Validation of Fiber Breakage in Simple Shear Flow with Direct Fiber Simulation

• Main Authors: Tzu-Chuan Chang, Abrahán Bechara Senior, Hakan Celik, Dave Brands, Angel Yanev, Tim Osswald
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Journal of Composites Science
• Subjects: long fiber reinforced plastics; fiber breakage; fiber length; mechanistic model
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/4/3/134

This study aims to use particle level simulation to simulate the breakage behavior of glass fibers subjected to simple shear flow. Each fiber is represented as a chain of rods that experience hydrodynamic, interaction, and elastic effects. In order to validate the approach of the model, the simulation results were compared to simple shear flow experiments conducted in a Couette Rheometer. The excluded volume force constants and critical fiber breakage curvature were tuned in the simulation to gain a better understanding of the system. Relaxation of the fiber clusters and a failure probability theory were introduced into the model to solve the fiber entanglement and thus, better fit the experimental behavior. The model showed agreement with the prediction on fiber length reduction in both number average length and weight average length. In addition, the simulation had a similar trend of breakage distribution compared to a loop test using glass fibers.