Research Project
Magnetostrictive structural health monitoring
Research Theme | Bulk Magnetic Materials
Composites, although possessing good properties are subject to complicated modes of failure; often these damages are barely visible as they may be located between composite layers. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of aircraft composite is required to determine the barely visible impact damage (BVID) that occurs during flight; if caught early before the damage becomes irreparable, it can be repaired in-situ, so saving money and time. BVID causes a strain within the composite, which can be measured, using surface mounting techniques such as fibre optics and piezoelectric sensors
This work focuses on the development of a magnetostrictive sensor capable of detecting barely-visible-damage (BVD), essential to the usage of composites in high-performance environments such as in the aerospace industry. The sensor design consists of a magnetostrictive actuator couple with a magnetic sensor. Several strategies are being investigated at the moment in order to determine the most cost-effective method for BVD detection using magnetostrictive materials.