Full-field Measurement Research Articles

EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF POISSON RATIO ON METAMATERIALS MANUFACTURED FROM CRUMPLED ALUMINUM FOIL SUBJECTED TO UNIAXIAL COMPRESSION

In this work experimental results are presented concerning the auxetic behavior of a crumpled metamaterial manufactured with aluminum foil, so far such experimental evidence has not been reported by other authors. Thus, 2D digital image correlation (DIC) was used to make full field measurements of longitudinal and transverse strains on the surface of crumpled aluminum specimens under axial compression; it was no possible to use conventional methods on the measurements of strains, such as strain gages or extensometers, due to the irregular topography on the surface of the specimens. The obtained results exhibit the auxetic nature of the aluminum crumpled material, with Poisson´s ratio values that vary from ?=-0.17 to ?=-0.02 for relative densities in the range ?_r=0.07 to ?_r=0.21. Keywords: Auxetic, Digital Image Correlation, Crumpled material, Poisson, Computer vision system.

GMDIC: a digital image correlation measurement method based on global matching for large deformation displacement fields

The digital image correlation method is a non-contact optical measurement method, which has the advantages of full-field measurement, simple operation, and high measurement accuracy. The traditional DIC method can accurately measure displacement and strain fields, but there are still many limitations. (i) In the measurement of large displacement deformations, the calculation accuracy of the displacement field and strain field needs to be improved due to the unreasonable setting of parameters such as subset size and step size. (ii) It is difficult to avoid under-matching or over-matching when reconstructing smooth displacement or strain fields. (iii) When processing large-scale image data, the computational complexity will be very high, resulting in slow processing speeds. In recent years, deep-learning-based DIC has shown promising capabilities in addressing the aforementioned issues. We propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, DIC method based on deep learning, which is designed for measuring displacement fields of speckle images in complex large deformations. The network combines the multi-head attention Swin-Transformer and the high-efficient channel attention module ECA and adds positional information to the features to enhance feature representation capabilities. To train the model, we constructed a displacement field dataset that conformed to the real situation and contained various types of speckle images and complex deformations. The measurement results indicate that our model achieves consistent displacement prediction accuracy with traditional DIC methods in practical experiments. Moreover, our model outperforms traditional DIC methods in cases of large displacement scenarios.

3D shape measurement method for high-reflective surface based on a color camera

Fringe projection profilometry (FPP) has been widely utilized in many fields due to its non-contact, high accuracy, high resolution and full-field measurement capabilities. However, the limited dynamic range of the camera sensor can result in overexposure of high-reflective parts in industrial production measurement. To effectively solve the above issue, this paper proposes a 3D shape measurement method for the high-reflective surface based on a color camera. Firstly, the optimal exposure time for the low-reflective region is estimated using the relationship between the standard variance of the phase error and the modulation. Twelve blue phase-shifted fringe patterns and a uniform blue image are utilized to obtain 3D shape of high-reflective surface. Secondly, captured images are separated into red, green and blue components. The fused Gaussian low-pass filtering method with different cut-off frequencies is used to filter and denoise the green or red components and the true intensity of the blue component in the saturated regions is calculated by the unsaturated intensity of the green or red components based on the calibrated crosstalk matrix. Then the image in saturated regions is fused and normalized with the unsaturated region. The absolute phase obtained from the fused normalized fringe patterns is converted into 3D data. Finally, experiments have been carried out on measuring. The experimental results show that the proposed method is capable of obtaining the 3D shape of the surface of a high-reflective object with fewer patterns and high measurement accuracy.

Mechanical analysis of polyester resin using digital image correlation and finite element method

The primary objective of this study is to perform a comprehensive mechanical analysis of unsaturated polyester (UP) resin under unidirectional tensile loading. The Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was employed to accurately determine the mechanical properties of the material, with full-field strain measurements used to extract both transverse and longitudinal strains through virtual extensometers. This approach facilitated the precise calculation of the Poisson’s ratio of the UP resin. The results obtained via DIC demonstrated strong correlation with the experimental data obtained through the machine’s control software, particularly in capturing vertical displacement and longitudinal strain with high precision. The Poisson’s ratio was found to be 0.46. To further validate the DIC findings, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted. The FEA results aligned closely with the experimental data, confirming the reliability and accuracy of the DIC method in this context. The values of Young’s modulus determined from experimental tests and FEA data were 3620.02 MPa and 3598 MPa, respectively, with a percentage error of only 0.61%.

A Spatial-Frequency Approach to Point-Wise Frequency Response Function Estimation with Digital Image Correlation

The use of digital image correlation for modal analysis is becoming an appealing option thanks to its non-contact and full-field measurement process. However, frequency response function (FRF) estimation can be challenging due to the limited number of time domain data and heavy measurement noise. Thereby, the present work aims to propose a method which improves the estimation accuracy of point-wise FRFs. Firstly, a Gaussian-process-based spatial-frequency model is proposed, which makes use of the intrinsic properties of the FRF and the local spatial information of field measurements. Then, a Bayesian solution is developed, which is enforced by a stable and efficient numerical procedure. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by making a comparison with the spectral estimator through the use of simulated data, and it is further validated based on an experimental application.

Advanced monitoring of damage behavior and 3D visualization of fiber distribution in assessing crack resistance mechanisms in steel fiber-reinforced concrete

This study presents a novel approach to understanding the reinforcing mechanisms of steel fiber-reinforced concrete, particularly its crack resistance and toughening effects. By integrating dynamic surface strain monitoring with advanced three-dimensional visualization techniques, new insights are provided into how steel fibers enhance concrete's structural performance. X-ray computed tomography (CT) technology enabled detailed 3D visualization and analysis of steel fibers embedded within the concrete matrix, facilitating an in-depth examination of their distribution patterns, orientation, and positioning. Additionally, the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) three-dimensional full-field strain measurement system was utilized to dynamically monitor the loading process during three-point bending tests on semicircular concrete specimens. The findings indicate that the uniform distribution of steel fibers significantly reduces stress concentration and effectively delays crack initiation and propagation. Steel fibers bridge cracks, mitigate local stress concentrations, and substitute for the tensile components of concrete after macro-crack formation, thereby inhibiting further crack propagation. Quantitative analysis of fiber distribution through 3D image reconstruction and coordinate extraction confirmed a strong correlation between fiber orientation and crack resistance. This study contributes to the field by offering a comprehensive analysis of key parameters such as fracture process strain monitoring, 3D visualization, and quantification of fiber distribution, advancing the understanding of crack propagation mechanisms and failure processes in fiber-reinforced concrete.

Full-field displacement measurements of structural vibrations using a novel two-stage neural network

This paper presents a novel two-stage neural network for quantifying full-field displacements of vibrating structures. A graphics software was used to simulate structural vibrations with random displacement fields and generate image datasets through batch rendering. Subsequently, a two-stage neural network model comprising an object segmentation subnetwork for extracting structural shapes and an optical-flow subnetwork for identifying displacement fields was constructed. A coordinate convolution module was embedded in the optical-flow estimation model and the two subnetworks were integrated to develop a comprehensive model. An experiment was designed to monitor the vibration displacements in a cantilever column. The results showed that the proposed model achieved optimal recognition accuracy with a mean absolute error of 0.1477 pixels and root-mean-squared error of 0.2335 pixels. Additionally, it exhibited robustness to various lighting conditions. Furthermore, case studies on real-world structural vibration videos substantiated the practical engineering application value of the proposed model.

Coupling deflectometry measurements on membranes to the force analysis technique: opportunities and challenges

This work is grounded on the force analysis technique, an identification method that directly uses a structure's equation of motion to formulate an inverse problem, explicitly identifying the force causing the system's motion. This technique has mainly been applied on heavy objects since contact vibration measurements using accelerometers on light and thin structures are biased by the added mass and are complex to setup. Using non-contact and full-field vibration measurements (here, deflectometry), opens the possibility of applying the force analysis technique to such structures. This research aims to investigate the opportunities offered by the identification of space-time varying loadings of various types (acoustical, mechanical, and turbulent boundary layer) all these loadings being applied on a membrane. Through this study, we also strive to highlight the challenges and opportunities brought by of coupling non-contact and full-field measurements on membranes to the force analysis technique.

Estimation of viscoelastic properties in ribbon-shaped homogeneous waveguides by wavenumber analysis and model reduction

Wavenumber based procedures applied to 1D waveguides provide a rigorous framework with an exact signal model that allows for a proper identification of both storage and loss properties independently from the boundary conditions. However, the associated inverse problem is either computationally intense if using a reference solution (e.g. SAFE) or limited to a specific frequency range that depends on the reduced beam model. We propose here to apply the wavenumber-based estimation of isotropic viscoelastic properties to ribbon-shaped homogeneous waveguides, characterized by a rectangular section with slender height-to-width aspect ratio. We show theoretically that considering the ribbon as a thick plate by assuming a model reduction in the height dimension, drastically reduces the wave propagation problem (hence its inverse counterpart) while providing a sufficiently good approximation on the low height-to-wavelength regime. In addition, full-field measurements are performed on an Aluminium and a PVC homogeneous ribbon-shaped waveguide. The experimental dispersive branches (bending and torsion modes) are identified on an ultra-wide frequency range (1 kHz - 1 MHz) using High Resolution Wave Analysis. For both materials, an excellent agreement is observed with the thick plate reduced model, paving the way for wide-band viscoelastic properties identification of ribbon-shaped waveguide.

Full-Field Measurement of Lightweight Nonlinear Structures Using Three-Dimensional Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry

Modern noncontact measurement techniques such as the three-dimensional scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (3D SLDV) are advantageous in measuring vibrations of lightweight, thin-walled aerospace structures, which were conventionally deemed as difficult or not feasible to apply using attached transducers. Nevertheless, the full-field measurements using 3D SLDV are still limited to extracting modal properties of linear structures, while measurements of complex nonlinear structures are rarely reported. This paper aims to extend the full-field measurement capability of 3D SLDV and combines it with a multiple-input–single-output vibration controller to deal with nonlinear structures. An advanced test strategy is introduced, which is capable of obtaining amplitude-dependent resonant frequencies, modal damping ratios, and full-field, multiharmonic mode shapes of nonlinear normal modes (NNMs). Conflicting parameters such as the frequency resolution and measurement time are optimized by combining phase separation and phase resonance testing techniques in a coherent strategy. The capabilities of the proposed nonlinear modal testing strategy are demonstrated on a realistic, large-scale fan blade that exhibits softening behaviors. Two of its NNMs were investigated at larger vibration amplitudes. Its nonlinear modal parameters were successfully extracted and validated, highlighting the time efficiency and data accuracy of the proposed strategy for measuring industrial-scale, lightweight nonlinear structures.

Short fatigue crack growth sensitivity to thermo-mechanical fatigue loading

Most high-temperature components are subject to out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue (OP-TMF), which induces crack growth at low temperatures. However, OP-TMF has been little studied in the context of short cracks. This study focuses on the experimental sensitivity of OP-TMF loading conditions playing on temperature range, gradient, and dwell time for thin sheet superalloy specimens. The material of interest is a Co-based superalloy, HA188. It is widely used in combustion chambers.The experimental analysis is based on full-field measurements for temperature, strain and damage by infrared thermography, digital image correlation and high resolution images from 300 to 900°C. The main conclusion is that the temperature gradient, together with the temperature amplitude, largely determines the strain amplitude and subsequent fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) of short cracks. In situ measurements of damage and crack closure were obtained using supervised machine learning based on images. This clarifies that crack closure is only partial and that the crack network growth rate is consistent with the individual short crack growth rate. Finally, 3D finite element analysis considering realistic temperature field and strain energy based FCGR model was able to evaluate the fatigue life in this context. It is shown that the OP-TMF FCGR is very close to the FCGR of the maximum temperature of the TMF cycle due to partial crack closure.

Fatigue Analysis of BRB Weld under Low Period and Large Deformation based on DIC Technology

This paper conducts an in-depth study on the fatigue performance of buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) under low-cycle large deformation conditions. As a device that utilizes the hysteretic energy dissipation of metal yielding, BRBs have been widely used in the design of new structures and the seismic strengthening of existing structures. Its remarkable advantages include stable performance, convenient fabrication, low cost, and excellent hysteretic performance. Applying DIC technology to the fatigue analysis of BRB welds under low-cycle large deformation can achieve full-field measurement of deformation and stress at the weld, providing strong technical support for in-depth study on the fatigue performance of BRB welds.

Slip identification from HR-DIC/EBSD: Incorporating Crystal Plasticity constitutive laws

It is well known that dislocation slip plays a major role in plastic deformation of polycrystals. Depending on the crystal’s symmetry, only a limited number of Slip Systems (SSs) are possible, and their activities depend on the crystal orientation with respect to the applied stress. High Resolution Digital Image Correlation (HR-DIC) can be used to get the full-field measurements of displacement fields on the surface of the strained material during an in situ tensile test, whereas the EBSD technique provides local crystallographic orientations. Therefore, coupling them can lead to full description of the local slip activities. Recently, an algorithm (named SSLIP) was proposed in the literature to automatically estimate the plastic activity from HR-DIC and EBSD data. The aim of the present paper is first to improve this algorithm so that it works for incremental straining, and to propose a way to take account for the anisotropic behaviour through a well-known set of Crystal Plasticity (CP) constitutive laws. It is shown that slip identification, together with those CP laws, can be used to estimate the tensile stress at grain scale. The influence of the DIC resolution is investigated and “correction rules” for small grains are proposed. Finally, the experimental results are compared against those found using the CP Finite Element Method (CPFEM), showing good consistency, specially in terms of active SSs and local stress.

Simultaneous Measurement of Fiber-Matrix Interface Debonding and Tunneling Using a Dual-Vision Experimental Setup

BackgroundFiber-matrix debonding is a precursor for transverse cracking and several other types of damage in fiber composites. However, to date, there are limited experiment-based reports that study the fundamental mechanisms of fiber-matrix debonding.ObjectiveThis work aims to uncover the governing mechanisms of fiber-matrix interface debonding by full-field measurements supplemented by numerical simulations. In particular, the application of a dual-vision image-based characterization approach on single glass macro fiber samples is discussed and proven useful in understanding the in-plane and out-of-plane debonding characteristics at the fiber-matrix interface.MethodsFull-field strain and displacement measurements based on digital image correlation are performed on model single-fiber composites. The use of a dual-vision system allows strain measurements in the vicinity of the fiber-matrix interface, also allowing for the identification of critical strain and stress values corresponding to the initiation and propagation of debonding damage. The experimental data are used to calibrate an inverse identification approach that outputs the shape of the debonded interface along the fiber length.ResultsFull-field measurements allow for establishing correlations between local and global strain fields. Observation of debonding propagation along the fiber axis seems to be representative of the crack tunneling during the early stages of the failure process, i.e., when the crack tip is subjected to opening mode only.ConclusionsSide view measurements are useful as a first-order approximation of the debonding propagation velocity along the fiber axis but fail to provide accurate measurements for the debonding shape, esp. in areas where the crack is under a dominantly shear stress state. This issue can be resolved by full-field measurements coupled with computational simulations.

Phase nonlinearity–weighted optical flow for enhanced full-field displacement measurement and vibration imaging

In this study, we developed a technique to utilize phase nonlinearity as a quantifiable confidence measure of the reliability of component displacement vectors extracted from multi-scale and multi-direction phases. The proposed approach includes three novel concepts. First, relative confidence values are established based on phase nonlinearity to quantify the reliability of the displacement components across various environmental conditions. Second, by analyzing the distribution of the relative confidence values, adaptive confidence measures are extracted and are used to reject unreliable displacement components; these confidence measures can dynamically adapt to various environmental conditions, such as varying image noise and large amplitudes of motion. Third, phase nonlinearity–weighted motion integration is conducted to ensure accurate estimation of the full displacement vector from the component vectors. By integrating these three approaches, a remarkable enhancement was achieved in full-field displacement measurement in terms of accuracy, robustness, and signal-to-noise ratio, especially in environments with high noise levels. The capability of the proposed technique was evaluated through numerical experiments using artificial patterns that simulate identical motions under varying noise levels. Experimental validation was also performed on an air compressor to substantiate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed technique. The findings verify its improvements over conventional techniques for full-field displacement measurement.

Cryogenic Digital Image Correlation as a Probe of Strain in Iron-Based Superconductors

Abstract Uniaxial strain is a powerful tuning parameter that can control symmetry and anisotropic electronic properties in iron-based superconductors. However, accurately characterizing anisotropic strain can be challenging and complex. Here, we utilize a cryogenic optical system equipped with a high-spatial-resolution microscope to characterize surface strains in iron-based superconductors using the digital image correlation method. Compared with other methods such as high-resolution X-ray diffraction, strain gauge, and capacitive sensor, digital image correlation offers a non-contact, full-field measurement approach, acting as an optical virtual strain gauge that provides high spatial resolution. The results measured on detwinned BaFe2As2 are quantitatively consistent with the distortion measured by X-ray diffraction and neutron Larmor diffraction. These findings highlight the potential of cryogenic digital image correlation as an effective and accessible tool for probing the isotropic and anisotropic strains, facilitating the application of uniaxial strain tuning in the study of quantum materials.

Ultra high-speed 3D shape measurement technology for specular surfaces based on μPMD

Phase measuring deflectometry (PMD) has been extensively applied to measure specular surfaces due to its non-contact, high-precision, full-field measurement capabilities. Liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is the most common structured light source in PMD. However, the response time of liquid crystal molecules limits its frame rate to around 100 frames per second (fps). Therefore, it is quite difficult for traditional PMD to measure rapidly moving surfaces. This paper proposes a 3D dynamic sensing technique, microsecond-PMD (µPMD) based on the high-frame-rate sinusoidal fringe display (HSFD). In the proposed method, the switching time for each fringe pattern display is at a sub-microsecond level, enabling high-speed fringe acquisition with kHz-level area array detection or 100kHz-level line array scanning. The HSFD method uses a specially designed LED array and two-step optical expansion. The high-speed switching characteristic of LED sources is utilized to allow a superfast display rate. Moreover, the superior sinusoidal property can be achieved by the combination of the specially designed discrete sinusoidal LED array, the light-diffracting effect of orthogonal gratings, and the filtering effect of the light diffuser. The mechanism and analytic model of fringe generation are thoroughly analyzed and discussed in this work. Furthermore, the swarm optimization algorithm and corresponding weighted fringe quality evaluation function are presented to obtain the optimal fringes. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed µPMD, for the first time, achieved a superfast fringe acquisition rate of 4000fps with sub-micrometer precision in three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction for specular surfaces. We envision this proposal to be broadly implemented for real-time monitoring in manufacturing.

Dynamic deformation measurement with 2-frame phase-shifting speckle interferometry based on speckle statistics and wavefront multiplexing.

Phase-shifting speckle interferometry could achieve full-field deformation measurement of rough surfaces. To meet the dynamic requirement and further improve the accuracy, a two-step synchronous phase-shifting measurement system is established based on the polarization-sensitive phase modulation ability of a liquid crystal spatial light modulator; by multiplexing the reference wavefront, an accurate phase shift is generated between two independent recording channels, and a common-path self-reference vortex interference structure is built for precise spatial registration. Meanwhile, according to the speckle statistical principle, a novel two-frame phase-shifting algorithm as well as a two-step spatial registration strategy is presented to strengthen the robustness of intensity and position differences caused by spatial-multiplexing; thereby, accurate transient deformation can be directly obtained from phase-shifting speckle interferograms recorded before and after deformation. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposal are validated from the out-of-plane deformation measurement experiment by comparing with the traditional two-step and four-step phase-shifting methods. The dynamic ability is exhibited through reconstructing mechanical and thermal deformations across various application scenarios.

Strain localisation and grain boundary-mediated deformation in pure titanium at low and high temperatures: In-situ optical microscopy and digital image correlation

Heterogeneous deformation occurs between grains in polycrystalline α-titanium. Understanding the role of temperature in local deformation is essential for its applications in extreme environments such as cryo- or high-temperature, but the underlying mechanism still remains elusive. Here we report a study of grain-scale deformation behaviour in CP-Ti plate at the temperature range from −60 °C to 280 °C. The full-field strain measurements were conducted on the tensile samples loaded parallel (RD) and transverse (TD) to the rolling direction, using in-situ optical microscopy and digital image correlation (OM-DIC). The DIC local strain maps were coupled with scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The grain boundary sliding and slip transfer occurred depending on the geometric relationship (i.e., deformation compatibility) between adjacent grains at 20 °C, and a micro-crack was observed at the {101‾1} twist boundary. The strain was recovered in the grains in the RD sample favourable for slip, whilst more accumulated in the grains in TD sample unfavourable for slip at 280 °C. The plasticity of grains differs with decreasing temperature to −40 °C, resulting in the presence of soft/hard grain pairs. The strong strain localisation between the soft and hard grains led to the cracking along the GBs (RD) and cross the grains (TD). Interestingly, the cracking was significantly reduced with decreasing temperature to −60 °C due probably to the temperature dependence of the plasticity of grains. The strain-hardening behaviour of α-Ti polycrystals was significantly affected by the temperature and crystal orientation dependence of grain-scale deformation mechanism.

Assessing the influence of image capture frequency and asynchronicity on the accuracy of digital image correlation for fatigue analysis

Efficiency of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique for fatigue analysis can be significantly increased by capturing images at periodic intervals for correlation. However, the scarcity of images to capture the history of deformation can cause inaccuracies in full-field measurements. In this study, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to quantitatively assess this error by considering various scenarios. These include skipping of frames within every cycle and across cycles, as well as deviations between intended and captured frames. DIC measurements based on a high density of frames in every cycle is assumed to be true solution to evaluate error for all the cases. Analysis indicates that the skipping frames within every cycle introduces error in full-field strain, which increases with the propagation of crack. Interestingly, magnitude of error for periodic skipping of frames across cycles is observed to be more than skipping of frames within cycle. Furthermore, error shows an increasing trend as the gap between periodic frames becomes larger. Analysis also shows that random deviations disturbing periodicity of skipped frames for DIC can further increase the error in full-field strains. Overall, accuracy of the accelerated approach is seen to strongly depend on presence of discontinuous features and local gradients in response.