US 7,246,521 B2 · Diagnostic system for monitoring structural health conditions

Abstract

Sensors and systems for monitoring structural health conditions. The present invention provides a device for monitoring structural health conditions including a dielectric substrate, a piezoelectric device for actuating and/or sensing Lamb waves, a molding layer deposited over the piezoelectric device, a cover layer deposited over the molding layer and a hoop layer surrounding the piezoelectric device and being attached to the substrate. The device further includes an optical fiber coil sensor attached to the dielectric substrate, where the coil sensor has a rolled optical fiber cable and a coating layer applied to the rolled optical fiber cable. The present invention also provides a diagnostic patch network that includes a plurality of patch sensors attached to a host structure and a bridge box connected to the patch sensors. The bridge box sends information of structural health conditions to and receive power from a ground control system using a wireless communication technique.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A diagnostic system for monitoring the health condition of a host structure having one or more sensors coupled thereto, comprising:

a bridge box including:
at least one miniature transducer coupled to the sensors and operative to receive sensor signals from the sensors and to generate transducer signals, said sensor signals carrying information of the health condition of the host structure;
a microprocessor operative to receive the transducer signals from the miniature transducer and to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal carrying the transducer signals;
and
a multi-layered honeycomb sandwich structure having an outer plate that includes at least one conformal load-bearing antenna for receiving the RF signal from the microprocessor and broadcasting the RF signal,
wherein the RF signal broadcasted by the bridge box is received by a remote device and analyzed to monitor the health condition of the host structure.

3 more elements

A diagnostic system for monitoring the health condition of a host structure having one or more sensors coupled thereto by use of electromagnetic waves wirelessly transmitted from a remote source, comprising:

a bridge box connected to the sensors and operative to receive, from the sensors, sensor signals that carry information of the health condition of the host structure, said bridge box having a multi-layered honeycomb sandwich structure that includes first and second layers, said first layer containing at least one conformal load-bearing antenna for receiving the electromagnetic waves and for generating electrical currents using the electromagnetic waves, said second layer including a silicon substrate connected to the conformal load-bearing antenna and operative to collect the electrical currents from the conformal load-bearing antenna, to condition the electrical currents, and to provide the electrical currents for the sensors,
wherein said sensors are operative to generate the sensor signals using the electrical currents.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Diagnostic system for monitoring structural health conditions

Life of this patent

Diagnostic system for monitoring structural health conditions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22