Detection, localization and characterization of damage in plates with an<i>in situ</i>array of spatially distributed ultrasonic sensors

TLDR

Permanently attached piezoelectric sensor arrays are being explored for structural health monitoring, but damage detection methods must compare signals to baselines while accounting for non‑damage changes such as temperature. This study proposes a two‑step approach that first detects damage and then localizes and characterizes it. Detection exploits the long‑time diffuse‑like regime where echoes are indistinct, while localization generates images from the early‑time regime with discrete echoes, and the method is demonstrated on an aluminum plate with artificial damage under varying temperatures. The loss of local temporal coherence combined with an optimal baseline selection reliably detects damage, and a delay‑and‑sum imaging of the residual signals accurately localizes and characterizes the damage.

Abstract

Permanently attached piezoelectric sensors arranged in a spatially distributed array are under consideration for structural health monitoring systems incorporating active ultrasonic methods. Most damage detection and localization methods that have been proposed are based upon comparing monitored signals to baselines recorded from the structure prior to initiation of damage. To be effective, this comparison process must take into account any conditions other than damage that have changed the ultrasonic signals. Proposed here is a two-step process whereby damage is first detected and is then localized and characterized. The detection strategy considers the long time behavior of the signals in the diffuse-like regime where distinct echoes can no longer be identified. The localization strategy is to generate images of damage based upon the early time regime when discrete echoes from boundary reflections and scattering sites are meaningful. Results are shown for an aluminum plate with artificial damage introduced in combination with temperature variations. The loss of local temporal coherence combined with an optimal baseline selection procedure is shown to be effective for the detection of damage, and a delay-and-sum imaging method applied to the residual signals both localizes the damage and provides characterization information.