PASSIVE STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20070282541A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Georgeson, Gary E., Griess, Kenneth H
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system and method for assessing and monitoring a structure are provided. The system includes at least one non-destructive inspection sensor carried by the structure and configured for acquiring data in response to ambient events associated with the structure. The system also includes a data acquisition system configured to communicate with the non-destructive inspection sensor and provide information indicative of a defect in the structure based on the data acquired by the non-destructive inspection sensor in response to the ambient events.

Claims

1. A system for assessing and monitoring a structure comprising:

at least one signal generation device for generating at least one event within the structure;

at least one non-destructive inspection sensor carried by the structure and configured for acquiring data in response to ambient events associated with the structure and at least one event generated by the signal generation device; and

a data acquisition system configured to communicate with the non-destructive inspection sensor and to provide information indicative of a defect in the structure based on the data acquired by the non-destructive inspection sensor in response to the ambient events.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive inspection sensor is integrated with a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive inspection sensor comprises a piezoelectric sensor.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive inspection sensor is attached to, or embedded within, the structure.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive inspection sensor is carried by an applique or a repair patch.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive inspection sensor comprises a memory device for storing the acquired data.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal generation device is attached to, or embedded within, the structure.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data acquisition system comprises a neural network for analyzing the acquired data.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal generation device is configured to generate stress waves within the structure.

26. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data acquisition system is further configured to generate an image indicative of the defect, wherein the image is selected from a group consisting of an A-scan, a B-scan, and a C-scan.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. A method for assessing and monitoring a structure comprising:

intentionally generating at least one event within the structure;

acquiring data indicative of the structure with at least one non-destructive inspection sensor in response to ambient events associated with the structure and at least one intentionally generated events; and

characterizing a defect within the structure based on the data acquired by the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor in response to the ambient and intentionally generated events.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising positioning the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor within or adjacent to the structure.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein positioning comprises embedding the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor within the structure.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein positioning comprises positioning the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor within an applique or a repair patch.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising storing the acquired data with the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the data from the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein characterizing comprises characterizing a defect within the structure with a neural network.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein acquiring comprises continuously or periodically acquiring data indicative of the structure.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein intentionally generating comprises generating stress waves within the structure.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein characterizing the defect comprises generating an image selected from a group consisting of an A-scan, a B-scan, and a C-scan.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. A method for assessing and monitoring a structure comprising:

acquiring data indicative of the structure with at least one non-destructive inspection sensor in response to ambient events associated with the structure;

preliminarily identifying a defect within the structure based on the data acquired by the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor in response to the ambient events;

intentionally generating a stimulus within the structure after preliminarily identifying the defect; and

further analyzing the preliminarily identified defect based on additional data acquired by the at least one non-destructive inspection sensor in response to the intentionally generated stimulus.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining a proximate location in which to intentionally generate the stimulus based on the preliminarily identified defect.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein intentionally generating comprises generating stress waves within the structure.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein further analyzing comprises generating an image selected from a group consisting of an A-scan, a B-scan, and a C-scan.