HYBRID RESILIENT AND FRANGIBLE LAYERED STRUCTURAL HEALTH SENSOR
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing structural integrity, comprising:
- a frangible non-conductive material layer;
a resilient non-conductive material layer disposed on top of the frangible non-conductive material layer;
a breakable conductor sense loop within the frangible non-conductive material layer; and
a conductive corrosion sense loop within the resilient non-conductive material layer and having a portion exposed through at least one weep hole in the resilient non-conductive material layer;
wherein the frangible non-conductive material is disposed adjacent to a structure surface such that the breakable conductor sense loop can be disrupted by a fracture in the structure surface and wherein the exposed portion of the conductive corrosion sense loop can corrode to induce a change in an electrical property of the conductive corrosion sense loop.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor for monitoring and testing for both possible fractures and corrosion in structural elements is disclosed. A frangible material layer including a thin breakable conductor sense loop and a resilient material layer including a conductive corrosion sense loop bonded on top of the frangible layer form an assembly which is bonded to a structural element to be tested. Portions of the conductive corrosion sense loop are exposed through weep holes in the resilient material layer. A fracture in the bonded structural element induces a disruption in both the frangible membrane and the thin breakable conductor sense loop and corrosion of the conductive corrosion sense loop changes its electrical properties. Measured electrical property changes of the disrupted conductor sense loop and/or the conductive corrosion sense loop reveal possible damage. Both sensor layers may utilize a single shared wireless communications tag to couple to an electrical measuring device.
40 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing structural integrity, comprising:
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a frangible non-conductive material layer; a resilient non-conductive material layer disposed on top of the frangible non-conductive material layer; a breakable conductor sense loop within the frangible non-conductive material layer; and a conductive corrosion sense loop within the resilient non-conductive material layer and having a portion exposed through at least one weep hole in the resilient non-conductive material layer; wherein the frangible non-conductive material is disposed adjacent to a structure surface such that the breakable conductor sense loop can be disrupted by a fracture in the structure surface and wherein the exposed portion of the conductive corrosion sense loop can corrode to induce a change in an electrical property of the conductive corrosion sense loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for sensing structural integrity, comprising the steps of:
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disposing a frangible non-conductive material having a breakable conductor sense loop within the frangible non-conductive material adjacent to a structure surface; disposing a resilient non-conductive material layer on top of the frangible non-conductive material layer having a conductive corrosion sense loop within the resilient non-conductive material layer and having a portion of the conductive corrosion sense loop exposed through at least one weep hole in the resilient non-conductive material layer; sensing a disruption in the breakable conductor sense loop from a fracture in the structure surface; and sensing a change in an electrical property of the conductive corrosion sense loop from corrosion in the exposed portion of the conductive corrosion sense loop. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification