INNOVATIVE FERROMAGNETIC SENSORS/INSTRUMENTATION TO MONITOR AIRCRAFT AGING

CURRENT OPERATIONAL METAL AIRCRAFT ARE GETTING OLDER AND NEWER ONES USE MORE COMPOSITE MATERIALS. THE DESIGN OF BOTH THE CURRENT AND NEW AIRCRAFT IS BASED ON A DAMAGE TOLERANT PHILOSOPHY. THIS IMPLIES THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD SUSTAIN THE REGULATORY FAIL-SAFE LOADS IN THE PRESENCE OF DEFEATS, UNTIL DETECTED THROUGH INSPECTION OR MALFUNCTION. PRESENT NDE TECHNIQUES TYPICALLY REQUIRE GROUNDING OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH AFFECT THEIR OPERATIONAL READINESS. THESE NDE TECHNIQUES ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE TEARDOWN WHICH SOMETIMES INDUCES DEFECTS IN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. DEFECTS SUCH AS FATIGUE CRACKS AND DELAMINATIONS ARE FREQUENT. THE CONCEPT PROPOSED CONSISTS OF TAGGING THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE MAGNETOSTRUCTURE PARTICLES, WHICH WILL GENERATE SIGNATURES IN THE STRUCTURE DURING DEVELOPMENT OF FATIGUE CRACKS/DELAMINATIONS. THE CONCEPT WILL RENDER THE AIRCRAFT NOT ONLY SENSIABLE BUT ALSO SMART.