Polymer Engineering Center > Research > Boundary Element Simulations in Polymer Engineering

Within this project, a non-isothermal, non-Newtonian flow simulation for polymer melts using the boundary element method (BEM) is being developed to model systems such as mixing phenomena of polymer blends inside complex three dimensional mixing devices. In addition, a non-linear stress-strain simulation for polymer components will be developed. This includes the coupling of heat transfer and momentum equations for polymer flows well as momentum balance of solid components. The boundary element method is a numerical technique that lends itself to model flow, heat transfer and stress-strain behavior of a system with only a surface description of the 3D geometry, requiring no need of a mesh to represent the volume of that geometry. This attribute allows us to model flow, heat transfer and stress-strain behavior in complex geometries, and in systems with constantly changing boundary shapes. Such systems may include the flow inside starved or partially filled mixers, where the solid and free surfaces constantly change shape. For such systems the mesh generation of finite element method (FEM) programs, required for geometry representation during a processing cycle, would be prohibitive. Projects that are currently being worked under this general research area are:

• Drop deformation automotive painting processes,
  

• Metal flake orientation predictions during automotive painting processes,
  
• Study of fiber damage mechanisms during processing of reinforced polymer melts,
  
• Simulation of mixing processes during polymer processing.

Polymer Engineering Center

University of Wisconsin-Madison

1513 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706-1572

email: pec@engr.wisc.edu

fax: 608-265-2316