Publication: Material characterisation and composite testing using microwave technique
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Date
2023-08
Authors
Tinesh a/l Selvam
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Abstract
Material characterization and composite testing are essential to understand the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials and ensure their quality and performance. Composite materials, known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, are extensively used in aerospace applications for components like aircraft, making material characterization and composite testing critical for safety and reliability. While traditional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods have been employed to identify defects in composite materials, they have limitations addressed in review papers. Microwave techniques have emerged as potential alternatives for material characterization and composite testing due to their non-destructive and non-intrusive nature. These techniques allow testing without damaging the material, and on-site testing saves time and resources. Microwave NDT's ability to penetrate composite materials is superior to conventional NDT, enabling the detection of small cracks beneath the surface. Chapter 2 of the study focuses on various Microwave NDT techniques. The research designs two ridge waveguide systems, DWRG WRD 110 and WRD 180, operating within frequency ranges of 11 GHz to 26.5 GHz and 18 GHz to 40 GHz, respectively. Simulations are conducted to determine the properties of these waveguides. The study employs raster scanning with both DWRG systems on samples
containing metal cracks beneath Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP). Signal analysis of collected data assesses the sensitivity of magnitude data at different
frequency points for crack detection. The normalization process involves thresholding to estimate crack locations based on magnitude data from diverse frequency points.