IN-FLIGHT VIBRATION-BASED STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING OF AIRCRAFT WINGS

摘要

This work presents a methodology for automated damage-sensitive feature extraction and anomaly detection under multivariate operational variability for in-flight assessment of wings. The method uses a passive excitation approach, i. e. without the need for artificial actuation. The modal system properties (natural frequencies and damping ratios) are used as damage-sensitive features. Special emphasis is placed on the use of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technology and the consideration of Operational and Environmental Variability (OEV). Measurements from a wind tunnel investigation with a composite cantilever equipped with FBG and piezoelectric sensors are used to successfully detect an impact damage. In addition, the feasibility of damage localisation and severity estimation is evaluated based on the coupling found between damageand OEV-induced feature changes.