3. Best Practices¶
Some suggestions on how to model properly the cure cycle are given in the following sections:
3.1. Recommended Analysis Settings For ACCS RTM Solver¶
3.1.1. Result Step Increments¶
For larger models, it is recommended to set the result step increment to a large value (e.g. 10-50). This is to reduce the size of the output file.
3.1.2. Overfill¶
The overfill factor should be set to 1. The higher the overfill factor, the less accurate the simulation will be. However, it will make the model run faster.
3.2. Element Types and Recommended use cases¶
Element Type |
Description |
|---|---|
Solid Elements |
Solid elements can be used to simulate flow in great detail. For example, they are ideal if you need to observe inter-layer flow. However, because they contain more nodes, simulations using solid elements will take significantly longer to run. |
Shell Elements |
Shell elements are useful when you only need a broad overview of the flow, rather than detailed inter-layer interactions. Since they involve fewer nodes, simulations using shell elements will run faster than those using solid elements. |
Beam Elements |
Beam elements are the fastest to simulate, but only provide one dimension of detail. They can be used for one dimensional estimates of flow, as well as representing pipes in an infusion process. If they are used as pipes, it is important to ensure that they are nodally connected to the rest of the component. Node merges can be used to achieve this connection. Warning Please note that when ACP is used to generate a solid model, beam elements do not propagate to mechanical. |
The mixture of element types is supported in ACCS RTM Solver. However, please ensure that all elements are nodally connected, otherwise the flow will not propagate.
In general, we recommend using linear elements, rather than quadratic. Using linear elements will result in faster running times, and higher accuracy.
3.3. Inlets¶
For best results, ensure that areas of mesh that contain inlets are well refined. It is also recommended that multiple nodes are selected for each inlet, as this will provide the best accuracy.
3.4. Outlets¶
For outlets, ensure that you avoid selecting two nodes from a single element. Otherwise, the encountered results may not be fully accurate.