Structural health monitoring of hybrid composite structure with piezoelectric patches

Abstract

Structural health monitoring is performed on a hybrid structure specially designed for simple assembly and disassembly or replacement of components. The net‐like structure is composed of composite beams connected with aluminum pads and it is fixed to a frame in selected locations. Modal analysis is performed both experimentally and numerically. The experiment is carried out using impact hammer, accelerometer and spectrum analyzer and the frequency and damping characteristics are thus obtained. The numerical model using finite element method is validated by comparison of the calculated and measured eigenfrequencies and eigenshapes. Furthermore, piezoelectric patches are applied on selected beam. The modal analysis is carried out again using the piezoelectric patches and with some of the composite beams replaced by damaged beam. The variation in modal characteristics between original and damaged configurations is analyzed both experimentally and numerically. (© 2011 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)