Damage Detection of Composite Components using Surface Mounted Sensors

Today’s advanced airborne weapons systems push the limits of technology to achieve greater speed, payload, and efficiency than previous generation systems. The tradeoff for the improved performance is that advanced systems and structures require extensive maintenance. Aurora proposes to develop an onboard health monitoring system that performs maintenance inspections with a high probability of detection (POD) without physical or visual access to the components to bring the cost of maintenance down on current and future air vehicles. Aurora will leverage its existing contract, the design and production of the CH-53K main rotor pylon, to select a CH-53K structure ideally suited to a structural health monitoring (SHM) system. Aurora’s familiarity with the design and analysis will aid in optimizing the sensor placement for maximum probability of detection and minimum weight impact. Panels will be fabricated with and without embedded manufacturing flaws and damage sites including micro cracks, delamination, and Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID). The panels will demonstrate a SHM system based on the Metis Design Corporation surface mount Intelli-Connector SHM sensor. As a Phase 1 Option, varying numbers and locations of sensors will be used on the panel specimens in order to determine optimization parameters for sensor placement and density.