Graphene-Based Strain Sensor Array on Carbon Fiber Composite Laminate

Innovative graphene-based sensors are produced through the spray deposition of multilayer graphene suspension in 1-propanol. They are cost effective and suitable for large-scale integration in aeronautical-grade composite structures. The piezoresistive characteristic of the new sensor has been assessed through static, quasi-static, and dynamic tests. The obtained results show that the new sensors are suitable for detecting strains in any directions due to the isotropic piezoresistive characteristic of the graphene-based material. Moreover, the potentiality of the proposed sensors for the in situ non-destructive investigations of carbon-fiber-reinforced composite (CFRC) is assessed through the response analysis of an eight-sensor array deposited over a CFRC plate, and excited by a mechanical vibration with a spectral content up to 100 kHz.