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Development of an integrated sacrificial sensor for damage detection and monitoring in composite materials and adhesively bonded joints

Development of an integrated sacrificial sensor for damage detection and monitoring in composite materials and adhesively bonded joints
Development of an integrated sacrificial sensor for damage detection and monitoring in composite materials and adhesively bonded joints

Quality assurance of adhesively bonded joints is of vital importance if their benefits are to be exploited across a wide range of industrial applications. A novel lightweight, low-cost, non-invasive embedded sacrificial sensor is proposed, capable of detecting damage within an adhesively bonded joint, which could also be used in a laminated composite structure. The sensor operation uses changes in electrical resistance, increasing as the sensing material area diminishes with damage progression. Initial tests prove the sensor concept by showing that the electrical resistance of the sensor increases proportionally with material removal, mimicking the sensor operation. Thermography is used to verify the current flow through the sensor and that any localised heating caused by the sensor is minimal. Short beam interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests show that embedding sensors in a composite laminates did not cause a reduction in material interfacial structural performance. Finally, the in situ performance of the sensor is demonstrated in quasi-static tensile tests to failure of adhesively bonded single lap joints (SLJs) with sensors embedded in the bond line. Prior to crack initiation, an electrical response occurs that correlates with increasing applied load, suggesting scope for secondary uses of the sensor for load monitoring and cycle counting. Crack initiation is accompanied by a rapid increase in electrical resistance, providing an indication of failure ahead of crack propagation and an opportunity for timely repair. As the crack damage propagated, the electrical response of the sensor increased proportionally. The effect of the sensor on the overall structural performance was assessed by comparing the failure load of joints with and without the embedded sensor with no measurable difference in ultimate strength. The research presented in the article serves as an important first step in developing a simple yet promising new technology for structural health monitoring with numerous potential applications.

Non-destructive evaluation, adhesively bonded joints, integrated sensor, structural health monitoring
1475-9217
3406-3423
Olafsson, Geir
cb8fc3ba-3d1a-4a91-bbe4-99ba87e8eae9
Tighe, R.C.
ef6701a6-b938-4adc-ab18-6845abaa2e2d
Boyd, Stephen
bcbdefe0-5acf-4d6a-8a16-f4abf7c78b10
Dulieu-Barton, J.M.
865d08ff-9ec0-407c-bb31-0e34356b4809
Olafsson, Geir
cb8fc3ba-3d1a-4a91-bbe4-99ba87e8eae9
Tighe, R.C.
ef6701a6-b938-4adc-ab18-6845abaa2e2d
Boyd, Stephen
bcbdefe0-5acf-4d6a-8a16-f4abf7c78b10
Dulieu-Barton, J.M.
865d08ff-9ec0-407c-bb31-0e34356b4809

Olafsson, Geir, Tighe, R.C., Boyd, Stephen and Dulieu-Barton, J.M. (2021) Development of an integrated sacrificial sensor for damage detection and monitoring in composite materials and adhesively bonded joints. Structural Health Monitoring, 20 (6), 3406-3423. (doi:10.1177/1475921721989041).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Quality assurance of adhesively bonded joints is of vital importance if their benefits are to be exploited across a wide range of industrial applications. A novel lightweight, low-cost, non-invasive embedded sacrificial sensor is proposed, capable of detecting damage within an adhesively bonded joint, which could also be used in a laminated composite structure. The sensor operation uses changes in electrical resistance, increasing as the sensing material area diminishes with damage progression. Initial tests prove the sensor concept by showing that the electrical resistance of the sensor increases proportionally with material removal, mimicking the sensor operation. Thermography is used to verify the current flow through the sensor and that any localised heating caused by the sensor is minimal. Short beam interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests show that embedding sensors in a composite laminates did not cause a reduction in material interfacial structural performance. Finally, the in situ performance of the sensor is demonstrated in quasi-static tensile tests to failure of adhesively bonded single lap joints (SLJs) with sensors embedded in the bond line. Prior to crack initiation, an electrical response occurs that correlates with increasing applied load, suggesting scope for secondary uses of the sensor for load monitoring and cycle counting. Crack initiation is accompanied by a rapid increase in electrical resistance, providing an indication of failure ahead of crack propagation and an opportunity for timely repair. As the crack damage propagated, the electrical response of the sensor increased proportionally. The effect of the sensor on the overall structural performance was assessed by comparing the failure load of joints with and without the embedded sensor with no measurable difference in ultimate strength. The research presented in the article serves as an important first step in developing a simple yet promising new technology for structural health monitoring with numerous potential applications.

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Development of an Integrated Sacrificial Sensor for Damage Detection and Monitoring in Composite Materials and Adhesively Bonded Joints - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 14 December 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 February 2021
Published date: November 2021
Additional Information: Funding Information: The authors thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and BAE Systems Naval Ships for funding the work under an industrial CASE studentship. The work described in the article was conducted in the Testing and Structures Research Laboratory (TSRL) at the University of Southampton, and the authors are grateful for the support received from Dr Andy Robinson, the TSRL Experimental Officer. For the material used for the embedded sensor, the authors thank Mr Michael Caton of TFP. The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021.
Keywords: Non-destructive evaluation, adhesively bonded joints, integrated sensor, structural health monitoring

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 446514
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/446514
ISSN: 1475-9217
PURE UUID: 9ae90f43-4c06-4574-91d9-a4d8bbdf1b93

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Date deposited: 12 Feb 2021 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 10:46

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Contributors

Author: Geir Olafsson
Author: R.C. Tighe
Author: Stephen Boyd
Author: J.M. Dulieu-Barton

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