Multiscale Models of Multifunctional Composites for On-Board Damage Detection and Failure Prevention

摘要

Analytic and numerical models were developed to predict the dependence of electrical resistance on internal fiber damage in carbon-fiber- reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, so as to make electrical resistance measurement a tool for damage detection and prognosis in CFRP components. The models show that electrical resistance is more sensitive to damage than elastic modulus, that resistance change can be used to detect inadvertent overloads, that the remaining fatigue life after overload cycles can be accurately determined, and that the statistical distribution of electrical resistance changes is narrow enough to permit accurate assessment of the damage state of the material. Macroscopic models of components with damage in the form of holes or delaminations were also developed and their predictions correlated with experimental measurements.