Assessment of delay-and-sum algorithms for damage detection in aluminium and composite plates

• Published in: Smart materials and structures Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 75007 - 20
• Main Authors: Sharif-Khodaei, Z, Aliabadi, M H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.07.2014; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Algorithms; composite stiffened panel; Composite structures; Damage detection; delay-and-sum algorithm; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); General equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Lamb wave; Lamb waves; Mathematical models; Measurement and testing methods; Panels; Physics; Plates (structural members); Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; structural health monitoring; Transducers; Acoustic wave propagation; Piezoelectric sensor; Measurement sensor; Durability; Aluminium; Numerical method; Algorithm; Composite material; Lamb wave; Stiffness; Aircraft; Ultrasound; Monitoring; Damaging
• ISSN: 0964-1726; 1361-665X
• DOI: 10.1088/0964-1726/23/7/075007

Piezoelectric sensors are increasingly being used in active structural health monitoring, due to their durability, light weight and low power consumption. In the present work damage detection and characterization methodologies based on Lamb waves have been evaluated for aircraft panels. The applicability of various proposed delay-and-sum algorithms on isotropic and composite stiffened panels have been investigated, both numerically and experimentally. A numerical model for ultrasonic wave propagation in composite laminates is proposed and compared to signals recorded from experiments. A modified delay-and-sum algorithm is then proposed for detecting impact damage in composite plates with and without a stiffener which is shown to capture and localize damage with only four transducers.