On the performance of the geometrical models of fabrics for use in computational mechanical analysis

The computer aided engineering and the respective computer aided design tools compose a modern mechanical modelling environment for the textile materials. The numerical mechanical models of the textile structures are a strong tool for the in‐depth study of the mechanical properties and the behaviour of the textiles. The precision of these models in terms of their accuracy in representing the exact geometry of the real textile structures is the fundamental factor affecting the overall success of the idealisation. This paper discusses older traditional analytical models (Peirce, Saw‐tooth, Kemp) as well as some variations of these fundamental models. Their numerical solutions are successfully compared to the experimental measurements of the yarn longitudinal deformation parameters using microscopic and digital image processing techniques. The results of the analytical models are compared with the actual measurements and the more precise models are indicated.