Passive impact damage detection of fiber glass composite panels

Several novel passive methods for detecting high speed impact damage in composite panels will be presented. These methods analyze the signal from the impact induced structural wave arriving at a network of piezoelectric sensors to estimate the position of the impact and to determine the extent of damage caused by the impact. We will first present the manufacturing technique used to embed an array of brittle piezoelectric ceramic sensors into custom built epoxy-fiberglass [0°/90°] composite panels. We will then compare both classical triangulation techniques and a newly developed technique using arrays of sensors to determine the position of high speed impacts within these panels. The last part of the thesis will focus on a novel technique for estimating the extent of damage within the composite under impacts at various speeds.