Structural damage detection using energy flow models

Issue title: The International Conference on Engineering Dynamics 2007

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Santos, E.R.O. | Pereira, V.S. | Arruda, J.R.F. | Dos Santos, J.M.C.

Affiliations: Computational Mechanics Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineer, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6122, Zip 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The presence of a crack in a structure modifies the energy dissipation pattern. As a consequence, damaged structures can present high localized damping. Experimental tests have revealed that crack nucleation and growth increase structural damping which makes this phenomenon useful as a damage locator. This paper examines the energy flow patterns caused by localized damping in rods, beams and plates using the Energy Finite Element Method (EFEM), the Spectral Element Method (SEM) and the Energy Spectral Element Method (ESEM) in order to detect and locate damage. The analyses are performed at high frequencies, where any localized structural change has a strong influence in the structural response. Simulated results for damage detection in rods, beams, and their couplings calculated by each method and using the element loss factor variation to model the damage, are presented and compared. Results for a simple thin plate calculated with EFEM are also discussed.

Keywords: Damage detection, energy finite element method, spectral elements, energy spectral elements, damping

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 15, no. 3-4, pp. 217-230, 2008