This book presents a detailed description of the most common nondestructive testing(NDT) techniques used for the testing and evaluation fiber-reinforced composite structures, during manufacturing and/or in service stages. In order to facilitate the understanding and the utility of the different NDT techniques presented, the book first provides some information regarding the defects and material degradation mechanisms observed in fiber-reinforced composite structures as well as their general description and most probable causes. It is written based on the extensive scientific research and engineering backgrounds of the authors in the NDT and structural health monitoring (SHM) of structural systems from various areas including electrical, mechanical, materials, civil and biomedical engineering. Pursuing a rigorous approach, the book establishes a fundamental framework for the NDT of fiber-reinforced composite structures, while emphasizing on the importance of technique’s spatial resolution, integrated systems analysis and the significance of the influence stemming from the applicability of the NDT and the physical parameters of the test structures in the selection and utilization of adequate NDT techniques.
The book is intended for students who are interested in the NDT of fiber-reinforced composite structures, researchers investigating the applicability of different NDT techniques to the inspections of structural systems, and NDT researchers and engineers working on the optimization of NDT systems for specific applications involving the use of fiber-reinforced composite structures.
Dr. Shuncong Zhong received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechatronics Engineering from Shantou University, P. R. China, in 1999 and 2002, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, in 2007. He had many years of industrial and academic career in Imperial College London, London, U.K., University of Liverpool, Liverpool, U.K., University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, U.K., Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China, and Mindray Company, Ltd., Shenzhen, P. R. China. He is currently a Chair Professor and Dean of School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, P. R. China. Dr. Zhong focuses on the research of intelligent sensing and diagnosis, optics and terahertz systems, structural health monitoring, nondestructive testing and evaluation, signal and image processing, and pattern recognition for diagnosis and prognostics. Up till now, he has authored more than 200 articles, 82 patents,three books and chapters, and one ISO standard. Dr. Zhong was elected as an IET Fellow in 2018 and an ISCM Fellow in 2020.
Walter Nsengiyumva is both an electrical and mechanical engineer graduated with honors from Durban University of Technology (Durban, Republic of South Africa) and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (Fuzhou, P. R. China) in 2014 and 2018, respectively. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation of Fuzhou University (Fuzhou, P. R. China) with his research being on structural health monitoring, optics, composite structures, mechanics, and nondestructive testing and evaluation of structural systems. He is the author of some 15 papers published in well-recognized journals, books and proceedings. He is also a presenting author of several papers in national and international conferences.
