Lots of testing has happened since we last posted. At the beginning of the week, Dr. Peter Ifju introduced us to his graduate students, who had experience with non-destructive testing (NDT) methods like ultrasonic transducers. The graduate students were kind enough to lend us their (Pulse Echo Ultrasonic Piezoelectric Transducer) equipment to test our sample prepreg layup with defects. While testing, we noticed some flaws in ultrasonic sensing methods. Some negatives of ultrasonic sensing based on the test were the requirement of the sensor to be stationary while collecting data and the scattering/attenuation of the acoustic waves when measuring through the composite fibers.
Instead of a traditional in-class lecture this week, we were given the opportunity to practice our PDR presentation in front of fellow classmates. Through this experience, we gathered helpful feedback from classmates to improve our presentation slides and approach. After implementing the suggestions from students’ feedback, we feel more prepared for our on-site presentation with our sponsor.
We also visited the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence (HWLEE) Prototyping Lab to create an RC oscillator circuit. However, we could not produce a signal generator due to the equipment’s bandwidth limitations. In the coming weeks, we plan on continuing testing on the RC circuit, conducting a literature review on shearography, and redesigning the device concept due to the lack of the roller in the layup process (based on recent info from the sponsor).