Session: Research Posters

Paper Number: 114213

114213 - Active Composites for Realizing Structural Self-Awareness 

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a crucial field that focuses on the development of real-time interrogation strategies to assess the integrity of structures and evaluate the hazards of structural damage. The need for structural health monitoring has become increasingly important with the growing demand for safer and more efficient infrastructures. The development of smart structures with self-sensing capabilities can reduce maintenance costs and prevent catastrophic failures. Various types of sensors can be implemented on the host structures for realizing such a purpose. However, the installation of sensors is an essential requirement for achieving the goal of SHM for conventional structures. The use of surface-mounted sensors is a popular approach for monitoring structural health, but these sensors require careful protection and are susceptible to external scratches. On the other hand, implanted sensors may have adverse effects on material strength and fatigue performance by serving as a source of stress concentration. Therefore, a novel structure-sensor integration system is highly desired, which would enable the development of self-sensing smart structures that can detect and report any structural anomalies in real-time, without compromising their mechanical integrity. This would open a new paradigm of self-sensing smart structures, with significant potential for reducing maintenance costs and improving overall safety.

In this study, a novel family of intelligent piezoelectric composite structures for the purpose of establishing structural self-awareness by integrating the function of load bearing with the capability of transmitting and receiving high frequency mechanical waves are proposed. To develop a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying the intelligent structure, coupled-field finite element models are constructed to conduct modal analysis and understand wave propagation characteristics in piezoelectric composite plates. The stiffness matrix and piezoelectric parameters are adjusted to simulate self-sensing composites that have been manufactured using piezoelectric powder enriched resin with glass-fiber woven sheets. Guided wave generation and reception are modeled to showcase the self-sensing capability of the proposed composite structure. Sample piezoelectric composite plates are meticulously crafted through a continuous process of material ratio optimization and process step refinement to ensure the highest degree of sensitivity and reliability during experimental demonstration. The capability of the piezoelectric composites for generating and receiving ultrasonic guided wave signals is verified using a pitch-catch active sensing setup, and the propagation modes of ultrasonic guided waves in the piezoelectric composite material are analyzed using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) to visualize the waves generated in the structure. Finally, electromechanical impedance method is employed and implemented to form an interrogation scheme for the occurrence of damage and evaluation. It is demonstrated through numerical simulations and experimental demonstrations that the proposed piezoelectric composite system possesses significant potential for realizing self-awareness in future intelligent structures.

Presenting Author: Shulong Zhou University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute

Presenting Author Biography: Shulong Zhou is a Ph.D student in University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute.

Authors:

Shulong Zhou University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute
Yanfeng Shen University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute