Abstract
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) have been widely used recently in aerospace technology as primary materials. During aircraft operation the combination of thermo-mechanical loads, gradually degrades the material properties. Therefore, the development of reliable and cost effective damage inspection protocols throughout the service life of these structures is of primary importance for their safe function. Within the scope of this study, Infrared Thermography (IrT) was employed with the aim of assessing the structural integrity of composite aero-structures in both maintenance (off-line) and service (on-line) conditions. In the maintenance concept, IrT was employed in Lock-in mode to evaluate artificially induced damage in bonded repaired materials. For this purpose, various configurations of damage were investigated. In the service concept, IrT was employed for the continuous monitoring of loaded repaired structures in order to assess in real-time any progressive evolution of de-bonding which could lead to failure of the bonded patch repair. The experimental results provided evidence that IrT is capable of qualitative and quantitative field assessment of aero-structures.
Highlights
Fibrous reinforced composites are being widely used the last decades in various applications in aerospace
Bonded composite repair is a relatively new repair concept primarily proposed by Baker in Australia [1], which proposes the use of composite materials directly bonded onto the cracked surface
Within the context of this study, Infrared Thermography (IrT) was applied in both maintenance and service modes to assess structural integrity of bonded composite repaired structures
Summary
Fibrous reinforced composites are being widely used the last decades in various applications in aerospace. The development of new materials in high performance applications requires effective methodologies for structural integrity assessment during service, operation and maintenance. IrT was employed to assess damage both in maintenance (off-line) and service (real time) modes. CFRP patches were applied to repair both composite and Aluminum (Al) substrates In both substrate scenarios, PTFE tapes were introduced in various locations of the repaired structure to simulate delamination, de-bonding as well as poor bonding. An artificially cracked aluminum helicopter wing (the stabilizer of the SW-4, PZL-Swidnik /AgustaWestland) was repaired using a CFRP bonded patch In this concept, LT was employed on-line during cyclic mechanical loading to monitor the durability and efficiency of the patch repair. IrT was capable of detecting artificially induced damage and monitoring damage evolution in real conditions
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