A Novel Self-diagnosis Approach to Nondestructive Inspection of Composite Structures

The goal of this Phase II research is to synergistically combine the novel Electrical Resistance Change Method (ERCM), the guided wave inspection method, and the robust processing algorithms for nondestructive evaluation and inspection of composite structures. The ERCM has key advantages such as low cost, no strength reduction, the capability to detect and locate delaminations and cracks, no need of expensive sensors and measurement equipment, no need of loading, and is applicable to new and existing structures. The guided wave method can access hard to reach areas, inspect long distances, and optimal select frequencies and modes to detect defects. The robust algorithms can effectively localize defect locations and estimate defect size, classify defect types, and provide user-friendly decisions so that inexperienced maintenance personnel can use the system. Since the three components are complementary, the proposed system combines the best of three technologies into a unified portable package with a size comparable to a laptop. In Phase II, we will first some build realistic composite test beds in our laboratory. We will then build a prototype system by implementing the algorithms in real-time and packaging the sensors for more efficient use and installation. Finally, we will perform extensive experiments and demonstrations to check the performance of our overall proposed prototype.