Abstract: The physical model and mathematical model of the cure process of 3234/T300B composite laminates were constructed by finite element method. The solidification temperature field and thermal stress field of laminates under convective heat transfer conditions were numerically simulated. The effects of different convective heat transfer coefficient on the thermal stress during the cure process of the laminate and the residual thermal stress after curing were analyzed. The results show that the larger the convective heat transfer coefficient applied on the upper surface, the smaller the thermal stress inside the laminate during the heating process. And when the convective heat transfer coefficient increases from 5 W/(m²·K) to 10 W/(m²·K), the decline of the temperature and thermal stress is the largest. The research result shows that it is feasible to reduce the thermal stress and solidification residual stress of the laminate during the heating process by introducing convective heat transfer conditions, providing a parameter basis for optimizing the curing method using by air hot gun.

Key words: resin-based composite, laminated plate, convective heat transfer coefficient, thermal stress