Numerical and experimental applications of inverse finite element method for shape and stress sensing of shell structures

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b2767345_(Table of contents)

Plate and shell structures are used in many industries, including marine, aerospace, automotive, energy, and petrochemical. The condition of these components is of great importance as they directly affect the health status of people and the environment. Therefore, implementing a reliable structural health monitoring (SHM) system is paramount to ensuring the structural integrity of these applications. Shape sensing is an important part of SHM that deals with the real-time reconstruction of structural displacements and stress fields using a network of strain gages. Shape sensing is an inverse problem, and the inverse finite element method is one of the best candidates to solve this problem in real-time. This dissertation aims to further evaluate the iFEM approach by comparing the efficiency and accuracy of the existing iFEM plate/shell elements. Additionally, an improved iFEM element is developed for better shape sensing of thick and moderately thick sandwich and multilayer composites. The capability of the iFEM method for shape sensing of thin-walled structures subjected to geometrically nonlinear deformations is investigated in this thesis as well. Finally, the potential of the iFEM method for shape sensing of structural components in the marine and aerospace industries is explored. The results of these investigations have been published in three journal papers and two conference proceedings, which are presented individually in four chapters of this study.