Numerical simulation of the conduction welding of thermoplastic parts using a level-set method
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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 aforementioned 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 insight, 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 anisotropicmesh, which has been refined through an immersed boundary approach based on a level-setmethod. 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 conductionwelding process. The proposed model and numerical simulation approach will be presented and discussed withreference to several application examples. To verify the methodology, a two-dimensional model ofthe mold closure will be examined initially, with a multi-phase problem involving the polymer/airinterface being simulated. Once validated, the simulation of the mold closure will be extendedto a three-dimensional model.