Pavel Simacek Research Associate 103 Composites Manufacturing Science Laboratory University of Delaware | Newark, DE 19716-3144 Phone: (302) 831-6454 Fax: (302) 831-8525 Email: simacek@ccm.udel.edu

Research Interests: Numerical Methods, Computer Simulation and Modeling, and General Continuum Mechanics Issues

Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, 1994

Ing. (M.S. Equivalent) Applied Mechanics, Czech Technical University, Prague, 1989

Professional Experience

Dr. Pavel Simacek received his masters from Czech Technical University in Prague. His thesis dealt with stress analysis in composite propeller blade. After two years, he decided to continue his education. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Delaware for work in modeling the stretch-forming process of thermoplastic matrix reinforced with long fibers under Prof. R.B. Pipes. Then, he spent two more years in Delaware as a postdoctoral fellow, working on simulation of various aspects of RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process, such as preform deformation, permeability prediction, and finally, the filling simulation.

After two years spent teaching at a college in Sweden he decided to head back into research. Since his return to the United States he expanded and integrated his previous work into a capable package for RTM process simulation and extended it into the VARTM (Vacuum Assisted RTM) field.

top of page

Books & Book Chapters

R. B. Pipes, D. W. Coffin, P. Simacek, S. F. Shuler and R. K. Okine, “Rheological Behavior of Collimated Fiber Thermoplastic Composite Materials,” in Flow Phenomena in Polymer Composites, edited by S. G. Advani, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1993.

S. G. Advani and P. Simacek, “Modeling and Simulation of Flow, Heat transfer and Cure in Liquid Composite Molding,” in Resin Transfer Molding for Aerospace Applications, edited by T. Kruckenberg, Chapman & Hall, 1999.

top of page

Recent Journal Papers

P. Simacek, V. N. Kaliakin, R. B. Pipes, “Pathologies Associated with the Numerical Analysis of Hyper Anisotropic Materials,” International Journal on Numerical Methods in Engineering, October 1993.

R. B. Pipes, D. W. Coffin S. F. Shuler , P. Simacek, “Non-Newtonian Constitutive Relationships for Hyperconcentrated Fiber Suspensions,” Journal of Composite Materials, Volume 28, Number 4, 1994.

D. W. Coffin, R. B. Pipes, P. Simacek, “First Order Model for the Effective Shearing Viscosities of Continuous-Fiber Suspensions,” Journal of Composite materials, Volume29, Number 9, 1995.

P. Simacek and V. N. Kaliakin, “Notes on the Behavior of Transversely Loaded Inextensible Plates,” International Journal of Solids and Structures, Volume 33, Number 6, March 1996.

P. Simacek and V. M. Karbhari, “Notes on the Modeling of Preform Compaction: I - Micromechanics at the Fiber Bundle Level,” Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Volume 15, Number 1, January 1996.

V. M. Karbhari and P. Simacek, “Notes on the Modeling of Preform Compaction: II - Effect of Sizing on Fiber Bundle Micromechanics,” Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Volume 15, Number 8, August 1996.

P. Simacek and S. G. Advani, “Permeability Model for a Woven Fabric,” Polymer Composites, 17, 1996.

S. Bickerton, P. Simacek, S. Guglielmi and S. G. Advani, “Investigation of Draping and Its Effects on the Mold Filling Process During Manufacturing of a Compound Curved Composite Part,” Composites - Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 28A, 1997.

M. Indermaur, P.Simacek, S.G. Advani, “The Influence of Draping on the Filling of Doubly Curved Molds in the Resin Transfer Molding Process,” International Journal of Forming Processes, Volume 2, Number 3-4, 1999.

S. Bickerton, E.M. Sozer, P.Simacek and S.G. Advani, “Fabric Structure and Mold Curvature Effects on Preform Permeability and Mold Filling in the RTM Process. Part II. Predictions and Comparisons with Experiments,” Composites-Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 31A, 2000 .

P. Simacek, S. G. Advani, “An Analytic Solution for the Temperature distribution in flow through porous media in narrow gap: I - Linear Injection,” Heat and Mass Transfer, 1-2, 2001

P. Simacek, S.G. Advani, “An Analytic Solution for the Temperature distribution in flow through porous media in narrow gap: II - Radial Injection,” Heat and Mass Transfer, 6, 2001.

P.Simacek, S.G. Advani, “A Numerical Model to Predict Fiber Tow Saturation During Liquid Composite Molding,” in print, Composite Science and Technology.

P. Simacek, S.G. Advani, “Approximate Numerical Method for Prediction of Temperature Distribution in Flow through Narrow Gaps,” accepted in Journal of Computational Mechanics.

Jeffrey M. Lawrence, Kuang-Ting Hsiao, Roderic C. Don, Pavel Simacek, Gonzalo Estrada, E. Murat Sozer, Hubert C. Stadtfeld, Suresh G. Advani, “An approach to couple mold design and on-line control to manufacture complex composite parts by resin transfer molding,” Composites: Part A 33 (2002) 981–990.

Jeffrey A. Acheson, Pavel Simacek, Suresh G. Advani, “The Implications of Fiber Compaction and Saturation on Fully Coupled VARTM Simulation,” accepted in Composites Part A.

M. Deleglise , P. Simacek, C. Binetruy, S.G. Advani, “Determination of the Thermal Dispersion Coefficient During Radial Filling of a Porous Medium” accepted in Journal of Heat Transfer.

top of page

Conference Papers

R. B. Pipes, D. W. Coffin, T. S. Creasy, S. F. Shuler and P. Simacek, “More on the Rheological Behavior of Collimated Fiber Thermoplastic Composite Materials,” Proceedings of the American Society for Composites Seventh Technical Conference on Composite Materials, University Park, Pennsylvania, October 13 15, 1992.

P. Simacek, S. Bickerton, S. G. Advani and K. D. Fickie, “Flow in Deformed Fibrous Porous Media,” Proceedings of the Society of Engineering Science, 32nd Annual Technical Meeting, New Orleans, November 1995

V. N. Kaliakin and P. Simacek, “Computational Issues Associated with Hyper-Anisotropic Media,” Engineering Mechanics, Proceedings of the 10th Conference, S. Sture, ed., ASCE pub., Boulder, Colorado, 1995.

P. Simacek and S. G. Advani, “RTM Modeling - The Preforming Stage,” Conference Proceedings of the 1996 37th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 1996.

S. Bickerton, P. Simacek, S. Guglielmi and S. G. Advani, “Investigation of Draping and its Effects on the Mold Filling Process During Manufacturing of a Compound Curved Composite Part,” ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Symposium on Design and Manufacturing of Composites, November 1996.

P. Simacek and S. G. Advani, “Approximate Temperature Solution During Non-Isothermal Viscous Resin Impregnation in a Stationary Bed of Fibers, ASME 1997 National heat Transfer Conference, Baltimore, June 1997.

P. Simacek, E. M. Sozer and S. G. Advani, “Numerical simulations of mold filling for design and control of RTM process,” Proceedings of SPE, Tech. Paper No. 703, 2327-2335, 1998.

E. M. Sozer, P. Simacek and S. G. Advani, “Draping and filling of long axisymetric molds in RTM Process,” 8th Japan-U.S. Conference on Composite Materials, Baltimore, September 1998.

H. C. Stadfeld, M. L. Erninger, P. Simacek, S. G. Advani and S. Bickerton, “Continuous Permeability Measurements of Compacted Fiber Preforms and Their Influence in Mold Filling Simulations,” ASC Fifteenth Technical Conference, College Station, TX, 2000.

Pavel Simacek, Jeffrey Lawrence and Suresh G. Advani,,”Numerical Mold Filling Simulations Of Liquid Composite Molding Processes – Applications And Current Issues,”JEC, France, 2001.

Jeffrey A. Acheson, Pavel Simacek, and Suresh G. Advani, “The Role of Compaction and Saturation in Flow During VARTM,” ASC Sixteenth Technical Conference, Blacksburg, VA, 2001.

Pavel Simacek, Christof Ledermann, Suresh G. Advani, “Fast Three Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Isothermal Mold Filling for Liquid Composite Molding Processes,” ASC Sixteenth Technical Conference, Blacksburg, VA, 2001.

P. Šimácek, D. Modi, S.G. Advani, “Numerical Issues In Mold Filling Simulations Of Liquid Composites Processing,” 10th US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, Stanford, CA, 2002.

P. Simacek and S.G. Advani, “Combining Simulations and Experiments for ‘Intelligent Manufacturing Process Design’,” International Symposium on Mechanics Of Composites, Prague, Czech Republic, 2002.

P. Šimácek, S.G. Advani, “Desirable Features in Mold Filling Simulations for Liquid Composite Molding Processes,” SAMPE, Baltimore, MD, 2002.

N. C. Correia, F. Robitaille, A.C. Long, C.D. Rudd , P Šimácek, S.G. Advani, “Use Of Resin Transfer Molding Simulation To Predict Flow, Saturation And Compaction In The Vartm Process,” ASME, New Orleans, LA.

top of page

Reports

P. Simacek, “Numerical Modeling of Sheet-Forming Process,” Technical report 94-27, University of Delaware, Center for Composite Materials, 1994.

P. Simacek and S. G. Advani, “DRAPE 1.00 - User Manual,” Technical report 96-21, University of Delaware, Center for Composite Materials, 1996.

P. Simacek, E. M. Sozer and S. G. Advani, “User Manual for DRAPE 1.1 and LIMS 4.0 (Liquid injection Molding Simulation),” Technical report 98-01, University of Delaware, Center for Composite Materials, 1998.

top of page