Effects of the Gas Flow Inside a CVI Reactor on the Densification of a C/C Composite

In this paper, the densification of a carbon/carbon composite during a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process is studied using a chemo-mechanical model. The multi-physics numerical model, developed in the previous research, couples computational fluid dynamics and major chemical reactions in the reactor. The model is especially utilized to study the effect of flow behavior around the preform on the densification. Four different types of flow-guide structures are placed to alter the gas flow around the preform. It is shown that the flow pattern and speed around the preform can be controlled by the guide structures. The process simulations demonstrate that the average density and/or density distribution of the preform can be improved by controlling the gas flow around the perform. In this study, a full industrial-scale reactor and process parameter were used.

Automated summary

The study investigated the densification of a carbon/carbon composite during a CVI process using a chemo-mechanical model, and demonstrated that controlling gas flow around the preform can improve the average density and/or density distribution of the preform. A multi-physics numerical model was utilized to couple computational fluid dynamics and major chemical reactions in the reactor, showing that flow behavior around the preform can be controlled by flow-guide structures.