Open Access

ARTICLE

Parametric Characteristics Analysis of Three-Unit-Cell Model in 3D Seven-Directional Braided Composites

Xiyue Zhang¹, Feizhou Li^1,*, Zhihai Hu¹, Weiliang Zhang¹, Xindang He², Gexia Yuan¹, Yanwei Feng³, Yafeng Qi^4,5,*

1 Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, China
2 Department of Mechanics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
3 College of Electron-Mechanics and Automobile Engineering, Tianshui Normal University, Tianshui, China
4 State Key Laboratory of Electromechanical Integrated Manufacturing of High-Performance Electronic Equipment, School of Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
5 State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

* Corresponding Authors: Feizhou Li. Email: ; Yafeng Qi. Email:

Computers, Materials & Continua 2026, 89(1), 13 https://doi.org/10.32604/cmc.2026.084077

Received 16 April 2026; Accepted 25 June 2026; Issue published 13 August 2026

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) braided composites are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries due to their superior mechanical properties. However, traditional 3D four-directional or five-directional braided composites exhibit limitations in multi-axial load-bearing capacity and structural stability under complex stress conditions. To address these challenges, we propose a novel 3D seven-directional braided composite structure, which enhances mechanical performance in both axial and transverse directions by incorporating additional reinforcement yarns. This structure consists of braiding yarns, axial yarns, six-directional yarns and seven-directional yarns, forming a more uniform and stable interlacing network. Based on the positional relationships between yarns, a parametric three-unit-cell model (incorporating interior, surface, and corner unit-cells) was developed to analyze the effects of braiding parameters and angles on fiber volume fraction and unit-cell geometry. Especially, an automated modeling plugin was created to efficiently generate unit-cell models for further mechanical analysis. The proposed 3D seven-directional braided composite provides a new theoretical framework for designing advanced textile composites, expanding their potential for diverse engineering applications.

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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