298
S. Ghosh et al.
also solve micro-mechanical RVE models at every macroscopic element integration
point to obtain homogenized properties.
In practice, however, actual composite microstructures are seldom uniform or
periodic. They generally comprise nonuniform dispersion of heterogeneities with
clusters and matrix-rich regions as shown in the unidirectional composite micrographs of Fig. 1a, b. To account for the nonuniform distribution of heterogeneities,
the concept of statistically equivalent RVE or SERVE was proposed in [9, 18, 19].
Fig. 1 (a) Experimental micrograph of a carbon fiber epoxy matrix unidirectional composite;
(b) micrograph of a composite containing fiber clusters; and (c) microstructure tessellated into
Voronoi cells showing regions of potential microstructural SERVE. (Reprinted from: Kubair and
Ghosh [35])
S. Ghosh et al.
also solve micro-mechanical RVE models at every macroscopic element integration
point to obtain homogenized properties.
In practice, however, actual composite microstructures are seldom uniform or
periodic. They generally comprise nonuniform dispersion of heterogeneities with
clusters and matrix-rich regions as shown in the unidirectional composite micrographs of Fig. 1a, b. To account for the nonuniform distribution of heterogeneities,
the concept of statistically equivalent RVE or SERVE was proposed in [9, 18, 19].
Fig. 1 (a) Experimental micrograph of a carbon fiber epoxy matrix unidirectional composite;
(b) micrograph of a composite containing fiber clusters; and (c) microstructure tessellated into
Voronoi cells showing regions of potential microstructural SERVE. (Reprinted from: Kubair and
Ghosh [35])