Efficiency of in-wall weave patterns on the mechanical properties of integrally woven carbon/carbon honeycomb structures

Combining honeycomb structures with carbon/carbon (C/C) composites provides significant benefits, such as enhanced load-bearing strength, reduced weight, minimal thermal expansion, and no moisture absorption. These characteristics make such structures particularly suited for space applications. Carbon fiber reinforced composites, with their versatile design capabilities, emerge as an ideal material for satellite bearing platforms. In this study, three continuous carbon fiber woven structures are designed, and an integrally woven ortho-hexagonal C/C honeycomb structure was fabricated through performing Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) process on honeycomb preform. A multiscale damage model is used to analyze and compare the properties related to out-of-plane compression, shear in the L-direction, and shear in the W-direction across these three C/C honeycomb structures. Results indicate that the plain-woven C/C honeycomb structure demonstrates the most favorable mechanical properties, with the highest compressive modulus and shear strength under various loading conditions. Damage initially occurred in single-layer honeycomb walls with void defects, with ultimate failure appearing predominantly in the middle regions of all walls. These findings establish the plain-woven structure as the preferred choice for satellite bearing platforms due to its outstanding mechanical characteristics, providing stability and strength crucial for space applications.