Abstract
An experimental proof-of-concept for damage detection in composite beams using modal analysis has been conducted. The purpose was to demonstrate that damage features can be detected, located, and measured on the surface of a relatively complex thin-wall beam made from composite material. (1) Background: previous work has been limited to the study of simple geometries and materials. (2) Methods: damage detection in the work is based on the accurate measurement of mode shapes and an appropriate design of the detection mesh. Both a method requiring information about the healthy structure and a baseline-free method have been implemented. (3) Results: short crack-type damage features, both longitudinal and transverse, were detected reliably, and the true length of the crack can be estimated from the damage signal. Simultaneous detection of two cracks on the same sample is also possible. (4) This work demonstrates the feasibility of automated damage detection in composite beams using sensor arrays.
Highlights
Composite structures are widely used in mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering fields
In spite of the challenges mentioned, a successful proof-of-concept has been established, showing that relatively small damage features can be reliably detected with the method proposed, and that the quality of the experimental results is practically indistinguishable from the numerical results obtained with a finite-element model of the thin-wall structure, at least in a laboratory setting where the test structure was carefully suspended to avoid the transmission of noise from the building
An experimental demonstration of the feasibility of the detection, localization, and length measurement of crack-type damage features on the curved surface of a thin-wall beam structure made from composite material using modal analysis has been conducted
Summary
Composite structures are widely used in mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering fields. Damage in structures can occur and accumulate during their lifetime. This paper focuses on vibration-based SHM techniques, where crack-type damage can be detected and measured through changes in dynamical characteristics. Such methods are conceptually simple and robust and tend to be more cost-effective than competing methods. Vibration-based SHM techniques are mainly based on the measurement of modal information such as damping factors, frequencies, and mode shapes [2]. Methods based on changes in mode shapes in particular are suitable for accurately detecting and measuring the length and orientation of crack-type damage features [3]
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