LAT, Inc. is proposing to develop a cost-effective innovative Built-in Active Sensing Structural Diagnostic (BASSD) system for monitoring the integrity and for detecting damage in structures. The development of the system is primarily based on the SMART layer technology, which uses a built-in network of piezoelectric sensors and actuators to interrogate the condition of the structures. The BASSD system consists of three major components: SMART layer, smart suitcase, and application software. The layer is made of a thin dielectric adhesive film with an embedded network of piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The smart suitcase hosts a sensor/actuator control unit as well as a signal processor. The software based on particular applications will be developed and implemented inside the smart suitcase to interface with the SMART layer by a wired or wireless communication channel. Equipped with the BASSD system, the condition of the structures could be monitored in real time through the built-in sensors. The measured signals will be processed to determine the condition fo the structures. If necessary, the system could also instruct the built-in actuators to generate automatically diagnostic signals to their neighboring sensors and to further interrogate the condition of the structures in terms of damage or anomaly. Upon completion of the development of the BASSD system, many industries such as aerospace, automotive, civil infrastructures, could benefit substantially from the product which provides the following advatages: real-time structural monitoring, improvement of reliability, reduction of maintenance cost, reduction of maintenance cost, reduction of downtime, and improvement of readiness service.
Keywords: STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING BUILT-IN-DIAGNOSTICS PIEZOELECTRIC SENSORS AND ACTUATORS IMPACT DAMAGE
