Complex three-dimensional microstructural permeability prediction of porous fibrous media with and without compaction

Much of the work in permeability prediction has so far been done with respect to the in-plane properties. Guided by Darcy's law, the in-plane permeabilities (i.e. K-xx and K-yy) have been well characterized by researchers both experimentally and, to some extent, analytically and numerically. Work on transverse or through thickness permeability, however, has been sparse. Owing to the fact that the limited length scale in the through thickness direction of most fibre preforms makes transverse permeability a difficult value to measure experimentally, the objective of the present development is to study the feasibility of applying the methodology proposed by the authors in a previous work for in-plane permeability prediction to the estimation of transverse, as well as the in-plane, permeability of a typical 3D woven fibre preform. The additional objective of this work is to present a preliminary study on the effects of fibre mat compression on the fibre preform permeability. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.