Experimental Control of Curing Structural Health Monitoring for Composite Patch Repairs

Unquestionably structural integrity of composite materials is of great importance and spans from production to service. The presented experimental investigation, supported initially by numerical analysis, addresses the capability of sensing during the curing cycle of Composite Patch Repair (CPR) guaranteeing achievement of optimal cure levels. Results have exhibited identification and completion of cure leading to probable reduction of repair and downtime costs. The sensors were further used post curing for structural integrity where results proved that the optical fibres can render a general state of the strain field inside the patches and possible crack propagation (real time).