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Prediction of the Elastic Properties of a Plain Woven Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite with Internal Geometric Variability

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Abstract

A statistical analysis of the yarn parameters of a plain woven carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite was conducted using X-ray micro-computed tomography data. An algorithm based on the correlated Gaussian random sequence was proposed to construct statistically equivalent yarns, which were introduced into a numerical multiscale model. A representative volume element was created to evaluate the macroscopic elastic properties of the composite. The predicted elastic constants showed a good agreement with experimental data obtained from tensile, compressive, and shear tests. This showed the importance of considering internal geometric variability for obtaining accurate simulation results. Finally, the performance of an electric vehicle back door made of the composite material was calculated by finite element analysis. The weight of the back door system was reduced by 47.45%, and performance results showed an excellent prospect of using lightweight composites.

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Abbreviations

Micro-CT:

Micro-computed tomography

CGRS:

Correlated Gaussian random sequence

RVE:

Representative volume element

CFRP:

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer

VIP:

Vacuum infusion process

A :

Area

AR:

Aspect ratio

PBC:

Periodic boundary conditions

SMC:

Sheet molding compound

UMAT:

User-defined material

CAD:

Computer aided design

CAE:

Computer aided engineering

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11372181, 11772191, 51705312) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2017M61156). The authors acknowledge the support provided by Shanghai Jiao Tong University to Prof. Wei Chen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Chao Zhu, Ping Zhu, Zhao Liu, Wei Tao & Wei Chen

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-Walled Structures, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Chao Zhu, Ping Zhu, Zhao Liu & Wei Tao

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan RD Tech B224, Evanston, IL, 60201, USA

    Wei Chen

Authors
  1. Chao Zhu
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  2. Ping Zhu
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  3. Zhao Liu
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  4. Wei Tao
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  5. Wei Chen
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Correspondence to Ping Zhu.

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Zhu, C., Zhu, P., Liu, Z. et al. Prediction of the Elastic Properties of a Plain Woven Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite with Internal Geometric Variability. Automot. Innov. 1, 147–157 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42154-018-0015-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42154-018-0015-y

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