Damage detection of CFRP laminates using electrical resistance measurement and neural network

As carbon fibers are electrical conductors, the measurement of the electrical resistance appears to be a valuable technique for the in situ detection of various types of damage in carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) laminates. In such cases, carbon fibers are both the reinforcement and the sensor to detect damage in CFRP laminates. The damage-detecting method of CFRP laminates by electrical resistance measurement that an investigated in this study is made possible by attaching electrodes on the surface of the CFRP structures without special manufacturing. In this paper, we investigate the electrical resistance change as a damage parameter of fatigue damage such as the degradation of residual strength and stiffness. The measured stiffness and electrical resistance change during fatigue tests showed a very similar trend of change. This is because cumulative fatigue damage is represented by the degradation of residual stiffness;; these damages also cause change in electrical resistance. Thus, we can use this change in electrical resistance as a damage parameter. We also predict the future damage of composite laminates in fatigue loading from electrical resistance damage model by following a stiffness degradation model. Electrical resistance gradually increased as the stiffness reduced, and showed a very abrupt change when final fatigue failure was imminent. The predicted value showed good agreement with the experimental data except in the final stage, where stiffness and electrical resistance changed abruptly. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.