Study on the Usability of FBG Sensor Network-Based Triangulation Method of Impact Positioning for Honeycomb Panels

Composite honeycomb sandwich panels are widely used in modern spacecraft shielding systems due to their multilayer energy dissipation capabilities, serving as an essential part of protection against impact. This paper explores the feasibility and accuracy of using the triangulation method for impact positioning in honeycomb panels based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. The research involved conducting impact experiments using a composite bow, collecting data through the arrangement of multiple FBG sensors on the surface of honeycomb panel, and preprocessing the impact signals using a wavelet threshold denoising algorithm based on the Symlet 5 wavelet basis function. Experimental results indicate that the triangulation method demonstrates some capability in impact positioning on honeycomb panels, with most predicted locations being relatively close to the actual impact points. However, there is a significant distribution of positioning errors, with positioning errors ranging from 1.05 mm to 48.93 mm (mean ± SD: 24.04 ± 12.00 mm). This suggests that there’re certain limitations of the application of the triangulation method for impact positioning on honeycomb panels, especially in areas where sensors are sparsely arranged or where the impact point is far from the sensors. The source of these errors may be attributed to the high energy absorption values of the honeycomb panel structure.