls for advanced composite manufacturing with experiments. The research has a balance between theory and experimentation. The outcome of this research may lead to: (1) numerical simulation of the manufacturing process and an intelligent computational tool that will help to optimize the sensor and actuator locations and develop nonlinear control strategies for a given mold geometry; (2) a nonlinear control theory for advanced composite manufacturing; and (3) a liquid molding facility that can demonstrate the control of the composite manufacturing of a realistic part.