Bondline embedded current sensor

An aircraft, comprising:

• a structural assembly including at least one bonded joint having an adhesive layer in a cured bondline bonding a first structure to a second structure;
• a current sensor network embedded in an adhesive layer of the cured bondline, including:
• a plurality of inductive coils generating induced current in response to a magnetic field associated with an electrical current passing through the adhesive layer;
• and
• a plurality of current sensor nodes electrically interconnecting the inductive coils to form a plurality of current sensor loops, the current sensor nodes generating current signals representative of the induced current;
• and
• a digital data communications network located external to the cured bondline and receiving the current signals from the current sensor network and detecting and monitoring electrical current passing through the cured bondline based on the current signals.

A method for monitoring electrical current passing through a cured bondline, comprising:

• passing an electrical current through an adhesive layer of a cured bondline of a structural assembly, the electrical current having a magnetic field associated therewith, the adhesive layer containing a current sensor network including a plurality of inductive coils electrically interconnected at a plurality of current sensor nodes and forming a plurality of current sensor loops;
• inducing an induced current in the current sensor loops in response to the magnetic field;
• generating, at the current sensor nodes, current signals representative of the induced current;
• transmitting the current signals to a digital data communications network located external to the cured bondline;
• detecting and monitoring the electrical current using the digital data communications network based on the current signals.