SUMMARY

This research aims to develop finite element models to predict the thermal and mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites and woven fiber composites. Desirable properties include elastic modulus, shear modulus, and thermal conductivity. A representative volume element (RVE) homogenization at different scales is required to estimate the properties of composite materials. Using Ansys Mechanical tools, a periodic RVE of a unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite at the micro-scale is developed. A homogenization model solves for the mechanical properties using a statistical RVE. This unidirectional RVE is then utilized in Ansys Fluent to study thermal conductivity. The thermal boundary resistance at the interface between the fibers and matrix significantly affects the effective thermal conductivity of the composite, and this relationship is explored. Additionally, micro-computed tomography (µCT) has been undertaken on various woven samples such as fiberglass/epoxy and carbon fiber/epoxy composites to better compare theoretical results with measured properties. High-resolution images are achieved using µCT to distinguish the three phases of composites, i.e., fiber tows, voids, and the surrounding matrix. The geometry of these phases is exported into Ansys for further exploration of properties. Furthermore, mechanical and thermal experimentation is carried out and results are presented for the carbon fiber/epoxy sample. Calibration of structural and thermal properties against experimental values at the component level will be performed to estimate the cohesive zone model (CZM) parameters that accurately characterize the fiber/matrix interface within the simulation framework.

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