Damage detection in composite laminates using Lamb wave: fundamental studies and damage imaging

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use of Lamb wave to characterize damage in composite laminates. The three-dimensional (3D) scattering characteristics of the fundamental anti-symmetric mode (A0) Lamb wave at different types of defects in composite laminates are studied in the context of damage detection. One critical factor affecting the performance of Lamb wave based damage detection techniques is the scattering characteristics of Lambwave at the defects. However, analytical solutions for this problem do not exist due to the anisotropic nature and multilayer characteristics of composite laminates. The paper first employs an experimentally verified 3D finite element (FE) model to analyze the A0 Lamb wave scattering characteristics at different types and sizes of defects. Good agreement is found between the simulations and experimental measurements. Extended parameter studies provide improved physical insight into the Lamb wave phenomena. The findings of the fundamental studies are then used to develop a damage imaging method that attempts to quantitatively evaluate damage information. Numerical studies are presented to demonstrate the capability of the proposed damage imaging approach in composite laminates. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group, London.