Detection of delaminations in AS4/PEEK composite plates using highly nonlinear solitary waves

We experimentally investigate a non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique to detect defects in an AS4/PEEK fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite using highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs). HNSWs are generated using an experimental setup of a granular crystal sensor composed of a one-dimensional chain of steel beads. The granular chain is vertically aligned and placed in contact with the surface of the laminated composites containing a defect through the depth of their thickness. The influence of the defect and the defect location in AS4/PEEK is examined by analysing the characteristics (i.e., delay and amplitude) of the reflected HNSWs. Experimental results demonstrate the capability of the proposed HNSW-based NDE scheme in identifying defects in AS4/PEEK laminated composites, offering a low-cost and robust alternative to existing NDE methods.

Automated summary

In this study, a non-destructive evaluation technique using highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) was experimentally investigated for detecting defects in AS4/PEEK fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. The characteristics of reflected HNSWs were analyzed to examine the influence of defects and their locations in the material. The experimental results demonstrate the capability of the proposed HNSW-based NDE scheme to identify defects in AS4/PEEK laminated composites.