STRUCTURAL MODULES WITH SELF-INTEGRITY MONITORING

CONTINUAL MONITORING OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND DETECTION OF DAMAGE AND ITS SUBSEQUENT COMPENSATION, REPAIR, AND CONTROL ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR LARGE, COMPLEX SPACE STRUCTURES. PHASE I IS TO RESEARCH A SYSTEM WHICH WILL REDUCE THIS TASK TO A MODULE-BY-MODULE SELF-INTEGRITY MONITORING SYSTEM. A COMPLEX SPACE STRUCTURE WILL BE DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL SECTIONS, OR MODULES. INTERFACE FORCES AND MOMENTS (REACTIONS) BETWEEN MODULES WILL BE MEASURED, AS WILL SELECTED DYNAMIC RESPONSES OF A MODULE ITSELF. A MODEL OF A MODULE, VALIDATED BY INITIAL TESTS, WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE CONTINUING CONSISTENCY OF THESE REACTIONS AND DYNAMIC RESPONSES FOR THE MODULE. SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES WILL INDICATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND SUGGEST ITS NATURE.