Axial guided wave technique for rapid inspection of the "noodle" regions in a stiffened composite component

Composite structures are used in a wide variety of applications. The use of stiffened composites is common in aerospace box-like components and provides the additional stiffness required. Examples of such stiffened structural geometries include airfoils, fuselage, wing box, tail section, etc. The inspection of the radius filler "Noodle" that fills the interface between skin and stiffener has been of great concern to the aerospace composites industry. This paper describes the 3D FEM models of the ultrasonic axially propagating guided wave modes. Additionally, the models were used for understanding their confinement in the Noodle region, their leakage to the remaining sections of the component and their interaction with defects of different types, sizes and their locations along Noodle region. The ultrasonic guided wave modes that propagate along the length of the Noodle were identified using the 3D finite element model. These simulations were validated using graphite-epoxy test coupons and components from aerospace industry.