An advanced geometrical model for laminated woven fabrics using Lamé exponents with enhanced accuracy

Abstract

Three-dimensional stiffness tensors of laminated woven fabrics used in high-performance composites need precise prediction. To enhance the accuracy in three-dimensional stiffness tensor prediction, the fabric’s architecture must be precisely modeled. We tested the hypotheses that: (i) an advanced geometrical model describes the meso-level structure of different fabrics with a precision higher than established models, (ii) the deviation between predicted and experimentally determined mean fiber-volume fraction (c_f) of laminates is below 5%. Laminates of different c_f and fabrics were manufactured by resin transfer molding. The laminates’ meso-level structure was determined by analyzing scanning electron microscopy images. The prediction of the laminates’ c_f was improved by up to 5.1 vol% ( $11.0$ %) compared to established models. The effect of the advanced geometrical model on the prediction of the laminate’s in-plane stiffness was shown by applying a simple mechanical model. Applying an advanced geometrical model may lead to more accurate simulations of parts for example in automotive and aircraft.