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Distributed mode system for real time acoustic emission monitoring

  • US 7,080,555 B2
  • Filed: 06/04/2004
  • Issued: 07/25/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for the continued real time health monitoring of a structure using acoustic emission analysis comprising the steps of:

  • a. fixedly mounting at least one acoustic emission transducer in a region of said structure to be monitored;

    b. distributing, in that same said region, a distributed health monitoring system containing all necessary hardware and software for complete analysis of the raw acoustic emission signals from said at least one transducer;

    c. amplifying the voltage signals received from said at least one acoustic emission transducer to produce an amplified signal;

    d. filtering said amplified signal to eliminate unwanted frequencies to produce a filtered signal;

    e. acquiring, during a pre-determined time period, said filtered signal to identify and record acoustic emission events;

    f. diagnosing, from said recorded acoustic emission events for said pre-determined time period, the overall health assessment of said region of said structure;

    wherein said diagnosing step further comprises the steps of;

    i. calculating in a first calculation, the number of acoustic emission events above a threshold decibel level;

    ii. calculating, in a second calculation, a historical index for said acoustic emission events;

    iii. calculating, in a third calculation, a cumulative energy for said acoustic emission events;

    iv. calculating, in a fourth calculation, a severity of said acoustic emission events;

    v. calculating, in a fifth calculation, a measure of relative damage by comparing said historical index and said severity to pre-determined and pre-recorded experimental acoustic emission research data; and

    vi. calculating, as a numerical rating, an overall health assessment of said region of said structure for said pre-determined time period, using the results of said first, second, third, and fifth calculations.

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