Purpose Kevlar fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in aircraft structures due to their high specific tensile strength, impact resistance, low weight, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and fatigue. However, under dynamic loading, these structures are highly susceptible to damage, particularly crack initiation and growth with varying orientations. Detecting crack orientation is critical to understand its damage mechanism and to prevent catastrophic failures. Shearlet Transform is an advanced signal processing technique, and well-suited for capturing anisotropic information and can be employed to predict crack orientation in plate structures. Methods In this research work, a vibration-based method integrated with the shearlet transform is developed to identify crack location and orientation in KFRP composite plates. A <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(200\,\text {mm} \times 200\,\text {mm} \times 2\,\text {mm}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> KFRP plate with a <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\([0/90]_4\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> layup configuration and a centrally located crack of dimensions <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(10\,\text {mm} \times 2\,\text {mm} \times 1\,\text {mm}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> (length <InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\times\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> width <InlineEquation ID="IEq5"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\times\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> depth) was modelled using ABAQUS<InlineEquation ID="IEq6"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(^{\circledR }\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> 2020. Crack orientations of <InlineEquation ID="IEq7"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(0^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, <InlineEquation ID="IEq8"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(30^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, <InlineEquation ID="IEq9"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(60^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, and a combined <InlineEquation ID="IEq10"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(45^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>–<InlineEquation ID="IEq11"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(90^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> configuration are considered. Modal analysis is carried out with all clamped edges, and modal displacements corresponding to the first, second, and fourth modes are extracted for shearlet transform processing. Results Damage indices derived from shearlet transform coefficients are then used to detect crack location and orientation. To account for practical conditions, signal-to-noise ratios of 70, 50, and 30 are introduced into the mode shapes. Conclusion Furthermore, experimental validation is performed for crack orientations of <InlineEquation ID="IEq12"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(0^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, <InlineEquation ID="IEq13"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(60^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, and a combined <InlineEquation ID="IEq14"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(90^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>–<InlineEquation ID="IEq15"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(45^\circ\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> case. The experimental results show the robustness of the proposed shearlet-based damage detection method.

Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Crack Location and Orientation in KFRP Plate through Modal Testing and Shearlet Transform

期刊论文
发表日期：

2026年3月10日

查看全文

Pankaj Chaupal,
Prakash Rajendran

摘要

Purpose

Kevlar fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in aircraft structures due to their high specific tensile strength, impact resistance, low weight, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and fatigue. However, under dynamic loading, these structures are highly susceptible to damage, particularly crack initiation and growth with varying orientations. Detecting crack orientation is critical to understand its damage mechanism and to prevent catastrophic failures. Shearlet Transform is an advanced signal processing technique, and well-suited for capturing anisotropic information and can be employed to predict crack orientation in plate structures.

Methods

In this research work, a vibration-based method integrated with the shearlet transform is developed to identify crack location and orientation in KFRP composite plates. A \(200\,\text {mm} \times 200\,\text {mm} \times 2\,\text {mm}\) KFRP plate with a \([0/90]_4\) layup configuration and a centrally located crack of dimensions \(10\,\text {mm} \times 2\,\text {mm} \times 1\,\text {mm}\) (length \(\times\) width \(\times\) depth) was modelled using ABAQUS \(^{\circledR }\) 2020. Crack orientations of \(0^\circ\) , \(30^\circ\) , \(60^\circ\) , and a combined \(45^\circ\) – \(90^\circ\) configuration are considered. Modal analysis is carried out with all clamped edges, and modal displacements corresponding to the first, second, and fourth modes are extracted for shearlet transform processing.

Results

Damage indices derived from shearlet transform coefficients are then used to detect crack location and orientation. To account for practical conditions, signal-to-noise ratios of 70, 50, and 30 are introduced into the mode shapes.

Conclusion

Furthermore, experimental validation is performed for crack orientations of \(0^\circ\) , \(60^\circ\) , and a combined \(90^\circ\) – \(45^\circ\) case. The experimental results show the robustness of the proposed shearlet-based damage detection method.