Multi-scale Analyses of 3D Woven Composite Based On Periodicity Boundary Conditions

In this article, two-scale 3D finite element (FE) models, the microscopic repeated unit cell (RUC) model for yarn, and mesoscopic-repeated unit cell model for woven composite, are presented to predict the effective stiffness properties of 3D woven orthogonal interlock composites. The micro-RUC model for the yarn is based on a hexagonal array of fibers. Undulation of the yarns in the novel 3-D meso-RUC for the woven composite is described by Hermit-spline function. The periodic boundary conditions are applied to the two-scale models during the 3D FE analysis in order to ensure that both the displacement and stress are continuous on the boundary surfaces. Specimens are manufactured with house-made resin transfer molding (RTM) equipment and simple tensile experiment is performed. It is found that the predicted yarn properties by the micro-RUC agree well with data computed by equations with a suitable parameter determined by experiment and the predicted effective stiffness properties of 3-D woven composites by the meso-RUC are also in good agreement with the test data. Thus the correctness of the established multi-scale models and analysis method are verified.

[1]  Ala Tabiei,et al.  Three-dimensional computational micro-mechanical model for woven fabric composites , 2001 .

[2]  Rami Haj-Ali,et al.  A multi-scale constitutive formulation for the nonlinear viscoelastic analysis of laminated composite materials and structures , 2004 .

[3]  T. Zeng,et al.  Predicting the nonlinear response and failure of 3D braided composites , 2004 .

[4]  V. Carvelli,et al.  NUMERICAL PREDICTION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOVEN FABRIC COMPOSITES , 2001 .

[5]  Ignace Verpoest,et al.  Virtual textile composites software WiseTex: Integration with micro-mechanical, permeability and structural analysis , 2005 .

[6]  P. Tan,et al.  Modeling Approaches for 3D Orthogonal Woven Composites , 1998 .

[7]  Ignace Verpoest,et al.  Textile geometry preprocessor for meso-mechanical models of woven composites , 2000 .

[8]  Xinwei Wang,et al.  On selection of repeated unit cell model and application of unified periodic boundary conditions in micro-mechanical analysis of composites , 2006 .

[9]  Tsu-Wei Chou,et al.  Modeling of 3-D Angle-Interlock Textile Structural Composites , 1989 .

[10]  Yang Lian-he.  CAD on elastic properties of 3D woven composites , 2005 .

[11]  Brian N. Cox,et al.  A binary model of textile composites—II. The elastic regime , 1995 .

[12]  F. Ellyin,et al.  A unified periodical boundary conditions for representative volume elements of composites and applications , 2003 .

[13]  C. Swan,et al.  MULTI-SCALE UNIT CELL ANALYSES OF TEXTILE COMPOSITES , 2002 .