Real-time In-situ Impact and Damage Locator in Anisotropic Aerospace Structures

ABSTRACT: This Phase II proposal aims at developing and demonstrating the impact/damage monitoring technology whose feasibility was shown in Phase I. The project objective is to demonstrate a new technique based on piezoelectric rosette nodes for (1) locating the points of impact or growing damage in realistic aerospace structures, (2) identifying the magnitude of the impact force, and (3) discriminating whether an impact has caused structural damage or not. These capabilities are not available to date, with the necessary accuracy levels, for aerospace structures which are complex in either materials (anisotropic, etc..) or geometries (multilayered, tapered, etc..). Phase II work will culminate with the assembly and the demonstration of an impact/damage monitoring prototype with capabilities (1) through (3) above. The Phase II work will be performed by Avanti Tech, LLC and by the subcontractor University of California at San Diego. BENEFIT: Commercial applications of the proposed technology will be found in the structural monitoring of impact/damage-sensitive aerospace structures in the military sector (USAF, Army, Navy, Marines, etc) and in the civilian sector (Boeing 787, Airbus A380, etc..). The technology could also find applications in monitoring ship hulls, tanks, cars and other damage-sensitive structures.