Virtual testing of three-dimensional hollow/porous braided composites

Three-dimensional (3D) braided composites have attracted great attention in structure and biomedical applications, due to their low density, high specific energy absorption, excellent fatigue performance, and potential inexpensive manufacturing. The effective weight of 3D braided composite structures could be further reduced by creating voids/pores inside the composites with little sacrificing of mechanical properties, or through building hollow structures (like I-beam, honeycomb, and truss structures). A detailed study of 3D hollow/porous braided composite is presented in this chapter, intending to give a background of the methodologies currently in use, addressing the progress of topics relevant to this research, and prospecting the potential challenges and future applications. Driven by a systematic understanding of the multi-scale mechanical behavior of 3D hollow/porous braided composites, this chapter focuses on introducing the virtual testing frameworks for the analysis and design of heterogeneous materials, with an emphasis on studying the effect of porosity on the mechanical performance.