Prediction of Transverse Permeability for Unidirectional Fiber Tows Based on the Homogenization Theory

The transverse permeability of unidirectional fiber tows is calculated using homogenization method. Each fiber tow consisting of 21 filaments is arranged in uniform square packing. Stokes governing equation is analogized with Lame equation used in the linear elasticity problem and is solved by the finite element code ANSYS. The prediction for transverse permeability of unidirectional fiber obtained by the homogenization approach is compared with other analytical methods. The result shows a good agreement with Kozeny-Carman equation and Gebart square packing model. A model for nonuniform fiber distribution and measurement technology are proposed. It can be found that the experimental result is in excellent agreement with predicted permeability in the nonuniform distribution model.