Kunal Joshi

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Research Assistant at Florida State University

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of brittle structures will require versatile sensing instrumentation that can transmitting transient loadings into rapid electrical responses. This research investigated the sensing performance of CNT Buckypaper (CNT-BP) thin-films on stressed fiber-reinforced composites, which are integral materials to various in...

Wind blades are growing in size to harness more energy and are being placed in harsh areas both onshore and offshore. Larger wind blades imply higher loads on the turbine and drivetrain. Monitoring and controlling these loads become critical for safe and profitable operations. Currently fiber optic based sensors are the most popular choice for load...

External bonding with fiber-reinforced polymers is currently one of the most popular technologies for rehabilitation of concrete structures. However, the effectiveness of the technology largely depends on the strength of the bond between the fiber-reinforced polymer laminate and the concrete substrate. This article provides a system to monitor the...

The in situ triboluminescent optical fiber (ITOF) sensor is a proprietary sensor developed by High-Performance Materials Institute researchers. The ITOF sensor consists of polymer optical fiber and manganese-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Mn) which has the highest triboluminescent (TL) emission capability among all inorganic crystals. An automated fabrica...

Triboluminescent (TL) materials are assessed as components in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems within polymer composites. Processing must be addressed due to particle characteristics such as density, morphology, and chemical makeup, all of which can affect polymer curing dynamics and thermo-mechanical properties. This study considers key...

Defects in fiber-reinforced composite structures tend to initiate unpredictably and unalarmed due to local stress concentrations within a composite structure; this has given rise to active monitoring techniques that can quantify the mechanical stress within composites in order to evaluate the structural health. In this paper, triboluminescent mecha...

We report highly sensitive and reliable strain sensors based on silver nanoparticle (AgNP) and carbon nanotube (CNT) composite thin films. The CNT/AgNP was prepared by a screen printing process using a mixture of a CNT paste and an AgNP ink. It is discovered that the sensitivity of such sensors are highly dependent on the crack formation in the com...

Wind turbines require control systems to ensure safe operation, to maximize power production, and to minimize extreme and fatigue loading of the structure. As wind blades become larger and are located in remote areas as well as offshore, there is a growing need to monitor and control the various loads acting on these composite structures. Nanotechn...

Prestressed concrete piles—a common foundation type for bridges because of their economy of design, fabrication, and installation—deteriorate when their steel prestressing strands corrode. This is prevalent in harsh marine environments, particularly in the splash zone where the water level uctuates. Periodic wetting and drying slowly deposit salt t...

Polymer-based composites are rapidly becoming a part of load bearing components in a structure. Composites due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, high stiffness, and favorable environmental resistance have already gained huge interest in aerospace, automobile, and civil industry. Like every other engineering material, composites experience dam...

With nearly 25% of bridge infrastructure deemed deficient, repair of concrete structures is a critical need. FRP materials as thin laminates or fabrics are appearing to be an ideal alternative to traditional repair technology, because of their high strength to weight ratios and stiffness to weight ratios. In addition, FRP materials offer significan...

Composite textiles have found widespread use and advantages in various industries and applications. The constant demand for high quality products and services requires companies to minimize their manufacturing costs, and delivery time in order to compete in general and niche marketplaces. Advanced manufacturing methods aim to provide economical met...