Work

Impact damage imaging and quantification in carbon fiber composite structures using resonant eddy-current system

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents and validates the application of a resonant eddy-current system (RECT) for imaging damage in carbon-fiber composite materials (CFRP) against ultrasonic testing (UT). The investigate type of damage is barely visible impact damage (BVID) resulting from low-velocity impact and being one of the most dangerous types of damage in inspection practice. The characteristics of BVID requires their detection using nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques. The proposed RECT enables the effective imaging of impact-induced damage. Quantitative analysis, through the comparison to the ground-truth reference results provided by X-rays computed tomography (X-CT) - demonstrates that the performance of the RECT system surpasses that of conventional UT. Quantitative evaluation and comparative studies were performed using transformation-dependent metrics and invariant metrics based on Zernike moments and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) decomposition. The former enables the evaluation of the shape and contour of damage, while the latter is independent of scale, rotation, and translation, enabling a robust comparison between RECT and UT without the necessity of adjusting images and avoiding geometrical misalignment. This offers a practical framework for implementation in real inspection scenarios for fast and reliable damage evaluation.

Source: NDT & E International

DOI: 10.1016/j.ndteint.2026.103887

Authors: Tomasz Rogala, Robert R. Hughes, Andrzej Katunin, Grzegorz Tytko

Institutions: Silesian University of Technology, University of Bristol

Language: English

Topic: Non-Destructive Testing Techniques

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,440