Two Tiered Analysis of a CFRP Laminate Imbedded With Magnetostrictive Particles

The overall purpose of this research is to characterize the affects of imbedding magnetostrictive particles (MSP) in a CFRP laminate for the purpose of nondestructive evaluation. This paper details an investigation using an analytical and experimental approach. At the time of this publication, both the analytical and experimental investigations are in a preliminary stage and the results have not yet converged. The analytical investigation utilizes fundamental equations for the magnetomechanical properties of the MSP and classical laminate theory for the strength and stiffness of the CFRP laminate to obtain a model of the combination. It is assumed that the magnetomechanical relationship of the MSP layer is a function of the prestress acting on the layer. This relationship is nonlinear in nature but is broken down into a number of linear sections to facilitate analysis. This prestress acting on the MSP layer is a result of the CFRP laminate’s stiffness resisting the induced strain of the MSP layer. Classical laminate theory is used to obtain the value of the prestress as a function of this induced strain. As would be expected, this analysis becomes an iterative process. The induced strain is calculated based on a prestress level of zero. This strain is then used to calculate the amount of stress in the CFRP laminate which becomes the prestress value, and the process is repeated until convergence is reached. Unidirectional CFRP laminates are used in this analysis. The experimental approach involved testing a collection of composite beams imbedded with MSP using a scanner that surrounded the beams. The scanner was composed of an excitation coil and a sensing coil. A detailed schematic of the scanner is included in the paper showing the slide along which the scanner apparatus moved, and the sensing coil surrounded by the excitation coil. The samples used in this analysis were constructed from unidirectional prepreg carbon fiber with varying internal delaminations, ply orientations, and number of plies. A program was constructed that allowed the user to control the signal being output to the excitation coil as well as record data from the sensing coil. The results presented in this paper are not final and will be used to create a foundation for continuation of this research.