Simultaneous load and structural monitoring of a carbon fiber rudder stock: Experimental results from a quasi-static tensile test

Abstract

Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics are widely used in lightweight marine structures due to their high strength and superior fatigue behavior. In this article, we will present an innovative methodology for simultaneous load and structural monitoring of a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic rudder stock as part of a big commercial vessel. Experimental results are presented here from a quasi-static tensile test in which the load monitoring is performed using embedded strain sensors. Structural monitoring is based on high-frequency electromechanical impedance spectroscopy combined with dedicated signal processing and surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers. We have achieved the following results: (1) the demonstration of a hybrid monitoring system including load and structural monitoring, (2) successful embedding of strain gauges during composite manufacturing of the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic rudder stock, (3) development of instrumentation hardware for multichannel electromechanical impedance measurements, and (4) successful damage detection by means of electromechanical impedance spectroscopy in thick carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic rudder stock samples exploiting strain data.

Temperature affected guided wave propagation in a composite plate complementing the Open Guided Waves Platform

“…A Handyscope HS5 (TiePie Engineering) is used to generate arbitrary waveforms and to record the signals by analog-to-digital conversion (14 bit resolution). Next, a broadband amplifier PD200 (PiezoDrive Ltd.) amplifies the excitation waveforms and forwards the signals to a custom multiplexer described in 14 . The latter device allows measuring all actuator-receiver combinations by time-division multiplexing.…”

Guided Waves for Damage Detection in Complex Composite Structures: The Influence of Omega Stringer and Different Reference Damage Size

“…A Handyscope HS5 (TiePie Engineering) is employed to generate arbitrary waveforms and to record signals by analog-to-digital conversion (14 bit resolution). A broadband amplifier PD200 (PiezoDrive Ltd, Shortland, NSW 2307, Australia) enhances the excited waveforms and feeds the signals to a dedicated multiplexing device that is described in greater detail in [32]. This custom device is also used to measure all actuator-receiver pairs by time-division multiplexing.…”

Detection of Pin Failure in Carbon Fiber Composites Using the Electro-Mechanical Impedance Method

“…The EMI subsystem is shown in Figure 5, consisting of the multichannel EMI unit, a Handyscope HS5 (Tiepie Engineering) and an ultrasound amplifier PD200 (PiezoDrive Ltd.). A detailed description of the multichannel device can be found in [18], enabling high frequencies (up to 1 MHz) and high currents (up to 2 A) so that highly attenuated materials such as the proposed CFRP rudder stock can be inspected. In this work, the frequency range of interest was 25 kHz to 500 kHz.…”

“…The rudder stock in this work has a hybrid mechanical design including carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and metallic parts. In previous works, we have successfully applied the EMI method to thick CFRP components during tensile tests [18]. Instead of coupon testing, we present here experimental results of a rudder stock demonstrator in a dedicated test stand.…”