Evaluating Multi-Delamination of Composite Laminates Using an Active Sensor Network

Abstract

A quantitative evaluation approach for multi-delamination in fibre-reinforced composite laminates was developed, in virtue of a built-in active sensor network. The approach, conducted hierarchically by activating different sensors in a sensor network, fused time-of-flight (ToF) extracted from signals at different levels, whereby to provide an overall consensus as to all possible instance(s) of damage in the laminates. Benefiting from the network, the dependence of evaluation on a specific sensor or signal was furthest minimised, and the need for interpreting complex signal involving scattering by multi-damage was avoided. The approach was validated by assessing the locations and shapes of dual-delamination in a CF/EP woven laminate.