For large composite parts manufactured by autoclave curing process, temperature uniformity of the mold is essential to ensure final part quality. This paper aims to investigate the influence of mold placement variation in autoclave on heating performance of a large framed mold and find the optimal mold placement parameters for improving the temperature uniformity and heating rate. Firstly, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based autoclave simulation model is established and validated, which offers reliable prediction of the mold temperature field and flow distribution in autoclave. Then, numerical experiments are performed based on the autoclave simulation model and response surface methodology (RSM) to establish relations between mold placement variables and responses including temperature uniformity and heating rate. Finally, using the established regression model, multi-objective optimization is conducted considering both temperature uniformity and heating rate. The optimal mold placement parameters are obtained successfully which improves the temperature uniformity significantly with little change in heating rate comparing to the commonly adopted mold placement approach. The strategies provided by mold placement optimization can be applied for various large framed molds in composite manufacturing improving the autoclave curing process.

对于通过高压釜固化工艺制造的大型复合零件，模具的温度均匀性对于确保最终零件质量至关重要。本文旨在研究高压釜中模具放置变化对大型框架模具加热性能的影响，并找到改善温度均匀性和加热速率的最佳模具放置参数。首先，建立并验证了基于计算流体动力学（CFD）的高压釜仿真模型，该模型可以可靠地预测模具温度场和高压釜中的流量分布。然后，基于高压釜模拟模型和响应面方法（RSM）进行数值实验，以建立模具放置变量与包括温度均匀性和加热速率在内的响应之间的关系。最后，使用建立的回归模型，同时考虑温度均匀性和加热速率进行多目标优化。与常用的模具放置方法相比，成功地获得了最佳的模具放置参数，从而在不改变加热速率的情况下显着提高了温度均匀性。模具放置优化提供的策略可应用于复合材料制造中的各种大型框架模具，从而改善高压釜的固化过程。