Numerical Modeling of Non-destructive Testing of Composites

Low-velocity strikes are considered as one of the most dangerous load types for composites, especially in aviation. They do not lead to an immediate destruction of a whole detail, but inner damage, provoking a delamination between layers or between fiber and matrix, lowers the material strength and may cause a destruction during the flight. This inner damage can only be noticed via complex study, which increases an exploitation cost. Numerical modeling can help to interpret the results obtained from common portable devices, which are currently used for metals. The modification of known methodology can be reliably used for composites. In this research, a hybrid grid-characteristic method of 1-2 order on irregular tetrahedral grid is used. A carbon fiber polymer matrix of unidirectional composite is modeled as a homogeneous orthotropic media with a single distinguished direction along the fiber. As a result, the one-dimensional graphics, which correspond to A-scans in real devices, were obtained. The detailed analysis of received data confirms a rationality of proposed methodoly. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of KES International.