Development of the experimental procedure to examine the response of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites subjected to a high-intensity pulsed electric field and low-velocity impact

A new fully automated experimental setup has been developed to study the response of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites subjected to a high-intensity pulsed electric field and low-velocity impact. The experimental setup allows for real-time measurements of the pulsed electric current, voltage, impact load, and displacements on the CFRP composite specimens. The setup includes a new custom-built current pulse generator that utilizes a bank of capacitor modules capable of producing a 20 ms current pulse with an amplitude of up to 2500 A. The setup enabled application of the pulsed current and impact load and successfully achieved coordination between the peak of the current pulse and the peak of the impact load. A series of electrical, impact, and coordinated electrical-impact characterization tests were performed on 32-ply IM7/977-3 unidirectional CFRP composites to assess their ability to withstand application of a pulsed electric current and determine the effects of the pulsed current on the impact response. Experimental results revealed that the electrical resistance of CFRP composites decreased with an increase in the electric current magnitude. It was also found that the electrified CFRP specimens withstood higher average impact loads compared to the non-electrified specimens.