AE- based damage investigation in composite laminates under low-velocity impact tests

One of the main issues associated with application of laminated composites in industrial applications is their brittle-type behavior under impact loading. The low velocity impact may lead to crucial internal damages without being detectable by visual inspection and can significantly reduce the strength of laminated composites. The main purpose of this research is to characterize the damage mechanisms in laminated composites under low velocity impact tests. For this purpose, a quasi-static test was first utilized out to achieve initial information about impact tests. Low velocity impact tests were then employed for unidirectional glass/epoxy composite specimens, and Acoustic Emission (AE) signals were acquired during impact events. Next, AE signals were examined using wavelet approach to discriminate released energy related to each distinct damage mechanism. Besides, a method was obtained to estimate threshold impact energy from the quasi-static test, beyond which damage meaningfully extends. As a final point, the AE based approach using wavelet transform methodology was suggested to forecast the total damage area. Finally, it was figured out that this AE method can be a reliable approach in damage evaluation under impact loads in composite structures.