Abstract: A method and apparatus for molding composite articles includes a lower frame (14) with a contoured flange, a semi-flexible lower skin (16) and a semi-rigid upper mold half (18). The frame has a contoured flange (24) for drawing a vacuum on a flange (62) of the lower skin. The upper mold half is formed from a skin (20) having a trusswork to make the skin semi-rigid. Pressure sensors (66) are mounted in the mold cavity to sense pressure change of the vacuum with respect to ambient and to control the injection rate of the resin in the cavity.

Abstract: A method to generate body-fitted grids, based on the direct solution for three scalar functions, is derived. The grid is re-meshed, based on the solution, using a grid-correction procedure. Calculations are performed for a variety of problems with both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, involving the use of non-linear source-terms, and other techniques to effect grid-control. According to the described method, a current grid and reference scalars are provided. The values at nodes within the current grid are calculated and compared with the reference values. The nodes on the current grid are moved until the values calculated and the reference scalars are within predetermined tolerances. The current grid represents the desired reference grid. Such a method is useful in grid boundary evaluation and modification as well as in grid adaptation.