Multiscale statistical progressive failure analysis of unbalanced woven composites

Journal of Composite Materials, vol. 59, pp. 1433–1449

Abstract

Woven composites are widely used across various applications, characterized by the warp and weft tows that intersect perpendicularly to form a weave pattern. Often, the weave architecture is neglected during analysis. This study explicitly models the weave pattern and the undulation of the tows using the NASA Multiscale Analysis Tool, incorporating statistical constituent material properties and measurements of unbalanced composite microstructures. Experimental data and multiscale modeling results were compared for carbon fiber composites manufactured with different tow sizes in the two in-plane directions, resulting in four distinct unbalanced reinforcement patterns. Multiple tensile tests were conducted for each pattern. Using statistical input data, 1000 random model instances were created for each unbalanced composite, predicting distributions of the composite’s Young’s modulus and tensile strength. The predictions demonstrated good agreement with test data, highlighting unique aspects of the modeling approach.

Authors 3

1. Kumar C. Jois corresponding Aachen Institut für Textiltechnik

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

   Institut für Textiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. M. J. M. Welsh Aachen Institut für Textiltechnik

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

   Institut für Textiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Brett A. Bednarcyk

   National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Glenn Research Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling Branch, NASA Glenn Research Center

   Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling Branch, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA