Energy Harvesting Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Airplane Components-A Review

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is crucial for aircraft safety and efficiency.
• Current SHM systems require reliable power sources for sensors and data processing.
• Autonomous SHM can reduce maintenance costs and improve fuel efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and critically assess various energy harvesting (EH) technologies for powering SHM systems in aircraft.
• To evaluate the suitability of different EH sources (kinetic, thermal, solar, airflow) for aerospace applications.
• To provide guidelines for selecting appropriate EH and power management solutions for autonomous SHM nodes.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing energy harvesting technologies.
• Critical analysis of power levels, potential aircraft integration, and power management architectures.
• Evaluation of EH technologies for acoustic emission and guided wave sensors.

Main Results:

• Identified various EH technologies applicable to aircraft SHM.
• Assessed the specific power outputs and placement feasibility of different EH devices.
• Highlighted the necessity of tailored power management architectures for each EH solution.

Conclusions:

• Energy harvesting offers a viable path towards autonomous SHM systems for aircraft.
• Careful selection of EH technology and power management is essential for successful implementation.
• This work lays the foundation for developing next-generation, non-destructive SHM for aerospace components.