Numerical modeling of mold filling and heat transfer in polymer processing

Key steps in a polymer manufacturing process are the introduction of the polymer into a mold and the subsequent transformation into a solid product. Modeling of this process requires numerical tools that can perform a coupled analysis of the free surface movement and the heat transfer phenomena. In this paper, a recently proposed fixed-grid numerical algorithm for tracking the free surface is presented. The hallmark of this approach is that it allows for an implicit time integration of the VOF equation while preserving the sharp free surface front. In addition when coupled with the energy transport equation, it also allows an accurate representation of the heat transfer especially in the vicinity of the free surface. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated on solving a number of problems taken from recent literature.