Multiscale modeling of the impact of textile fabrics based on hybrid element analysis

In this work, a multi scale modeling approach has been developed to simulate the impact of woven fabrics using a finite element (FE) analysis. A yarn level of resolution is used in the model. This approach, referred to as the hybrid element analysis (HEA) is based on decreasing the complexity of the finite element model with distance away from the impact zone based on the multiscale nature of the fabric architecture and the physics of the impact event. Solid elements are used to discretize the yarns around the impact region, which transition to shell elements in the surrounding region. A new method for modeling the shell yarns is incorporated that more accurately represents the contours of the yarn cross section. Impedances have been matched across the solid–shell interface to prevent interfacial reflections of the longitudinal strain wave. The HEA method is validated by first applying it to the FE model of a single yarn for which an analytical solution is known. The HEA method is then applied to a woven fabric model and validated by comparing it against a baseline model consisting of yarns discretized using only solid elements.