The hydrogen tank liner constitutes the innermost layer of a hydrogen tank. The principal
function of this polymer component is to restrict the diffusion of hydrogen particles. The afore-
mentioned liners can be manufactured via extrusion blow molding, a manufacturing process
comprising three distinct steps: extrusion, mold closure, and blowing.
This study seeks to employ numerical simulation of the mold closure step to gain deeper in-
sight, adopting a macroscopic approach. The primary objective is to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the welding that occurs during the mold closure, which is challenging to study
experimentally.
This work employs a numerical approach, using a finite element method based on an anisotropic
mesh, which has been refined through an immersed boundary approach based on a level-set
method. This method allows for the combination of multiple physical approaches, thereby facil-
itating the identification of critical variables and the optimization of the quality of the conduction
welding process.
The proposed model and numerical simulation approach will be presented and discussed with
reference to several application examples. To verify the methodology, a two-dimensional model of
the mold closure will be examined initially, with a multi-phase problem involving the polymer/air
interface being simulated. Once validated, the simulation of the mold closure will be extended
to a three-dimensional model.
| Subject : | : | oral |
| Topics | : | 5-2 - Computational methods for manufacturing and forming processes |
| PDF version | : |  PDF version |
