Damage imaging method based on circular DE-IDT array for phased array data fusion

Abstract

Plate-like structures, including composite material plates, are extensively employed in major engineering structures such as aerospace, high-speed rail, and civil engineering. The growing utilization of curved panel structures and the increasing complexity of these structures have emphasized the need for flexible sensors capable of efficient signal front-end reception. Addressing the limitations of conventional sensors made of brittle piezoelectric materials in adhering to the surface of structures for health monitoring, a self-developed flexible dielectric elastomer-interdigital transducer (DE-IDT) array is employed to achieve damage imaging in isotropic aluminum curved panel structures and orthotropic composite material plates using linear frequency modulation (chirp) signal excitation. In addition, a proposed fusion method is utilized to obtain weighted imaging results, and evaluation and analysis are performed using relevant indicators. Experimental findings highlight the improved imaging accuracy achieved through phased array data fusion using the linear chirp signal, attributed to its wideband characteristics and ability to capture more damage signals. Moreover, the effectiveness of the circular DE-IDT array for damage detection and imaging in curved panel structures and composite material plates is successfully verified.