Structural Analysis and Damage Detection in Composite Materials Applications

Abstract

The increasing use of composite materials in aerospace, automotive, and civil engineering demands robust approaches for structural health monitoring (SHM) and failure prediction. Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, fiberreinforced polymers (FRPs) are essential in modern lightweight structures such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) [1]. However, they remain prone to fiber breakage, matrix cracking, and interlaminar delamination, which are often difficult to detect visually, making real-time monitoring critical for safety. This study presents a structural analysis of a carbon-fiber UAV wing using finite element analysis (FEA) in ANSYS to evaluate stress distributions, deformations, and failure modes under various loading scenarios, including progressive damage and fatigue. The Hashin and Tsai–Wu criteria were implemented to differentiate fiber- and matrix-dominated failures, including interlaminar fracture. Numerical results were compared with experimental data from the literature [5] to validate the approach. These results support the integration of FEA with SHM systems using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors and Digital Twins for lightweight, sustainable composite structures in aerospace and civil infrastructure.