Structural health monitoring for aircraft, ground transportation vehicles, wind turbines and pipes - prognosis

New materials and light-weight structures call for new concepts of reliability assurance and maintenance. The progress in micro-electronics and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) allows development of highly integrated smart systems in large quantities at low costs that combine signal generation, data pre-processing and wireless communication accompanied by energy harvesting mechanisms, thus forming self-sufficient equipment and systems. Such sensor systems and networks are integrated into industrial components and vehicles, driving the development of smart structures. Two main concepts of global monitoring will be discussed: vibration analysis and propagation of elastic waves, and measurements of stress, strain and load conditions. Structural Health Monitoring activities at Fraunhofer IZFP Dresden are focused on Acousto-Ultrasonics and Acoustic Emission in combination with Vibration Analysis. Sensor systems and networks based on acoustic and optical principles are already in use for full scale fatigue tests and on operating windmills. The focus of aviation and aerospace activities is directed towards monitoring of fiber composite structures. Express and cargo trains are monitored by acoustic measurement equipment evaluating the noise from the rail-wheel contact. Finally, guided wave techniques are applied for corrosion and crack monitoring of pipes and piping systems. This paper provides an overview of the Structural Health Monitoring activities at Fraunhofer IZFP Dresden, and discusses future concepts.