A fully coupled local and global optical-thermal model for continuous adjacent laser-assisted tape winding process of type-IV pressure vessels

A numerical process simulation framework is introduced in this paper to describe and predict the process temperature evolution during the laser-assisted tape winding (LATW) process of a type-IV pressure vessel made of glass-reinforced high-density polyethylene (G/HDPE). A local optical-thermal model is fully coupled with a global thermal model for the simulation of continuous adjacent hoop winding cases. The predicted tape and substrate temperatures are compared with the experimental data to validate the process model's effectiveness. The inline temperature was measured by an infrared thermographic camera during the continuous winding. The continuous process temperature of the substrate is affected significantly due to the previously wound layers including the pressure vessel, and a gradual increase of the temperature of the roller and the air inside the liner. A considerable temperature increase calculated as 80-120°C takes place for the substrate during winding of two consecutive layers of (G/HDPE) prepreg tape at the liner ends. The influence of pressure vessel size on the tape and substrate temperatures is investigated for different liner radii using the validated process model. The peak substrate temperature is found to increase approximately 45°C by reducing the radius of the pressure vessel from 272 mm to 68 mm while maintaining all other process conditions constant.