METHOD FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING USING A SMART SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20110154903A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Drexel University
• Original Assignee: Drexel University
• Inventors: BARSOUM, MICHEL W., BASU, SANDIP, FINKEL, PETER, ZHOU, AIGUO
• Application Number:
  US13/032,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154903A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/598
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/04 for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by vibrating string
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/183 Sensing rotation or linear movement using strain, force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/48 using wave or particle radiation means G01D5/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 with stored values, e.g. threshold values

Abstract

The structural health monitoring method of the present invention utilizes ultrasound to determine information about deformation, stress and/or damage in structural elements. The method propagates ultrasound through at least a portion of a material having fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity, receives the ultrasound which has been propagated through at least a portion of the material and determining information about the structural element from attenuation and/or time of flight of said received ultrasound.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a structure comprising:

propagating ultrasound through at least a portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity;

receiving the ultrasound after it has propagated through said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity, and

determining information relating to said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity from at least one of attenuation and time of flight of said received ultrasound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is capable of being carried out within a temperature range of about 123.15 K to about 973.15 K.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of said structure which exhibits fully-reversible non-linear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of materials having MAX phases.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the portion of the structure having fully-reversible non-linear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Ti₃SiC₂, Ti₂AlC, graphite, hexagonal-boron nitride, mica, and hexagonal metals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hexagonal metal is selected from the group consisting of Co, Mg, and Ti.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying a site of deformation, stress or damage in the structure prior to said step of propagating ultrasound through at least a portion of the structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method provides a maximum stress said structure experienced before a potential occurrence of structural failure

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said method provides a deformation history of said structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said method provides an image of deformation, stress or damage to said structure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said information about said structure is determined from attenuation of said ultrasound by said portion of the structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said information about said structure is determined from time of flight of said ultrasound through said portion of the structure.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material having a c/a ratio of at least 1.2.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material having a c/a ratio of at least 1.5.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said ultrasound is propagated through an entire part of said structure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said ultrasound is propagated through said entire structure.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of materials of the formula:

M_n+1AX_n, where M is an early transition metal, A is an A-group element, X is carbon and/or nitrogen, and n=1-3.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ternary carbides and ternary nitrides.