Smart Joint: An Integrated System for Monitoring the Integrity of Adhesive Joints
Published:4/1/2020Description:
The Problem:
The formation and integrity of adhesive structural joints between similar or dissimilar materials can be unpredictable because of potential variations in the surfaces being joined or in the approach used in joining them. Thus, there is an ongoing need for methods and systems to monitor the structural health of adhesive joints and for determining improved joining protocols, predicting service lifetime, maximum load and/or other mechanical behavior. Thermoplastic material joining is in its infancy.
The Solution:
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed an innovative “Smart Joint” technology that can provide real-time stress and/or strain values at one or more locations and in one or more directions in an adhesive joint. This technology monitors the structural health of adhesive joints and can predict the stress levels at which the joint will undergo large deformation or failure. This information can be used to optimize the configuration of a joint and the type or amount of adhesive that is used, for example. Since the embedded sensor can be left in the structure, the health of the joint can be monitored throughout its lifetime. This technology is suitable for thermoplastics and additive materials
Benefits:
- Measures strain and corresponding stress tensor
- Data can be collected periodically or continuously
- Can be used between two similar or dissimilar materials
- Sensor can be integrated either during or after the preparation of an adhesive joint
The Inventor:
Dr. Dayakar Penumadu is a Fred N. Peebles Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and JIAM Chair of Excellence at UT. He received his Ph.D. degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his research interests include carbon fiber reinforced polymeric composites and sandwich structures, environmental degradation, and multi-scale mechanics; multi-axial stress-strain-time behavior of multi-phase and granular materials; and non-invasive characterization and residual stress using neutron and x-ray tomography and diffraction.