Simulation of Impact Damage in a Composite Plate and Its Detection

V. Pavelko[1], I. Pavelko[1], M. Smolyaninovs[1], H. Pffeifer[2], M. Wevers[2]
[1]Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
[2]Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Published in 2012

A problem of damage prediction in aircraft structure and its non-destructive evaluation is very important for aircraft structural health assessment. The analysis of the features of direct impact of thin-walled laminate component of aircraft was performed by COMSOL Multiphysics software. Mainly the GFRC and CFRC laminates were selected in form either thin separate plate or sandwich structure. The low-velocity impact was simulated. This delamination is internal and its non-destructive detection is important for system of aircraft structural health monitoring (SHM). The simulation of A-scan and C-scan (Figure 1) procedures using ultrasound Lamb wave technology was performed. The problems of the use of GW in SHM of aircraft for damage detection in composite components are discussed.