Development of a geometric modeling strategy for the generation of representative unit cells in 2D braids

This article presents, tests and validates a method for generating representative unit cells of braided composites based on a geometrical approach. The method focuses on the geometry of the tows and uses surface minimization to obtain the minimal equivalent area of a central surface that is used for the generation of volumes and orthotropic mechanical properties of the tows. The homogenization of the yarns is solved using analytical equations and the homogenization of the cell is solved using a representative volume element technique. The robustness of the method is evaluated using a benchmark comparison with experimental and numerical results to validate the generated ge.ometry. The method is also tested and shown to be robust in modeling the geometry for several values of geometrical parameters of the tows without user intervention, including for configurations yielding a high cover factor.