Application of periodic boundary conditions on multiple part finite element meshes for the meso-scale homogenization of textile fabric composites

Abstract Textile fabric reinforced composites are increasingly used in structural applications in the aerospace, automotive and recreational industry. Since experimental testing is labour intensive and time consuming, numerical analysis using Representative Unit Cell (RUC) and Finite Element (FE) analyses for obtaining the elastic material constants have proven to be suitable. One of the drawbacks of the existing techniques is that one is obliged to have identical meshes on opposite faces for applying periodic boundary conditions (PBC), or that multiple part finite element meshes are not allowed. The new ORAS software discussed in this paper allows non-identical meshes at opposite faces and multiple part meshes. If a search is done in the ISI web of knowledge, no papers can be found of the meso-scale finite element modelling with periodic boundary conditions of spread tow fabric composites. With the existing techniques available on the market it is not possible, and therefore the method presented in this paper gives a solution. For the numerical meso-scale FE analysis in combination with macro homogenization for obtaining the macro elastic constants, a thermoplastic carbon-PPS (PolyPhenylene Sulfide) 5-harness satin weave composite (CETEX®) was used as an example. The results of the meso-scale FE analysis of the RUC using PBC with macro homogenization obtained with the new technique are in good agreement with those obtained using conventional techniques and experimental data.