Real Time Structural Health Monitoring of High Velocity Impact Events

This SBIR effort seeks to develop a structural health monitoring system that can monitor structural components of vehicles that are subjected to possible blast loading conditions and high-velocity impacts. The system provides the following characteristics; capable of capturing real-time stress measurements under blast loading conditions, capable of surviving extreme pressure wave environments, adaptable to complex geometries and installation requirements, capable of determining time-dependent elastic-plastic transition on structural surfaces, able to store data for experimental validation of 3D FEM models, and potentially able to be self-powered by external vibrations or other power sources. These characteristics are accomplished through inherently directional acoustic sensors that minimize system complexity and signal processing needs. In addition, wave steering materials and structures provide protection to sensors by redirecting high pressure waves. The Phase I effort will demonstrate simple damage detection utilizing directional sensor elements, as well as sensor survivability under blast loading conditions.