Challenges and perspectives for nondestructive inspection and structural diagnostics of composites

Abstract

This work presents some of the most recent technology advances that lead to development of new methods for nondestructive inspection and structural diagnostics of composites. In particular, new developments in structural diagnostics include a fundamental shift in the nondestructive detection of manufacturing defects in composites to accurate 3D measurement of defect location and size with automated transition to structural finite element models. Enabling technologies to allow for such shift, based on X-ray computed tomography, are discussed. The challenges in the nondestructive inspection and structural diagnostics of composites, and the new perspectives to address such challenges at material and structural scales are presented. This work concludes with the assessment of the possibility for breaking through the current limits of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) in order to enable high-fidelity limited-angle nondestructive inspection of large aircraft structures.