Impact Damage Localisation with Piezoelectric Sensors under Operational and Environmental Conditions

Sensors (Basel). 2017 May 22;17(5):1178. doi: 10.3390/s17051178.

Abstract

Guided-wave structural health monitoring (SHM) systems with piezoelectric sensors are investigated for localisation of barely visible impact damage in CFRP plates under vibration and different thermal conditions. A single baseline set is used in a delay-and-sum algorithm with temperature correction for damage localisation in a large temperature range. Damage localisation is also demonstrated under transient thermal conditions, with signals recorded while the temperature is rapidly decreased. Damage severity due to successive impact events is studied under constant temperature. Damage is also localised when the plate is subjected to random vibration.

Keywords: CFRP; Lamb wave; delay and sum; piezoelectric; structural health monitoring; temperature compensation; vibration.