Permanently bonded to a structure, an integrated Phased Array (PhA) structural radar transducer that can provide reliable electromechanical connection with corresponding sophisticated miniaturized electronic "all in one" SHM device installed directly above it, without need for any interface cabling, during entire aerospace structure lifecycle and for a huge variety of real harsh service environments of structures to be monitored is presented. The integrated PhA transducer consists of a set of aligned piezo-electric discs with wrap around electrodes for transceiving of elastic ultrasonic waves, plurality of electrical traces and contact pads, several layers of a flexible printed circuit board, electromagnetic shielding between channels and overall, one electromechanical multipinned connector and all that integrated into one small unit easy for surface installation by bonding and final application on real structures. This invention is intentioned to be used for numerous important real time or on demand applications like: structural health monitoring, temperature distribution mapping, deformation distribution mapping, stress distribution mapping, stiffness distribution mapping, vibration distribution mapping, characterization of structure material physical properties, impact detection, leakage detection, etc. and all that during almost all phases of structure life cycle, like manufacturing process, curing, assembly, certification testing, flight testing, maintenance and real service. The invention is an important prerequisite toward future real extensive application of distributed structural health monitoring systems on common aircraft structures with in situ processing, quick reports generation about real structural health, status, condition or performance. This integrated PhA transducer, as a key component of PAMELA SHM (Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment) system, has two principal tasks at the same time, reliably transceive elastic waves and serves as a reliable sole carrier or support for associated sophisticated SHM electronic device attached above.
展开▼
