Lamb wave-based quantitative identification of delamination in CF/EP composite structures using artificial neural algorithm

Delamination in composite structures plays a major role in lowering structural strength and stiffness, consequently downgrading system integrity and reliability. A Lamb wave-based quantitative identification technique for delamination in CF/EP composite structures was established. Propagation of Lamb waves in a series of composite laminates, individually bearing a delamination, was evaluated using dynamic FEM analyses. Taking advantage of wavelet transform and artificial neural algorithms, an Intelligent Signal Processing and Pattern Recognition (ISPPR) package was developed, by which the spectrographic characteristics of simulated Lamb wave signals in the time-frequency domain were extracted and digitised as Digital Damage Fingerprints (DDF), to construct a Damage Parameters Database (DPD). The DPD was then used offline to train a multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) under supervision of an error-backpropagation (BP) algorithm. Assisted by an active online structural health monitoring (AO-SHM) system with an active piezoelectric actuator/sensor network, the proposed methodology was validated online by identifying actual delaminations in CF/EP (T650/F584) quasi-isotropic composite laminates.     

基于Lamb波的薄壁槽状结构损伤检测研究

研究复杂工程结构的结构健康监测技术具有现实意义。使用基于Lamb波的仿真和实验方法,对“U”形截面的铝合金构件中的损伤检测问题进行了研究。建立了构件的三维有限元模型并实现了Lamb波传播过程的动态仿真;实验中使用锆钛酸铅压电晶片（PZT wafer）来激发和接收在构件中传播的Lamb波。借助于连续小波变换（CWT）和希尔伯特变换（HT）等方法对仿真和实验中采集到的Lamb波信号进行处理,从中提取了与损伤有关的时域特征,建立了损伤位置和损伤反射波包飞行时间（ToF）之间的定量关系。     

Monitoring of delamination onset and growth during Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture tests using guided waves

A delamination monitoring method was proposed to characterize Mode I and Mode II delamination onset in carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) composite laminates through interrogation of guided waves activated and captured using piezoelectric actuators and sensors in a pitch–catch configuration. Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture tests were conducted using double cantilever beam (DCB) and end notch flexure (ENF) specimens to evaluate the proposed method. The changes in wave propagation velocity and wave magnitude (or attenuation), and the degree of waveform similarity between excitation and response signals, were calculated as delamination-sensitive wave parameters and plotted versus displacement recorded using a materials testing system. The kink points determined from wave parameter–displacement curves agreed well with the deviation from linearity (NL), visual observation (VIS) and maximum load (Max) points, which are often used in conventional methods for determining interlaminar fracture toughness. The propagation characteristics of the A₀ wave mode in a low frequency range were demonstrated to have high sensitivity to Mode I and in particular Mode II delamination onset in CF/EP composite laminates. It was concluded that the guided waves propagating in the DCB and ENF specimens were capable of determining Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness, complementing current practices based on visual inspection or trivial interrogation using load–displacement curve alone.     

Delamination detection in composites through guided wave field image processing

This study explores the feasibility of using a non-contact guided wave imaging system to detect hidden delamination in multi-layer composites. The study is conducted in two phases. In the first phase, Lamb waves are excited by a lead (Pb) Zirconate Titanate transducer (PZT) mounted on the surface of a composite plate, and the out-of-plane velocity field is measured using a one-dimensional (1D) scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). From the scanned time signals, wavefield images are constructed and processed to study the interaction of Lamb waves with delamination. The paper presents additional signal and image processing techniques used to highlight the defect in the scanned area. The techniques are demonstrated using experimental data collected from a 1.8 mm thick multi-layer composite. In the second phase, a completely non-contact system is described to excite and measure guided waves. A modulated continuous wave (CW) laser source in conjunction with a photodiode is used to wirelessly excite an attached PZT and the resulting waves are again sensed using the vibrometer. The non-contact system is used to excite and measure elastic waves in a composite channel test article. The elastic wave propagation image sequences are created from the non-contact excitation system.     

基于弹性导波的厚钢梁结构的损伤检测

弹性导波由于其对损伤的敏感性和长距离传播特性,成为近年来结构健康监测领域的一个研究热点.探讨了利用 PZT 换能器在较厚结构中进行基于弹性导波方法的损伤识别的可能性.首先参考 Lamb 波的频散曲线,设置了导波的激励信号参数如激励频率、激励波形周期数等;基于优化的激励波形和 PZT 换能器布局,在结构健康监测实验平台上对试件进行了检测.通过对实验结果的处理分析,计算出导波的群速度,并根据群速度和飞行时间(ToF)得到了损伤的位置信息.结果表明利用导波方法能够针对较厚结构进行损伤定位并能识别出不同大小的损伤.     

Ultrasonic Lamb wave‐based debonding monitoring of advanced honeycomb sandwich composite structures

Honeycomb sandwich composites are extensively used in military shelters, aerospace structures, ground transportation structures, auto‐racing bodies, ship panels, and other special purpose structures requiring lightweight construction materials. But debondings at the face‐sheet‐to‐core junctions frequently occur due to the variable operating and loading conditions, which may menace the safety and overall integrity of the structural assembly. This paper aims to effectively identify such hidden debonding regions in these advanced structures, using Lamb wave‐based monitoring technique. A semianalytical analysis of Lamb wave dispersion in a healthy sandwich structure is carried out to identify various Lamb modes and to study their propagation phenomenon. A combined finite element‐based simulation and experimental analysis of Lamb wave propagation in sandwich panels (healthy and with debonding) are then carried out using piezoelectric transducer networks. It is observed that the presence of debonding significantly reduces the propagating Lamb wave mode amplitudes. A debonding detection algorithm, which uses the differential changes in Lamb mode amplitudes, is applied to efficiently identify single and multiple debonding regions in the structure.     

Group velocity and characteristic wave curves of Lamb waves in composites: Modeling and experiments

The propagation characteristics of Lamb waves in composites, with emphasis on group velocity and characteristic wave curves, are investigated theoretically and experimentally. In particular, the experimental study focuses on the existence of multiple higher-order Lamb wave modes that can be observed from piezoelectric sensors by the excitation of ultrasonic frequencies. Using three-dimensional (3-D) elasticity theory, the exact dispersion relations governed by transcendental equations are numerically solved for an infinite number of possible wave modes. For symmetric laminates, a robust method by imposing boundary conditions on the mid-plane and top surface is proposed to separate symmetric and anti-symmetric wave modes. A new semi-exact method is developed to calculate group velocities of Lamb waves in composites. Meanwhile, three characteristic wave curves: velocity, slowness, and wave curves are adopted to analyze the angular dependency of Lamb wave propagation. The dispersive and anisotropic behavior of Lamb waves in a two different types of symmetric laminates is studied in detail theoretically. In the experimental study, two surface-mounted piezoelectric actuators are excited either symmetric or anti-symmetric wave modes with narrowband signals, and a Gabor wavelet transform is used to extract group velocities from arrival times of Lamb wave received by a piezoelectric sensor. In comparison with the results from the theory and experiment, it is confirmed that multiple higher-order Lamb waves can be excited from piezoelectric actuators and the measured group velocities agree well with those from 3-D elasticity theory.     

The propagation of Lamb waves in a laminated composite plate with a variable stepped thickness

In this study Lamb waves propagating in a laminated composite plate with stepped thickness variance are characterized through experiments. Understanding the characteristics of Lamb waves is very important for developing a structural health monitoring system, as the number, size, and location of transducers should be determined at the structural design stage. Thin piezoelectric (PZT) transducers bonded to the surface were used for the generation and reception of Lamb waves. The influences of stepped thickness variance were investigated with measurement of group velocities and frequency analyses of the received signals. In addition, a mode analysis was conducted by a mutual transmitting–receiving method making use of the difference between the signals received from a pair of PZTs consisting of transmitter and receiver.     

Structural Health Monitoring Using Lamb Wave Reflections and Total Focusing Method for Image Reconstruction

This investigation aimed to adapt the total focusing method (TFM) algorithm (originated from the synthetic aperture focusing technique in digital signal processing) to accommodate a circular array of piezoelectric sensors (PZT) and characterise defects using guided wave signals for the development of a structural health monitoring system. This research presents the initial results of a broader study focusing on the development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) guided wave system for advance carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials. The current material investigated was an isotropic (aluminium) square plate with 16 transducers operating successively as emitter or sensor in pitch and catch configuration enabling the collection of 240 signals per assessment. The Lamb wave signals collected were tuned on the symmetric fundamental mode with a wavelength of 17 mm, by setting the excitation frequency to 300 kHz. The initial condition for the imaging system, such as wave speed and transducer position, were determined with post processing of the baseline signals through a method involving the identification of the waves reflected from the free edge of the plate. The imaging algorithm was adapted to accommodate multiple transmitting transducers in random positions. A circular defect of 10 mm in diameter was drilled in the plate, which is similar to the delamination size introduced by a low velocity impact event in a composite plate. Images were obtained by applying the TFM to the baseline signals, Test 1 data (corresponding to the signals obtained after introduction of the defect) and to the data derived from the subtraction of the baseline to the Test 1 signals. The result shows that despite the damage diameter being 40 % smaller than the wavelength, the image (of the subtracted baseline data) demonstrated that the system can locate where the waves were reflected from the defect boundary. In other words, the contour of the damaged area was highlighted enabling its size and position to be determined.     

Impact localisation with FBG for a self-healing carbon fibre composite structure

We demonstrated the localisation of impacts in orthotropic carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials to within a few centimetres, using a sparse array of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. This type of sensor is easily embedded in composites permitting the development of structures with integrated sensing capability. Impact location was determined by measuring the differences in time-of-flight of ultrasonic Lamb waves at three surface-mounted sensors. An algorithm was developed taking into account the angle dependence of the optical fibre sensor sensitivity and the variation of Lamb waves propagation velocity with direction and wave mode. The performance of FBG sensors for impact localisation was compared to that of standard piezoelectric transducers (PZTs), which are already widely used for that purpose. The FBG-based system showed promising potential for a non-intrusive impact detection system applied to self-healing composite structures.     

Impact localisation with FBG for a self-healing carbon fibre composite structure

We demonstrated the localisation of impacts in orthotropic carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials to within a few centimetres, using a sparse array of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. This type of sensor is easily embedded in composites permitting the development of structures with integrated sensing capability. Impact location was determined by measuring the differences in time-of-flight of ultrasonic Lamb waves at three surface-mounted sensors. An algorithm was developed taking into account the angle dependence of the optical fibre sensor sensitivity and the variation of Lamb waves propagation velocity with direction and wave mode. The performance of FBG sensors for impact localisation was compared to that of standard piezoelectric transducers (PZTs), which are already widely used for that purpose. The FBG-based system showed promising potential for a non-intrusive impact detection system applied to self-healing composite structures.     

A damage identification technique for CF/EP composite laminates using distributed piezoelectric transducers

In this study, a damage identification approach was developed for carbon fibre/epoxy composite laminates with localized internal delamination. Propagation of the Lamb wave in laminates and its interaction with the delamination were examined. The fundamental symmetric Lamb wave mode, S₀, and the lowest order shear wave mode, S₀^′, were chosen to predict damage location. A real-time active diagnosis system was therefore established. This technique uses distributed piezoelectric transducers to generate and monitor the ultrasonic Lamb wave with narrowband frequency. The two-way switches were employed to minimize the number of transducers. A signal-processing scheme based on the time–frequency spectrographic analysis was utilised to extract useful diagnostic information. Also, an optimal identification method was applied on damage searching procedure to reduce errors and obtain the diagnostic results promptly. Experiments were conducted on [0/−45/45/90]_s CF/EP laminates to verify this diagnosis system. The results obtained show that satisfactory detection accuracy could be achieved.     

光纤非本征法布里-玻罗传感器兰姆波检测灵敏度分析

基于兰姆波的结构工况检测技术在评估复合材料和金属结构的安全性和耐久性方面发挥着重要的作用。作为对传统的压电换能器（PZT）的一种很好的替代,光纤传感器在传感方面的应用正被广泛地挖掘出来,包括兰姆波检测。本文从理论上建立了超声兰姆波作用下光纤非本征法布里．玻罗（EFPI）传感器参数与其输出性能之间的关系。数值结果显示了传感器的性能与其相对于声源的方向角以及传感器的计量长度与超声波长的比值相关。所得出的结论对于EFPI传感器精确地探测兰姆波提供了理论依据。     

Producing bowtie limited diffraction beams with synthetic arrayexperiment

Limited diffraction beams have a large depth of field and could have applications in medical ultrasound and other wave related areas such as electromagnetics and optics. However, these beams have higher sidelobes than conventional focused beams at their focuses. Recently, a new type of beam, called bowtie limited diffraction beams, was developed. These beams can achieve both low sidelobes and a large depth of field in medical imaging. In this paper, the production of bowtie beams in water with a synthetic array experiment is reported. A broad-band PZT ceramic/polymer composite transducer of about 1 mm diameter and 2.5 MHz central frequency was scanned in a raster format and placed at the centers of elements of an equivalent two-dimensional array of 50 mm diameter aperture. A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) needle hydrophone of 0.5 mm diameter was used to receive the waves produced by the transducer. Proper weighting functions were applied to the received signals to produce various beams. Results show that the bowtie beams produced with the synthetic array experiment are in good agreement with those derived from theory and obtained by computer simulations. The depth of field of these beams is about 216 mm and sidelobes of a tenth derivative bowtie X wave in pulse-echo imaging are about 30 dB lower than those of rotary symmetric limited diffraction beams such as the zeroth-order X wave discovered previously     

Some aspects of numerical simulation for Lamb wave propagation in composite laminates

Some aspects of numerical simulation of Lamb wave propagation in composite laminates using the finite element models with explicit dynamic analysis are addressed in this study. To correctly and efficiently describe the guided-wave excited/received by piezoelectric actuators/sensors, effective models of surface-bounded flat PZT disks based on effective force, moment and displacement are developed. Different finite element models for Lamb wave excitation, collection and propagation in isotropic plate and quasi-isotropic laminated composite are evaluated using continuum elements (3-D solid element) and structural elements (3-D shell element), to elaborate the validity and versatility of the proposed actuator/sensor models.     

Numerical and experimental studies on propagation of A0 mode in a composite plate containing semi-infinite delamination: Observation of turning modes

Propagation of the anti-symmetric fundamental Lamb mode (A₀) in a composite laminate containing a semi-infinite delamination was studied through numerical simulations and experimental studies. Here, the wave was generated on a sub-laminate above the delaminated region, and the reflection and transmission of the Lamb modes at the edge of the discontinuity were quantitatively studied. The wave group (named as ‘turning mode’), which was made to propagate from one side of the delamination to the other side (through delaminations) was captured and its transmission factor was estimated. Reflection and transmission factors of wave groups were estimated for three different laminates – quasi-isotropic, unidirectional and cross-ply, containing delamination at various interfaces across thickness. Propagation of ‘turning modes’ were also captured experimentally, employing air-coupled transducers, in quasi-isotropic laminates containing delaminations at different interfaces. Attenuation compensation was incorporated in the experimental signals to improve the comparison of transmission and reflection factors between numerical simulations and experiments.     

氧化石墨烯改性不同表面性质的碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料的微观形貌与动态热力学性能

通过模压成型，采用氧化石墨烯(GO)对四种碳纤维(CCF300、T700、CCF800、CCM40J)织物/环氧树脂(CF/EP)复合材料进行改性，通过复合材料的微观形貌、动态热力学性能等研究了GO对四种不同表面性质的CF/EP复合材料的改性效果。研究表明，添加GO后，GO/EP对四种CF的浸润性均比EP明显提高，纤维与GO/EP间的界面黏接比与EP基体间的黏接明显改善；CF/EP复合材料的破坏主要发生在CF与EP的界面，而GO的存在使GO-CF/EP复合材料的破坏由CF与EP基体的界面向GO/EP区域过渡。CF表面的氧碳比和沟槽均显著影响复合材料的玻璃化转变温度(T_g)，具有最高表面氧碳比的GO-CCF300/EP复合材料表现出最高的T_g，但沟槽更丰富的CCM40J和CCF300碳纤维对CF/EP复合材料的T_g表现出更好的GO改性效果。      

Development of smart composite structures with small-diameter fiber Bragg grating sensors for damage detection: Quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing

The authors and Hitachi Cable, Ltd. have recently developed small-diameter optical fiber and its fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for embedment inside a lamina of composite laminates without strength reduction. The outside diameters of the cladding and polyimide coating are 40 and 52 μm, respectively. First, a brief summary is presented for applications of small-diameter FBG sensors to damage monitoring in composite structures. Then, we propose a new damage detection system for quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing. In this system, a piezo-ceramic actuator generates Lamb waves in a CFRP laminate. After the waves propagate in the laminate, transmitted waves are received by an FBG sensor attached on or embedded in the laminate using a newly developed high-speed optical wavelength interrogation system. This system was applied to detect interlaminar delamination in CFRP cross-ply laminates. When the Lamb waves passed through the delamination, the amplitude decreased and a new wave mode appeared. These phenomena could be well simulated using a finite element analysis. From the changes in the amplitude ratio and the arrival time of the new mode depending on the delamination length, it was found that this system could evaluate the delamination length quantitatively. Furthermore, small-diameter FBG sensors were embedded in a double-lap type coupon specimen, and the debonding progress could be evaluated using the wavelet transform.     

A quantitative identification approach for delamination in laminated composite beams using digital damage fingerprints (DDFs)

Digital damage fingerprints (DDFs) are a set of optimised and digitised characteristics of structural signatures, which are able to exactly and uniquely define a certain kind of structural healthy status. The DDF-based damage recognition technique includes the extraction of DDFs, assembly of damage parameters database (DPD) and subsequently inverse recognition in virtue of artificial intelligence. In this study, DDFs extracted from Lamb wave signals were employed to quantitatively assess delamination in carbon fibre-reinforced laminated beams. Characteristics of Lamb wave signals in the laminated beams were first evaluated, and DPD hosting DDFs for selected damage scenarios was constructed through numerical simulations, which was used to predict delamination in the composite beams with the aid of an artificial neural algorithm. The diagnostic results have demonstrated the excellent performance of DDF technique for quantitative damage identification.     

基于传递阻抗能量的无基准Lamb波裂纹检测

该文提出了一种获取压电陶瓷(PZT)传感器间Lamb波传递阻抗的方法,以实现对板结构裂纹的无基准快速检测。该方法从两组并排的PZT元件间提取包含Lamb波转换模式的损伤特征信号,对特征信号进行分类并求出其传递阻抗,通过比较传递阻抗的能量差异来判断裂纹是否存在。首先通过有限元仿真研究了裂纹导致的Lamb波模式转换现象以及PZT极化特性对各模式之间相对相位的影响,分析了所提出的方法的可行性;进一步通过在铝板上的实验验证了该方法的有效性。研究表明该文所提出的方法无需选择最优的激励频率和采样时间即可实现对裂纹的快速检测,具有较强的鲁棒性和适用性。