Evaluation and improvement in sensor performance and durability for structural health monitoring systems

For aerospace applications, the successful transition and use of integrated structural health monitoring systems will require durable sensors that can perform in their intended environment for many years. For legacy aircraft the primary means of implementing a sensor system will be through surface mounting or bonding of the sensors to the structure. Previous work has shown that the performance of surface-bonded piezo sensors can degrade due to environmental effects such as vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and substrate flexure motions. This performance degradation included sensor cracking, disbonding, and general loss of efficiency over time. In this activity, the bond and piezo material characteristics of a typical surface-bonded piezo sensor system were studied to understand and improve the long-term durability and survivability of the sensor system. Analytic and computational models were developed and used to understand stress-strain relationships for the bonded sensor system, with a special emphasis being place on coefficient of thermal expansion issues. Accelerated environmental testing was accomplished for simple bonded piezo sensor systems, where a displacement-field imaging technique was used to understand the piezo sensor performance. Future activities will focus on identifying the optimal bond conditions and piezo material type, with the ultimate goal of improving the robustness of health monitoring systems through improved sensor system design and packaging.