Acoustic structural integrity monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A system for detecting structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors for detecting acoustic emissions in a structure, each of said sensors outputting a sensor signal dependent upon acoustic emissions resulting from structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure;
a plurality of preamplifiers, each of said preamplifiers being electrically coupled to and located local to a respective one of said sensors, wherein each of said preamplifiers is configured to receive said sensor signal, and wherein each of said preamplifiers is configured to process said sensor signal and output sensor data derived from said sensor signal in response to a detected acoustic emission resulting from a structural defect in a structure or impacts on a structure; and
a remote data concentrator (RDC) electrically coupled to and located remote from said plurality of preamplifiers, said RDC being configured to receive and collate said sensor data output from said plurality of preamplifiers,wherein said RDC is configured to output a synchronization sequence and each of said plurality of preamplifiers is configured to receive said synchronization sequence and configured to adjust a local time of said preamplifier in response to said synchronization sequence, said synchronization sequence comprising;
a first data packet for alerting each of said preamplifiers to a start of said synchronization sequence;
a synchronization timing signal; and
a second data packet comprising a master time value, said master time value defining a time at which said RDC sent said synchronization timing signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Each of a plurality of acoustic sensors (acoustically coupled to a structure for monitoring) is connected to a network bus system via a preamplifier for capturing, processing and reporting acoustic events in a structure, for example aircraft structures. Each of the preamplifiers processes the acoustic event signals received from the sensors when an acoustic emission resulting from an acoustic event (defect in a structure, impact on the structure etc), and passes digital processed signal data relating to the detected acoustic event to a Remote Data Concentrator over the network for collation. The collated data is then stored and/or further processed (at a later time or in near real-time) to determine the source and/or location of detected acoustic emissions in the structure.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A system for detecting structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors for detecting acoustic emissions in a structure, each of said sensors outputting a sensor signal dependent upon acoustic emissions resulting from structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure; a plurality of preamplifiers, each of said preamplifiers being electrically coupled to and located local to a respective one of said sensors, wherein each of said preamplifiers is configured to receive said sensor signal, and wherein each of said preamplifiers is configured to process said sensor signal and output sensor data derived from said sensor signal in response to a detected acoustic emission resulting from a structural defect in a structure or impacts on a structure; and a remote data concentrator (RDC) electrically coupled to and located remote from said plurality of preamplifiers, said RDC being configured to receive and collate said sensor data output from said plurality of preamplifiers, wherein said RDC is configured to output a synchronization sequence and each of said plurality of preamplifiers is configured to receive said synchronization sequence and configured to adjust a local time of said preamplifier in response to said synchronization sequence, said synchronization sequence comprising; a first data packet for alerting each of said preamplifiers to a start of said synchronization sequence; a synchronization timing signal; and a second data packet comprising a master time value, said master time value defining a time at which said RDC sent said synchronization timing signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for detecting structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting acoustic emissions resulting from structural defects in a structure or impacts on a structure with a plurality of sensors, and outputting a sensor signal indicative of said detected acoustic emission, wherein each of said sensors is electrically coupled to and located local to a respective one of a plurality of preamplifiers; receiving said sensor signal at said preamplifier; processing said sensor signal at said preamplifier, and outputting sensor data from said preamplifier, said sensor data being derived from said sensor signal; receiving and collating said sensor data at a remote data concentrator (RDC), said RDC being located remote from and being electrically coupled to said plurality of preamplifier; and synchronizing a local time of said plurality of preamplifiers with a master time of said RDC, said method of synchronizing comprising the steps of; outputting a synchronization sequence from said RDC; receiving said synchronization sequence at each of said plurality of preamplifiers; and adjusting a local time of said preamplifier in response to said synchronization sequence in order to synchronize said master time and said local time of said preamplifiers, wherein said processing and outputting occurs in response to a detected acoustic emission resulting from a structural defect in a structure or impacts on a structure. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification