Capacitance measurements on integrated conductors for detection of matrix cracks in GFRP

For the reliable and cost-efficient application of glass fibre polymer composites in structural applications, knowledge of the damage state of the material during operation is necessary. Within this work, a structural health monitoring method based on in-situ electrical capacitance measurements is presented, which enables damage monitoring in glass fibre reinforced polymers. For this purpose, individual glass fibre rovings in a non-crimp fabric were replaced by carbon fibre rovings at regular intervals. Additionally, specimens with solid or stranded copper conductors were manufactured to gain insights into the influences of conductor material and composition. The modified fabrics were implemented as 90^° layers of [0/90₄]_s glass fibre polymer cross-ply laminates. To monitor the progressive damage, conductive rovings were contacted, forming the capacitor walls of interleaved capacitors. Carbon fibre conductors show higher sensitivity of the capacitance to crack formation than solid or stranded copper conductors. Capacitance decrease measured in-situ during tensile tests on specimens with carbon fibre conductors shows a high correlation with crack initiation, further crack formation and speed of crack evolution. An analytical model can describe the correlation based on the assumptions of an ideal plate capacitor. Thus, the structural health monitoring method developed in this work can reveal in-situ knowledge of the material damage state.