The Boeing Company
Composite structure and method for barely visible impact damage detection

Abstract:

A composite structure including a composite body having an outer surface, wherein the composite body is elongated along a span axis, and a detection layer connected to the outer surface of the composite body, the detection layer including a plurality of strips, wherein each strip comprises a plurality of glass fibers embedded in a matrix material, is elongated along a detection axis, the detection axis being substantially aligned with the span axis, and is spaced a non-zero distance apart from adjacent strips such that a discontinuity is defined between adjacent strips.