Multifunctional load and damage sensor

• US 9,638,588 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Zaffir A., Sun, Fanping, Sarlashkar, Avinash
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tran M
• Application Number:
  US14/201,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0025 of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways G01M5/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/245 Ceramic probes, e.g. lead zirconate titanate [PZT] probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2475 Embedded probes, i.e. probes incorporated in objects to be inspected
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4472 Mathematical theories or simulation

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to obtaining at least one sample of load or load path data from at least one piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure, comparing the at least one sample of data to at least one prior sample of data obtained from the at least one sensor, and providing a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining at least one prior sample of data with a piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure, the at least one prior sample being a baseline data point corresponding to no damage to the structure;

obtaining at least one sample of load and load path data from the piezoelectric sensor associated with the structure;

comparing the at least one sample of data to the at least one prior sample of data obtained from the sensor, wherein the comparison includes determining a change in load magnitude and a change in load path direction between the at least one sample and the at least one prior sample;

providing a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison based on load detection and damage detection with the same piezoelectric sensor; and

scheduling at least one of a maintenance activity and an inspection activity based on the health of the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the at least one sample of data to provide an indication of absolute load.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is associated with an aircraft, and wherein the at least one sample of data is tagged with a tag based on a state of operation of the aircraft when the at least one sample of data is taken by the piezoelectric sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tag indicates at least one of:

that the aircraft is on the ground, that the aircraft is flying in a steady-state condition, and that the aircraft is engaged in a flight maneuver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a safe lifetime associated with the structure based on the at least one sample of data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the at least one sample of data based on power obtained from the piezoelectric sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sample of data is filtered prior to the comparison with the at least one prior sample of data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, wherein the at least one sample of data comprises a plurality of samples of data, and wherein each of the plurality of samples of data is associated with a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing a first of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a first of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to a second of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a second of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to determine that a portion of the structure that bridges the first and second piezoelectric sensors is damaged.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

injecting a voltage at the piezoelectric sensor;

measuring, at a second sensor associated with the structure and located at a distance from the piezoelectric sensor, an induced voltage; and

determining that a portion of the structure is healthy based on determining that the measured voltage at the second sensor deviates from the injected voltage in an amount less than a threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is associated with a first member, and wherein the second sensor is associated with a second member, and wherein the portion of the structure comprises a joint that couples the first member and the second member.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a status of a health of the structure includes determining if the change in amount between the at least one sample of data and the at least one prior sample of data is greater than a threshold.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

obtain at least one prior sample of data with a piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure, the at least one prior sample being a baseline data point corresponding to no damage to the structure;

obtain at least one sample of load and load path data from the piezoelectric sensor associated with the structure;

compare the at least one sample of data to at least one prior sample of data obtained from the piezoelectric sensor including determining a change in load magnitude and a change in load path direction between the at least one sample and the at least one prior sample; and

provide a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison based on load detection and damage detection with the same piezoelectric sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

use the at least one sample of data to provide an indication of absolute load.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the structure is associated with an aircraft, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

tag the at least one sample of data with an identification of the piezoelectric sensor and with an identification of a state of operation of the aircraft or other critical structures when the at least one sample of data is taken by the piezoelectric sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

wirelessly receive the at least one sample of data based on power obtained from the piezoelectric sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, and wherein the at least one sample of data comprises a plurality of samples of data, and wherein each of the plurality of samples of data is associated with a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

compare a first of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a first of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to a second of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a second of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to determine that a joint associated with the structure that bridges the first and second piezoelectric sensors is damaged.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein providing a status of a health of the structure includes determining if the change in amount between the at least one sample of data and the at least one prior sample of data is greater than a threshold.