Application and evaluation of the technical condition of composite materials in aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles by acoustic emission method of nondestructive testing

Introduction. The paper analyzes the application of composite materials as the main determining method of reducing the mass of the airframe and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Advanced nondestructive testing methods provide assessing the technical condition of these materials, as well as determining stress concentrators on the airframe and an unmanned aerial vehicle with high accuracy in order to make a decision on the further operation of this object under control. The objective of the work was to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the assessment of crack resistance of composite materials through the acoustic emission control.Materials and Methods. This paper presents the nomenclature of composite materials used in the construction of various aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The most possible probable defects of these materials due to the influence of operational factors are presented. The applied methods of nondestructive testing of composite material and selection of the most suitable one according to specific advantages were compared. An experiment was carried out to determine the strength limits of carbon fiber using a hardware and software complex by acoustic emission method. The research results are presented in the form of drawings projected by the hardware and software complex.Results. The application of the acoustic-emission method of composite material control is described.Discussion and Conclusions. The results obtained experimentally can be used in the process of determining the strength limits of various composite materials by the acoustic emission method of nondestructive testing to assess the technical condition in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, and aircraft construction. The paper is recommended to researchers involved in the design of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.