Functionalized composite structures for new generation airframes: a review

The applications of advanced composite structures, artificial intelligence and sensing network techniques in aircraft industry are briefly reviewed in this paper, in correlation with various novel concepts. As a specific case study, an AI technique-based composite structure with the capability of structural health monitoring was developed. An artificial neural network was customized and trained using digitized spectrographic characteristics extracted from a multi-point sensing network. The system was then validated by executing on-line health diagnostics, and the results indicate excellent performance of AI techniques in functionalized composite structures.