Accession Number:

AD1003364

Title:

Automatic Optical Crack Tracking for Double Cantilever Beam Specimens

Descriptive Note:

Journal Article

Corporate Author:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana United States

Personal Author(s):

• Krull,B.
• Patrick,J.
• Hart,K.
• White,S.
• Sottos,N. R.

Report Date:

2015-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

An automatic crack tracking scheme is developed for measuring the tensile opening mode I interlaminar fracture toughness GIc of continuous glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. The technique is directly compared to ASTM standard D5528, which contains a manual procedure to obtain GIc values from crack length data using a double cantilever beam DCB specimen. In this study, a custom computer program with edge detection software rapidly, automatically, and accurately tracks the crack front in translucent DCB specimens by optically monitoring dissimilarities between delaminated and intact portions of the sample. The program combines mechanical testing, image processing, and data collection subroutines into a single interface. The technique is compatible with sample geometries and fabrication processes described in ASTM D5528, and it requires only the addition of a charge-coupled device CCD and light source. Compared with the manual techniques outlined in the ASTM standard, the introduced method provides enhanced resolution and reduced workload to determine crack length and resulting GIc of continuous glass fiber-reinforced composite DCB samples.

Descriptors:

• laminated glass
• composite materials
• cantilever beams
• cracking(fracturing)
• optical detection
• computer programs
• measurements

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE