Aerospace Composites digitally sensorised from manufacturing to end-of-life

Timeframe: Start 2022, in progress

Goal: The research project aims to develop sensors based on the usage of ferromagnetic microwires to be embedded into carbon fiber composite materials (CFRP) for aerospace structural parts, in order to monitor manufacturing and structural health (SHM) throughout the whole life cycle of the component. The principal achievement of the project will be to develop a calibrated system capable of suppling powerful data useful for the SHM process. This will provide the means to develop accurate, cost-effective and tailored quality assurance of aerospace composite components throughout their whole life, ensuring composite structures are well positioned to comply with current but highly demanding circular economic strategies.

We are one of eleven partners in the Europe-wide research project INFINITE, which runs until 2025 under the leadership of IDEKO.

Partners/Funding agencies:

• Ideko
• Gaiker
• UPV/EHU
• Rise
• Tamag
• Titania
• Teijin
• Aeroform Composites
• Collins Aerospace
• AMRC
• EU Europäische Kommission

Result: We realized already some thermo-mechanical FEM analysis of the CFRP structure with microwires. The specimens were subjected to thermal loads and the influence of different material parameters (such as the coefficient of thermal expansion or the shear moduli) of the orthotropic material as well as different ply orientations and possible defects (such as delamination of a layer) were investigated.

Electromagnetic calculations were also carried out, simulating the attenuation of the electromagnetic field by the composite with/without microwires. The simulations are used to find a configuration of the microwires that delivers a robust measurement signal (S12).

Further information about the project can be found at: https://www.infinite-project.eu/