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Design and evaluation of a wireless sensor network based aircraft strength testing system
Jian Wu1, Shenfang Yuan, Genyuan Zhou
1The Aeronautic Key Laboratory for Smart Materials and Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29# Yu Dao Street, Nanjing, China, 210016; E-Mails: wujian@nuaa.edu.cn (J.W.); hjfd641xsc@yahoo.com.cn (Z.W.); wy52119514@163.com (Y.W.).
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 13, 2012
Summary
Wireless sensor networks (WSN) offer an efficient alternative to traditional wired systems for aircraft strength testing (AST). This study demonstrates a WSN-based system that improves efficiency and intelligence in structural verification.
Area of Science:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Structural Health Monitoring
- Wireless Sensor Networks
Background:
- Traditional ground strength testing systems for aerospace structures rely heavily on extensive wiring.
- Centralized data processing in current systems leads to inefficiencies and a lack of intelligent testing.
- Cable-based systems present limitations in terms of setup complexity and data acquisition flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a wireless sensor network (WSN) based aircraft strength testing (AST) system.
- To address the limitations of conventional cable-based ground testing systems.
- To demonstrate the efficiency and intelligence of WSN technology in structural verification.
Main Methods:
- Development of a miniature, high-precision, shock-proof wireless sensor node for strain gauge signal conditioning.
- Design of a cluster-star network topology protocol and application layer interface.
- Deployment of a multi-point WSN-based AST system for static testing of a real aircraft undercarriage.
Main Results:
- The designed WSN-based AST system successfully gathered, processed, and transmitted strain gauge signals under various static loads.
- The system demonstrated improved efficiency and intelligence compared to conventional AST systems.
- Functionality and capability of the WSN for strength testing were verified on a real aircraft specimen.
Conclusions:
- Wireless sensor network technology provides a viable and efficient solution for aircraft strength testing.
- The developed WSN-based AST system enhances the intelligence and efficiency of structural verification processes.
- WSN technology has the potential to revolutionize aerospace structural testing by overcoming the limitations of wired systems.
