Multifunctional Vehicle Structural Health Monitoring with Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors

A novel structural health monitoring (SHM) concept of embedded nondestructive evaluation with piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) has been developed. PWAS can be structurally embedded as both individual probes and phased arrays. They can be placed inside closed cavities during fabrication/ overhaul (such as wing structures), and then be left in place for the life of the structure. The embedded nondestructive evaluation (NDE) concept opens new horizons for performing insitu damage detection and structural health monitoring of a multitude of thin-wall structures.