Papers by Author: Je Woong Park

Abstract: Recently, terahertz ray imaging has emerged as one of the most promising new powerful nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, and new application systems are under processing development for the area applications. In this study, a new time-domain spectroscopy system was utilized for detecting and evaluating layup effect and flaw in FRP composite laminates. Extensive experimental measurements in reflection mode were made to map out the T-ray images. Especially in this characterization procedure, we estimated the electromagnetic properties such as the refractive index. Estimates of properties are in good agreement with known data. Furthermore layup effect and flaw of FRP composite laminates were observed in reflection mode and limitations will be discussed in the T-ray processing.

Abstract: A nondestructive technique would be very useful for evaluating the CF/Epoxy composite laminates. It is found that a pitch-catch signal was more sensitive than normal incidence backwall echo of longitudinal wave to subtle flaw conditions in the composites (damages, fiber orientation, low level porosity, ply waviness, and cracks). The depth of the sampling volume where the pitch-catch signal came from was relatively shallow with the head-to-head miniature Rayleigh probes, but the depth can be increased by increasing the separation distance of the transmitting and receiving probes. Also, a method was utilized to determine the porosity content of a composite lay-up by processing micrograph images of the laminate. The porosity content of a composite structure is critical to the overall strength and performance of the structure. The image processing method developed utilizes a free software package to process micrograph images of the test sample. The results from the image processing method are compared with existing data. Beam profile was characterized in unidirectional CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastics) with using pitch-catch Rayleigh probes and the one-sided and two-side pitch-catch technique was utilized to produce C-scan images with the aid of the automatic scanner. Also, it is confirmed that the pitch-catch ultrasonic signal was corresponding with simulated results assuming in unidirectional CFRP composites.

Abstract: Carbon/carbon(C/C) composite materials have obvious advantages over conventional materials, which consist of carbon fibers embedded in a carbon matrix. It’s low density, high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures make it an ideal material for aerospace applications especially 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/C composite material was characterized with non-contact and contact ultrasonic methods using automated acquisition scanner. . Due to the acoustic impedance mismatch found between most materials and air, a major limitation for air-coupled transducers, through-transmission mode was performed. Especially ultrasonic images and velocities for C/C composite disk brake were measured and found to be consistent to some degree with the non-contact and contact ultrasonic measurement methods. 400 kHz frequency through-transmission scans based on both amplitude and time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulse were used for mapping out the inhomogeneity in material property. Non-contact measured results were compared with those obtained by the motorized system using contact drycoupling ultrasonics and through transmission method in immersion. Results using a proposed peak-delay measurement non-contact method corresponded well to the ultrasonic velocities of the contact pulse overlap method.

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: Composite laminates help to lighten components because they have the advantage of higher strength-to-weight ratio. So, they have come to be utilized as parts of advanced areas. An NDE technique for stacking orientation determination would be very beneficial because of layup orientation influence to the laminate stiffness. In this study, an investigation of shear wave ultrasonic technique was carried out in order to detect stacking orientation error for quasi-isotropy 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 ultrasonic-polarized mechanism. Also, the signal splitter was connected to the pulser jack on the pulser/receiver and to the longitudinal transducers. The longitudinal transducers were mounted with mineral oil and 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. To apply this method into a practical inspection tool, the quasi-isotropy composite laminates were nondestructively evaluated for detecting error of the laminates.

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: A nondestructive technique would be very beneficial, which could be used to test the part before (uncured) and after curing CF/Epoxy. A new method for nondestructively determining the ply layup in a composite laminate is presented. The 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. In order to develop these methods into practical inspection tools, an automated system using a motor has been developed for different measurement modalities for acquiring ultrasonic effects of ply-layup error. Therefore, it is found that the efficiency of developed system shows between the practical testing and model in characterizing cured/uncured ply-layup error of the laminates. A C-scan image of a ply interface seem to have the ply-layup error information of the two neighboring plies of CF/Epoxy composite laminates.

Abstract: Carbon/phenolic composite (CPC) materials are unique which consist of carbon fibers embedded in a carbon matrix. The CPCs are originally developed for 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. The properties of the CPC are dependent on the manufacturing methods used for production and fiber arrangement. It is desirable to perform nondestructive evaluation to assess material properties and part homogeneity in order to ensure product quality and structural integrity of CPC brake disks. In this work, a CPC material was nondestructively characterized and a technique was developed to measure ultrasonic velocity in C/P composites using automated data acquisition software. Also a motorized system was adopted to measure ultrasonic velocity on the point of CPC materials under the same coupling conditions. Manual results were compared with those obtained by the motorized system with using drycoupling ultrasonics and through transmission method in immersion. A peak-delay measurement method well corresponded to ultrasonic velocities of the pulse overlap method and throughtransmission mode and C-scan image signal based on peak-to-peak amplitude.