Abstract

A self-sensing Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) method for Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates has been propped in the present study: carbon fibres are used as sensors using a transmission line. Authors have published research articles of the self-sensing TDR method. The self-sensing TDR method reduces number of required electrodes for damage detections although the sensitivity of detection is sacrificed. A micro-strip line (MSL) method is adopted to obtain impedance matching with a coaxial cable and successfully detected damage in a CFRP laminate in the previous study. In the present study, a long curved MSL is experimentally investigated as an impedance-matched transmission line for detection of damage of a CFRP laminate in wider area. Fibre breakage is simulated as a hole made by drilling. As a CFRP laminate has strongly orthotropic electric conductance and the electric properties of a CFRP laminate at the high frequency are not clarified, the effect of the orthotropic conductance at the curved transmission line is experimentally investigated. As a result, the effect of orthotropic conductance at the curved strip line is shown to be negligible, and fiber breakage that locates closed to the copper strip line can be detected by the self-sensing curved MSL method. It is, however, difficult to detect damage far from the copper strip line.

Highlights

  • Laminated Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are widely adopted as primary structures for aerospace components or automobile vehicles because the laminated CFRP composites have high strength and high stiffness per density compared with conventional metallic materials

  • As there is no signal reflection at the middle in the curved point, it is understood that the electrical resistance difference between the fiber direction and the transverse direction at the CFRP surface does not affect the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) method

  • Using the self-sensing curved micro-strip line (MSL) method, wide area of the CFRP surface is investigated compared with the single MSL method

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Summary

Introduction

Laminated Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are widely adopted as primary structures for aerospace components or automobile vehicles because the laminated CFRP composites have high strength and high stiffness per density compared with conventional metallic materials. The laminated CFRP composites, have a weak point at interlamina strength. Low velocity impact load causes damage in the interlamina, and the damage is difficult to detect for visual inspections. Several researchers have published articles using electrical resistance changes: carbon fibres are used as sensors as well as structural reinforcements [1]-[12]. The self-sensing method has high performance to detect damage in a CFRP laminate. The method, requires a lot of electrodes to identify damage location

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