Practicability Issues of Sensor-Based Damage Detection on Military Platforms
Abstract
A broad variety of military platforms such as fighter aircraft are nowadays operated for several decades under sometimes varying missions. Additional requirements resulting from more severe fatigue spectra or extended life for these platforms or improved performance requirements for future platforms may require additional means of ensuring structural integrity. It is then important to gain the maximum usage (fatigue life / load levels) of aircraft components most efficiently still ensuring structural integrity at all times. Conventional structural health monitoring systems are typically based on loads and usage monitoring. Together with modern nondestructive damage detection techniques it is possible to safely operate even aged platforms or enable operation of otherwise impossible designs. This goal is achieved by periodic examinations in order to ensure that a structural item is free of damage. However, the dismantling of structures for the purpose of non destructive testing may be very costly, time intensive and sometimes harmful to the surrounding structure itself (accidental damage, unplanned cut-outs for post-inspection, etc.). Therefore, a practical sensor-based damage detection and monitoring system requires integrated, reliable and affordable sensing systems that are needed to avoid disassembly where economically or technically justified. The practicability aspects associated with the introduction of health monitoring sensors to existing and future military platform structures are related with integration aspects and the advantages/disadvantages of permanent installation on board. As an example, such introduction aspects are applied to the Smart Wide area Imaging Sensor System (SWISS) Technology that serves to detect, localize and size material defects with small, highly integrated, weight and volume saving ultrasonic sensors without need to access the damage susceptible area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA480008
Entities
People
- Klaus-peter Kress