An efficient two-step damage identification method using sunflower optimization algorithm and mode shape curvature (MSDBI–SFO)

Abstract

Laminated composite structures performance and behavior can be affected by damage that is not always visible on the surface. The need to monitor the health of these structures has continuously increased, which can be achieved in a fast and cost-effective way by numerical simulations. This paper presents an efficient two-step approach for damage identification in laminated composite plates. The first step uses mode shape and its derivatives (mode shape curvature) to locate the damages based on modal data. The proposed indicator utilizes modal analysis information extracted from finite element analysis. Then, a new metaheuristic Sunflower Optimization method (SFO) is employed to assess the correct severity of induced damages. This technique considers the damage detection problem as an inverse problem with minimization of an objective function. Numerical examples considering laminated composite plate with one and two induced damaged sites (delamination) are considered. The results indicate that the proposed method not only successfully identifies the location and severity of multi-damage cases in the composite structures, but also provides a better efficiency in terms of time saving and computational costs.