Method for damage detection of CFRP plates using Lamb waves and digital signal processing techniques

The identification and severity of structural damages in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), especially in the early stage, is critical in structural health monitoring (SHM) of composite materials. Among several approaches used to accomplish this goal, ultrasound inspection using Lamb waves has taken place within non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. Likewise, the use of digital signal processing techniques for structural damage diagnosis has become popular due to the fact that it provides relevant information through feature extraction. In this context, this paper presents an alternative strategy based on the use of RMSD and CCDM representative indices to extract the most sensitive information related to damage in CFRP plates through ultrasonic NDT signals in specific frequency ranges. In the experimental analysis, CFRP coupons were subjected to two types of damages: cracking and delamination. The signals, generated by piezoelectric transducers attached to the host structure using the pitch-catch method of Lamb waves, were subject to signal processing parameters based on the proposed approach. The results reveal that the proposed method was able to characterize the different types of damage in CFRP, as well as their severity in specific frequency bands. The results indicate the feasibility of the proposed method to detect and characterize damage in composite materials in a simple way, which is attractive for industrial applications.