Integration of structural health monitoring sensors with aerospace, composite materials and structures

摘要

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technology offers potential to enhance or even supplant current structural inspection processes that are performed manually. Sensors that are permanently attached to a structure perform the inspection task rather than the application of an instrument probe or transducer that is manually scanned. Structures made from composite material can include during their manufacture the sensor components necessary for structural health monitoring. In this way, the sensors become an intimate part of the structure and are protected from potentially damaging external environments. To achieve this embedment however a number of challenges need to be faced from manufacturing through to design. This paper explores some of the examples of structural health monitoring technology suitable for embedment, the problems associated with embedment and some examples of how some key challenges have been overcome.