Systems, methods and computer program products for characterizing structural events

• US 20090326834A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Schulz, Mark J., Sundaresan, Mannur J., Grandhi, Gangadhararai, Nkrumah, Francis
• Application Number:
  US11/271,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00

Abstract

Sensor assemblies for non-destructively monitoring a structure to detect a structural event include a plurality of sensor nodes configured to provide at least one sensor signal responsive to a structural event. A signal analyzer is configured to compare the sensor signal to a reference database of signal characteristics corresponding to respective structural events.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly for non-destructively monitoring a structure to detect a structural event, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of acoustic sensor nodes configured to provide at least one sensor signal responsive to a structural event, the plurality of sensor nodes comprising one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to tangential displacement and one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to normal displacement; and

a signal analyzer configured to compare the sensor signal to a reference database of signal characteristics corresponding to respective structural events and to store and/or display a result to a user.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal analyzer is configured to identify a structural event mode based on the comparison to the reference database.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the structural event mode includes a direction of structural separation.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor signal is a combined sensor signal from the plurality of sensor nodes.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the database of signal characteristics is experimentally determined based on known events in the monitored structure.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the database of signal characteristics is determined based on a computer model of the monitored structure.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal analyzer is further configured to determine an approximate location of a structural event based on the sensor signal.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 7, wherein the approximate location of a structural event is determined based on a time interval between electrical signals from each of the sensor nodes in the combined signal output.

9. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal analyzer is configured to identify noise from the sensor signal based on the comparison to the reference database.

10. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor nodes includes a chemical sensor.

11. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor nodes includes an accelerometer.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor nodes includes a piezoceramic sensor.

13. A method for non-destructively monitoring a structure to detect a structural event, the method comprising:

receiving at least one sensor signal from a plurality of acoustic sensor nodes responsive to a structural event, the plurality of sensor nodes comprising one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to tangential displacement and one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to normal displacement; and

comparing the sensor signal to a reference database of signal characteristics corresponding to respective structural events and to store and/or display a result to a user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying a structural event mode based on the comparison to the reference database.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the structural event mode includes a direction of structural separation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor signal is a combined sensor signal from the plurality of sensor nodes.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising experimentally determining the signal characteristics of known structural events in the monitored structure.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the signal characteristics of structural events based on a computer model of structural events in the monitored structure.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an approximate location of a structural event based on the sensor signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the approximate location of a structural event is determined based on a time interval between electrical signals from each of the sensor nodes in the combined signal output.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying noise from the sensor signal based on the comparison to the reference database.

22. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for non-destructively monitoring a structure to detect a structural event and including computer readable program, the computer readable program comprising:

computer readable program code that receives at least one sensor signal from a plurality of acoustic sensor nodes responsive to a structural event, the plurality of sensor nodes comprising one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to tangential displacement and one or more sensor nodes sensitive selectively to normal displacement; and

computer readable program code that compares the sensor signal to a reference database of signal characteristics corresponding to respective structural events.