For over 20 years, the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) and the Maritime University of Gdynia (UMG, Poland) have maintained a close research partnership. The focus is on acoustic emission analysis (SEA) – a method that allows for the early and non-destructive detection of damage and stress in materials.
During Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Dudzik's (UMG) recent 30-day stay at THM , the international team investigated how modern AI systems can improve analysis. Together with Prof. Dr. Burkhard Ziegler, Dean of the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at THM, he tested such a specially developed system on carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and 3D-printed components. These samples had been manufactured in Poland and had already undergone stress tests there. In Giessen the data obtained were jointly analyzed and validated.
CFRP structures are crucial for many future technologies – from wind turbines and shipbuilding to aerospace. The goal of research is to detect damage such as cracking or delamination in real time before it leads to dangerous failures. A striking example of the importance of such methods is the implosion of the submarine "Titan" in June 2023. The private mission was involved in an accident during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic. It was proven that acoustic emission signals had already been registered there during previous dives, but apparently misinterpreted. AI could help in the future to clearly identify such signals and issue appropriate warnings.
The samples from Poland also demonstrated the importance of machine processing such data: evaluating them manually would be impossible. Therefore, the Polish-German research team used specialized software. With the help of clustering methods, it automatically assigned the signals to the corresponding types of damage.
The research stay was complemented by an exchange of experience on energy generation and storage from renewable sources as well as the use of modern materials in the field of boat hulls.
The cooperation between THM and UMG dates back to an EU project initiated in 2005 by Prof. em Dr. Schwalbe (ME, THM), Prof. Dr. habil. Krzysztof Wierzcholski (Mechanics, UMG) and Prof. Dr. habil. Andrzej Miszczak (Mechanics, UMG). It demonstrates how international collaboration and AI-supported methods can significantly improve the operational reliability of high-tech materials – not only in shipping, but also in energy technology, sports, and aviation.
