Computational Homogenization for Elasticity and Stationary Heat Conduction in Composite Materials Reinforced by Short Fibers

This paper presents Method of Continuous Source Functions (MCSF) for homogenization of material properties both elasticity and heat conduction in composite material reinforced by finite length regularly distributed, parallel, overlapping fibres. Stiffness/conductivity is incrementally reduced starting with rigid/super-conductive material properties of fibres and the fibre-matrix interface boundary conditions are satisfied by iterative procedure. Computational examples have to show: (1) the possibilities and difficulties connected with present numerical models and suggested ways for further developments, (2) similarities and differences in composite behaviour in heat flow and elasticity and (3) the way of choosing control volume for homogenization of composite materials reinforced by finite length fibres with large aspect ratio. Parallel MATLAB computational models increase computational efficiency. The results indicate that the proposed method is efficient and accurate in analysing the micromechanical elasticity and thermal behaviour of short fibre-composites.