Nondestructive damage detection of two dimensional plate structures using modal strain energy method

Abstract

A nondestructive detection method of surface cracks in two dimensional plate structures using modal strain energy method is investigated in this paper. Experimental modal analysis (EMA) is conducted on an aluminum alloy 6061 thin plate to obtain the mode shapes before and after damage under a completely free boundary condition. The measured mode shapes are used to compute the strain energy of the plate. Limited by the measured points, a differential quadrature method is employed to compute the partial differential terms in strain energy formula. A damage index is then defined based on strain energy ratio of the plate before and after damage. This damage index is employed to identify the location of surface crack in plate structure. A finite element analysis (FEA) is also performed to access this approach and demonstrate a feasible process for the experimental work. Good correlation between FEA and EMA results is obtained. The damage index obtained from both FEA and EMA successfully identify the location of surface crack in the aluminum plate. Only few measured mode shapes of the plate are required in this method, which provides a quick, flexible, inexpensive and nondestructive technique to identify the damage in local and global 2D plate structures.