Motivation:

Reliable structural health monitoring systems for fiber metal laminates (FML) using guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) require high quality measurement data. These are usually acquired using surface-applied, wire-bound, lead-containing piezoceramics with specific disadvantages. It is assumed that certain damage within the FML might not be detectable with surface-applied sensors, wired connections increase the weight of the SHM systems and piezoceramic transducers generate non-decomposable signals that are superimposed from in-plane and out-of-plane displacements. This requires an increased information density and maximized energy efficiency in SHM systems.

Aims:

• Increase the information density and allow for mode selectivity with a novel, functionally compliant and embeddable sensor design for GUW pickup
• Increase the energy efficiency and information density with functionally compliant embedded transducers as well as directive GUW excitation and evaluation
• Decisively improve the energy efficiency of SHM in FML using functionally integrated wireless energy and data transfer

Approach:

• Using MEMS technology to design spatially discrete sensors with independent sensitivities for in- and out-of-plane vibration
• Embedding of MEMS vibrometers inside laminates and designing phased array transducers to directively excite and evaluate GUW
• Design of embedded electronics with inductively coupled resonator circuits and structure-integrated antennas for wireless energy and data transfer