An integrated health monitoring technique using structural impedance sensors

This paper presents an integrated methodology to detect and locate structural damage. Two different damage detection schemes are combined in this methodology, which involves utilizing the electromechanical coupling property of piezoelectric materials and tracking the changes in the frequency response function data, respectively. Physical changes in the structure cause changes in mechanical impedance. Due to the electromechanical coupling in piezoelectric materials, this change in structural mechanical impedance causes a change in the electrical impedance of the piezoelectric sensor. Hence, by monitoring the electrical impedance one can qualitatively determine when structural damage has occurred or is imminent. Based on the fact that damage produces local dynamic changes, this technique utilizes a high frequency structural excitation (typically greater than 30 kHz) through the surface-bonded piezoelectric sensor/actuators. As a second step, a newly developed model-based technique, using a wave propagation approach, has been used to quantitatively assess the state of structures. Direct frequency response function data, as opposed to modal data, are utilized to characterize the damage in the structures. A numerical example and an experimental investigation of one-dimensional structures are presented to illustrate the performance of this technique.