Papers by Author: In Young Yang

Abstract: In particular, CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) composite materials have found wide applicability because of their inherent design flexibility and improved material properties. CFRP composites were manufactured from uni-direction prepreg sheet in this paper. However, impacted composite structures have 50-75% less strength than undamaged structures. It is desirable to perform nondestructive evaluation to assess material properties and part defect in order to ensure product quality and structural integrity of CFRP. In this work, a CFRP composite material was nondestructively characterized and a pitch-catch technique was developed to measure impacteddamaged area using an automated-data acquisition system. Also one-sided mode was performed to scan defect both manual contact measurement and an immersion tank. It is found a pitch-catch signal was found to be more sensitive than normal incidence backwall echo of longitudinal wave to subtle flaw conditions in the composite, including fiber orientation, low level porosity, ply waviness, and cracks. The paper describes the depth of the sampling volume with the head-to-head miniature Rayleigh probes and also ultrasonic C-scan images are acquired experimentally using one-sided measurement and a conventional scanner.

Abstract: Owing to the advantages associated with their very large strength-to-weight and stiffnessto- weight ratios, composite materials are attractive for a wide range of applications. Increasingly, high performance engineering structures are being built with critical structural components made from composite materials. In particular, the importance of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) has been generally recognized in both space and civil aircraft industries, and CFRP composite laminates are widely used. It is very important to detect fiber orientation error in orthotropic composite laminates because the layup of a CFRP composite laminates affects the properties of the laminate, including stiffness, strength and thermal behavior. In this study, a new approach was investigated on detection of fiber orientation with using two longitudinal and a shear wave ultrasonic transducers for the orthotropic composite laminates. During testing, the most significant problem is that the couplant conditions do not remain the same because of changing the viscosity of the couplant. Therefore, making a design for generating shear wave with longitudinal transducers would greatly aid in alleviating the couplant problem. A pyramid with an isosceles triangle was made of aluminum in order to generate shear waves using two longitudinal transducers based on ultrasonic-polarized mechanism. It is found that the shear wave was very sensitive to fiber of CFRP composite. Finally, a CFRP composite material was nondestructively characterized in order to measure fiber orientation error area using automated data acquisition C-scan system.

Abstract: A nondestructive technique would be very beneficial, which could be used to test the CF/Epoxy composite laminates. A new method for nondestructively determining the ply layup in a composite laminate is presented. A one-sided pitch-catch setup was used in the detection and evaluation of flaws and material anomalies in the composite laminates. Two Rayleigh wave transducers were joined head-to-head and used in the pitch-catch mode on the surface of the composites. The pitch-catch signal was found to be more sensitive than normal incidence backwall echo of longitudinal wave to subtle flaw conditions in the composite. Also the other method employs a normal-incidence longitudinal ultrasound to perform C-scan of ply interfaces of the laminate, and extracts fiber orientation information from the ultrasonic reflection in the laminate. Using two-dimensional spatial Fourier transform, interface C-scan images were transformed into quantitatively angular distribution plots to show the fiber orientation information therein and to determine the orientation of the ply. Therefore, it is found that the efficiency of developed system shows between the one-sided pitch-catch testing and C-scan images in characterizing ply-layup orientation of the laminates.

Abstract: The strength members, such as front-end side members, are subjected to axial compressive and bending load during collision. Therefore, it is important to consider energy absorption by the axial compression and the bending for design of effective strength members. And at the same time, it also should consider reducing weight of the members. In this study, CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) side members with single-hat-section shape were manufactured. The axial compression and the bending tests were performed for the members using universal testing machine, and the axial compression and the bending characteristics were analyzed. Stacking condition related to the energy absorption of composite materials is being considered as an issue for the structural efficiency. So the energy absorption of the member under the axial compressive load and the bending load were experimentally investigated.

Abstract: Currently, stacking condition related to the energy absorption of composite materials is being considered as an issue for the structural efficiency and safety of automobiles, aerospace vehicles, trains, ships even elevators during collision. In particular, CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) composite materials have found wide applicability because of their inherent design flexibility and improved material properties. The most important objective in designing automobiles is currently to focus on environment-friendly aspect and safety performance aspect. Therefore, the designing automobile should be more concerned on the aspect of securing safety performance, but at the same time, it also should consider reducing weight of automobile structural member. In this study, CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) side members with single-hat-section shaped were manufactured. The axial static collapse tests were performed for the members using universal testing machine, and the collapse mode and energy absorption characteristics were analyzed according to stacking condition such as fiber orientation angle and shape of the section.

Abstract: Carbon/phenolic composite (CPC) materials have obvious advantages over conventional materials, which are consisting of carbon fibers embedded in a carbon matrix. The CPCs have become to be utilized as parts of aerospace applications and its low density, high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures make it an ideal material for aircraft brake disks. Because of permeation of coupling medium such as water, it is desirable to perform contact-less nondestructive evaluation to assess material properties and part homogeneity. In this work, a C/P(Carbon/phenolic) composite material was characterized with non-contact and contact ultrasonic methods using automated acquisition scanner. Also through transmission mode was performed because of the main limitation for air-coupled transducers, which is the acoustic impedance mismatch between most materials and air. Especially ultrasonic images and velocities for C/C(Carbon/Carbon) composite disk brake was measured and found to be consistent to some degree with the non-contact and contact ultrasonic measurement methods. Low frequency throughtransmission scans based on both amplitude and time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulse were used for mapping out the material property inhomogeneity. Measured results were compared with those obtained by the motorized system with using dry-coupling ultrasonics and through transmission method in immersion. Finally, results using a proposed peak-delay measurement method well corresponded to ultrasonic velocities of the pulse overlap method.

Abstract: Air-coupled ultrasound is a non-contact technique and has obvious advantages over water-coupled experimentation. Especially, wood materials are very sensitive to water and inspection without any coupling medium of a liquid is really needed to wood materials due to the permeation of coupling medium such as water. In this work, it is desirable to perform contact-less nondestructive evaluation to assess wood material homogeneity. A wood material was nondestructively characterized with non-contact and contact modes to measure ultrasonic velocity using automated data acquisition software. We have utilized a proposed peak-delay measurement method. Also through transmission mode was performed because of the main limitation for aircoupled transducers, which is the acoustic impedance mismatch between most materials and air. The variation of ultrasonic velocity was found to be consistent to some degree with those in infiltrated area for air-coupled and conventional scan images. Through-transmission scans for aircoupled and conventional UT were used based on both amplitude and time-of-flight images. Finally, results using a peak-delay measurement method well somewhat corresponded to ultrasonic velocities of the pulse overlap method.

Abstract: It is very important to detect fiber orientation error in orthotropic composite laminates because the layup of a CFRP (carbon-fiber reinforced plastics) composite laminates affects the properties of the laminate, including stiffness, strength and thermal behavior. In this study, an investigation of shear wave ultrasonic technique was carried out in order to detect stacking orientation error for the orthotropic composite laminates. During testing, the most significant problem is that the couplant conditions do not remain the same because of changing the viscosity of the couplant. Therefore, the design and use of a shear wave transducers would greatly aid in alleviating the couplant problem. A pyramid with an isosceles triangle with two 45o was made of aluminum to generate shear waves using two longitudinal transducers based on ultrasonicpolarized mechanism. Also, the signal splitter was connected to the pulser jack on the pulser/receiver and to the longitudinal transducers which were mounted with mineral oil. The shear transducer was mounted on the bottom as a receiver with burnt honey. It is found that the shear wave was generated at a maximum and a minimum based on the ultrasonic-polarized mechanism. Finally, test results with model data were compared for a fiber orientation of the laminates.

Abstract: Since layup orientation of the laminates greatly influences its properties, an NDE technique for layup orientation determination would be very beneficial. It is desirable to perform contact-less nondestructive evaluation to assess material properties and defects of composites because of permeation of coupling medium such as water. An ultrasonic technique would be very useful, which could be used to test the part after and before curing laminates and requires less time than the optical test. First of all, conventional ultrasonic experimentations were conducted using water as a transmitting medium. In contrast, air-coupled ultrasound is non-contact and has clear advantages over water-coupled testing. Therefore ultrasonic systems for air-coupled and conventional ultrasound were set out for different measurement modalities for acquiring ultrasonic signals as a function of in-plane azimuthal angle. Firstly, a manual scanner was built for making transmission measurements using a pair of normal-incidence shear wave transducers to find the effect of fiber misorientations of orthotropic composite laminates. With the transmitter and receiver on the same side of a laminates, Lamb waves were generated and used for the amplitude magnitude. As a result, it was confirmed that the influence of fiber direction in the laminates could be detected by the non-contacting or contacting inspection from one-side and the detectability was improved by using shaped tube for reducing the specular reflection on transmitting. Furthermore, a vector decomposition model was utilized for lay-up error of the orthotropic laminates. Finally, aircoupled results well corresponded somewhat to those of contact ultrasonic examination in the orthotropic laminates.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop lightweight hat shaped section side members which absorb the most of the energy during the front-end collision of vehicle. The hybrid side member was manufactured by combination of aluminum and CFRP. An aluminum or CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) member is representative lightweight materials but its axial collapse mechanism is different from each other. The aluminum member absorbs energy by stable plastic deformation, while the CFRP member absorbs energy by unstable brittle failure with higher specific strength and stiffness than those in the aluminum member. Based on the respective collapse characteristics of CFRP side and aluminum members, the hybrid side members were tested on the axial collapse loads to get a synergy effect when the member is combined with the advantages of each members, such as energy absorption by the stable folding deformation of the aluminum member and by the high specific strength and stiffness of the CFRP member. Energy absorption capability and collapse mode of the hybrid side members were analyzed.