Composite structure and method for barely visible impact damage detection
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHyukbong Kwon, Kanna M. Pham, Nicholas A. Brigman, Charles Everson
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Abstract
A composite structure including a composite body having an outer surface and a detection layer connected to the outer surface, the detection layer being discontinuous and including glass fibers embedded in a matrix material.
Claims20
A method for detecting barely visible impact damage on a composite body, said composite body comprising an outer surface and a plurality of composite plies, said method comprising:
- connecting to said outer surface a detection layer comprising glass fibers embedded in a matrix material, wherein said detection layer is discontinuous.
A method for detecting barely visible impact damage on a composite body that defines a web portion having a proximal end and a distal end, said composite body further defining a base portion connected to said proximal end, said method comprising:
- positioning a discontinuous detection layer comprising a plurality of strips along said distal end of said web portion such that each strip of said plurality of strips is spaced substantially equidistant relative to one another, wherein each strip of said plurality of strips comprises glass fibers embedded in a matrix material;
- and
- connecting each strip of said plurality of separate strips to said distal end of said web portion of said composite body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.