HIGH DENSITY STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090182515A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: BELK, John H., DUNNE, James P., PADO, Lawrence E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/025 Measuring arrangements

Abstract

A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of a structure. The method includes providing a plurality of damage monitoring units each having at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device. The sensors are arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device. The actuator is activated and the vibration is measured with the sensor. The signal is compared to a reference signal and a damage index value is determined in response to the comparison between the signal and reference signal. The damage index value is transmitted for each vibratory path to a central processing device and the damage index values are analyzed for the plurality of damage monitoring units to determine the location of damage to the structure.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of a structure comprising

providing a plurality of damage monitoring units, the damage monitoring units each including at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device, the sensors being arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device, the measured vibration corresponding to a vibratory path between the actuator and sensor;

activating the at least one actuator and measuring the vibration with the at least one sensor and generating a signal corresponding to the measured vibration;

comparing the signal to a reference signal;

determining a damage index value corresponding to the vibratory path in response to the comparison between the signal and reference signal with the data collection device;

transmitting the damage index value for each vibratory path to a central processing device; and

analyzing the damage index values for the plurality of damage monitoring units to determine the location of damage to the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the actuators and sensors are piezoelectric transducers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the actuators and sensors are printed onto the structure.

4. The method of claim 1, where the reference signal is obtained by measuring vibration with the at least one sensor on an undamaged structure.

5. The method of claim 1, where the reference signal is a signal corresponding to an undamaged structure.

6. A structural monitoring system for monitoring and diagnosing the health of a structure comprising:

a plurality of damage monitoring units, the damage monitoring units each including at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device, the sensors being arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device, the measured vibration corresponding to a vibratory path between the actuator and sensor, the data collection device being configured to determine a damage index value corresponding to the measured vibration; and

a central processing device configured to receive and analyze damage index values from the plurality of damage monitoring units, the central processing device being capable of determining the location of damage to the structure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the central processing device is a microprocessor that analyzes the damage index values and determines the location of damage to the structure.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data collection device is an integrated circuit.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein one or both of the actuator and sensors are piezoelectric transducers.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the damage monitoring units include one actuator and eight sensors.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein one or both of actuator and sensors are printed onto the structure.

12. The system of claim 6, where the sensors and data collection device are electrically connected by printed conductive interconnections.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein one or both of actuator and sensors are printed onto the substrate configured to be attachable to the structure.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the substrate is a polyimide film.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a structural element;

a plurality of damage monitoring units affixed to the structural element, the damage monitoring units each including at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device, the sensors being arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device, the measured vibration corresponding to a vibratory path between the actuator and sensor, the data collection device being configured to determine a damage index value corresponding to the measured vibration; and

a central processing device configured to receive and analyze damage index values from the plurality of damage monitoring units, the central processing device being capable of determining a location of damage to the structural element.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the central processing device is a microprocessor that analyzes the damage index values and determines the location of damage to the structure.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the data collection device is an integrated circuit.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein one or both of the actuator and sensors are piezoelectric transducers.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the damage monitoring units include one actuator and eight sensors.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein one or both of the actuator and sensors are printed onto the structural element.

21. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the sensors and data collection device are electrically connected by printed electrically conductive interconnections.

22. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the structural element is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, composite, polymer, ceramic and combinations thereof.

23. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein one or both of actuator and sensors are printed onto the substrate configured to be attachable to the structural element.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the substrate is a polyimide film.