Local damage in a 5-harness satin weave composite under static tension: Part II - Meso-FE modelling

In order to reflect the constraints posed by the surrounding plies, depending on the ply placement in the laminate (inside/surface), different unit cell geometrical models with suitable boundary conditions were used for the FE analysis. From the numerical simulations it is observed that: (a) the homogenized elastic constants of the unit cell vary considerably depending on the boundary conditions used for the unit cell FE analysis; (b) intra-yarn stress and damage profiles are sensitive to the unit cell model as well as the boundary conditions used for the FE analysis.