A Secure Wireless AE Sensor Network with Advanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Algorithms for Structural Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring is vitally important to prevent the catastrophic failure of critical components in advanced power plants, to optimize inspection and maintenance schedules, and to avoid unplanned outages. Acoustic Emission (AE) techniques have proven to be an effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method capable of continuously monitoring micro-structural changes that result from fatigue, stress corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement, and creep. However, conventional AE techniques suffer from (1) the high cost of installation; (2) the potential damage to equipment during installation and wiring of the AE sensors; and (3) limits in the number of sensors that can be installed, due to the capabilities of the data acquisition channels and the computational power of the AE equipment. This project will develop an innovative structural health monitoring (SHM) system that will exceed the capabilities of current wireless acoustic emission sensor networks, and provide a more robust, inexpensive, and highly accurate system. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee In addition to the application to power plants, the proposed SHM system should find use in public safety, including diagnostics and prognostics of aviation vehicles, pressure vessels, chemical pipelines, and infrastructure such as bridges and buildings. In these applications, the technology would improve structural integrity while reducing the cost associated with both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and repair.