Effect of dents in laminated carbon composite beams on modified anisotropic electric potential analysis

Because carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminated composites have electric conductivity, damage monitoring was performed using electrical resistance changes. The authors previously proposed an anisotropic electric-potential function method to calculate the electric-potential field of laminated CFRP composites. The method, however, did not deal with the effects of dents. The present study deals with the effects of dents on the anisotropic electric-potential function method. The dent causes an electric conductivity increase in the through-thickness direction. The increase was modeled and applied to a beam-type specimen. The results were compared with the finite-element method results, and the method using equivalent conductivity in the through-thickness direction was confirmed to be effective.