A parameterised and integrated modelling method for plain-weave composite preform of a component with complex geometry

The mesoscopic model of fibre-reinforced composites can provide key geometric and material related information for predicting the mechanical properties of composite components. In this study, an approach to build a mesoscale preform of a plain-weave composite component with complex geometry was established. This was achieved via parameterisation and integration - with a set of parameters, related to the preform geometry, and a macroscopic geometrical model, of the composite component, as the inputs. In this method, tow centrelines were simulated as sinusoids in curvilinear coordinates. A simplified model of the tow section is proposed at the mesoscale. Based on this method, the geometry of the plain-weave preform at the mesoscale can be obtained integrally according to the macroscopic shape of the component input. The credibility of this proposed method was verified with similar microscopic observations and experiments conducted in other studies. The applicability of this approach to a more complex component was also investigated. Finally, a characteristic layer was established to analyse the material aperiodicity in a complex component.

Automated summary

The mesoscopic model of fibre-reinforced composites provides important geometric and material information for predicting the mechanical properties of composite components. A method to build a mesoscale preform of a plain-weave composite component with complex geometry using parameterisation and integration was established in this study. The credibility of this method was verified through similar microscopic observations and experiments in other studies, and its applicability to more complex components was also investigated.