Stochastic homogenization analysis for thermal expansion coefficients of fiber reinforced composites using the equivalent inclusion method with perturbation-based approach

This paper describes a perturbation-based stochastic homogenization analysis method for a thermal expansion coefficient of a fiber reinforced composite material using the equivalent inclusion method. The proposed method is formulated for evaluation of the probabilistic characteristics of the homogenized thermal expansion coefficients considering uncertainties in material properties and geometry of a component material. As a numerical example, the probabilistic characteristics of the homogenized thermal expansion coefficients of a unidirectional fiber reinforced plastic are analyzed. With comparison between the results of the proposed method and the results of the Monte-Carlo simulation, validity, accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method are investigated.