Process-induced distortion of triaxially braided composites considering different geometric parameters using simplified constitutive model with effective property

Herein we present a prediction method for the process-induced distortion (PID) of a 2-D triaxially braided composite (TBC) structure at the macroscopic level based on a simplified constitutive model and analytical model for the effective material properties (EMPs). This method can quickly predict the PID considering viscoelastic characteristics and different geometric parameters of the 2-D TBC. The PID trend with curing time of an L-shaped TBC flange was analyzed in detail using a finite element-based curing simulation. Furthermore, the effects of the geometric parameters on the EMPs and PID of the 2-D TBC were investigated. A primary finding is that the in -plane shear modulus of the 2-D TBC had a significant effect on the PID of the cured 2-D TBC structures. This prediction method can be utilized for designing composite structures and molds, thus contributing to the improvement of dimensional precision and capabilities of composite materials and structures.