Honeycomb-based method for generating random fiber distributions of fiber reinforced composites and transverse mechanical properties prediction

This paper proposes an innovative honeycomb-based algorithm to generate the random fiber distributions geometry of the unidirectional laminate with high fiber volume fraction, which can reach 75% or even higher. This algorithm overcomes the jamming limit appeared in traditional hard-core algorithms and lots of iterative computation required in most of the published algorithms. Then a progressive damage model is used to evaluate the prediction capacity of the fiber distribution model generated by the new algorithm. The present results are compared with the experimental and predicted ones from other different fiber distribution models. Moreover, load direction effect on the predicted results is discussed using the coefficient of variation. Finally, a fiber distribution is generated with the fiber volume fraction of 75% to validate the prediction capability of the honeycomb-based distribution model with high fiber volume fraction.