Damage detection in 2.5D C/SiC composites using electrical resistance tomography

In this work, an innovative method for the detection of damage in fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is introduced. For electrically conductive CMCs, the conductivity distribution is coupled with the internal damage, which enables the realization of structural health monitoring (SHM). In this research, we verify the feasibility of using electrical resistance tomography (ERT) for damage detection in CMCs. The nature of conductivity anisotropy was considered. Local damage was introduced and was evaluated through ERT. Different injection patterns and values of the regulation parameter were compared to obtain optimal spatial resistivity mapping imaged via ERT. The effect of typical damage states on the resistivity was quantified to determine the theoretical resolution of ERT for damage detection in the 2.5D C/SiC composite. The present study serves as a further step into introducing ERT as a promising SHM method which can be implemented to CMCs for in situ and non-destructive inspection.