A combined experimental–numerical approach for permeability characterization of engineering textiles

Abstract

Extensive experimental test programs are required for the characterization of textile permeability, which is essential for the design of liquid composite molding processes. In this study, an experimental–numerical approach is presented, aiming to partially substitute experiments by numerical simulations. This approach uses 3D microscale simulations to evaluate the permeability within rovings and attribute these values to statistical volume elements of the textile at the mesoscale. To further improve accuracy, a calibration method has been defined. In order to validate the functionality of this approach the permeability of a glass fiber woven and a non‐crimp fabric at fiber volume contents (FVCs) between 50 and 60% were predicted. For the non‐calibrated but virtually compacted models with FVCs of 55 and 60%, the deviation ranges from −27% to +42%. This seems acceptable considering the typical scatter in experimental tests, for example, a CV of 20–50% was measured in recent permeability benchmarks. The numerically determined permeability was then used as input for numerical filling simulations at part level (macroscale). The resulting filling times were then compared to results of simulations based on experimental input values.

Infiltration monitoring using carbon nanotube buckypaper for the characterization of out‐of‐plane unsaturated permeability

“…This tendency is consistent with other reported results, which is considered to be caused by fiber or tow rearrangement, capillary action, and lower-speed fluid filling. [2,28] Since the current infiltration was driven at a pressure no more than 0.1 MPa, no obvious flow-induced reinforcement rearrangement was observed. The measured capillary pressure also has limited effect on the infiltration compared with the external pressure.…”

“…[1] Much effort has been taken to theoretically estimate and characterize permeability and even permeability distribution for different LCM processes. [2][3][4] The in-plane permeability can be measured based on linear injection or radial flow experiment through different flow front monitoring methods. International benchmark exercise has been carried out to compare the in-plane permeabilities obtained by using different measurement systems, and meanwhile the sources of variation were identified.…”

Influence of In-Plane Bending Behaviour on Textile Composite Reinforcement Forming

“…Composite materials are widely used in different sectors due to their high performance and low weight [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The manufacture of textile composites often requires Liquid Composites Moulding (LCM) process or thermoforming of prepregs [8,9,10,11,12,13]. In both processes, the preforming process is an important step driven by deformations of textile reinforcement.…”

Finite element analysis of biaxial tensile mechanical properties and burst properties of woven fabric for layflat hose

“…[14][15][16] In fabric mechanical research field, finite element method has played an important role in design of fabric. [17][18][19] The effects of structure on mechanical properties of woven fabrics are essential for the woven fabric design. However, many researches focus on reproducing the mechanical response of available fabrics rather than exploring the impact of fabric structure.…”