Evaluation of the sensitivity and fatigue performance of embedded piezopolymer sensor systems in sandwich composite laminates

Abstract

It has been claimed that embedding piezo-ceramic devices as structural diagnostic systems in advanced composite structures may introduce mechanical impedance miss-matches that favour the formation of intralaminar defects; this and other factors such as cost and their high strain sensitivity has motivated the use of thin-film piezo-polymer sensors. In this paper, we examine the performance of sandwich composite panels fitted with embedded piezopolymer sensors. Our experimental campaign examines both how such thin-film sensors perform within a structure and the converse effect; how the inclusion of sensor films affects structural performance. Strain-controlled tests on sandwich panels subjected to three-point bending under wide-ranging static and dynamic strains lead us to conclude that embedding thin piezopolymer films has no marked reduction on the tensile strength for a wide range of strain loading paths and magnitudes, and that the resilience of the embedded sensor is itself satisfactory, even up to the point of structural failure. Comparing base-line data obtained from standard surface-mounted sensors and foil gauges, we note that whereas it is possible to match experimental and theoretical strain sensitivities, key properties, especially the pronounced orthotropic electromechanical factor of such films must be duly considered before an effective calibration can take place.JRC.G.4-European laboratory for structural assessmen