Performance Assessment for a Guided Wave-Based SHM System Applied to a Stiffened Composite Structure

Area of Science:

• Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
• Non-Destructive Evaluation
• Wave Mechanics

Background:

• Assessing structural health monitoring (SHM) systems requires considering numerous factors.
• Guided wave-based SHM systems necessitate analysis of their structure and system parameters for performance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze prerequisites and contributing factors for guided wave-based SHM systems.
• To display interdependencies of performance assessment using an SHM pyramid.
• To present a detailed method for path-based performance assessment using open-access data.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of SHM system structure and parameters.
• Development of an SHM pyramid to illustrate performance interdependencies.
• Path-based performance assessment using the Open Guided Waves dataset.
• Numerical investigation of wave mechanics and sensor positioning.

Main Results:

• Damage distance directly affects SHM system performance.
• Propagation direction does not significantly alter detection capability in composite materials.
• Reflections in finite waveguides necessitate analysis of entire wave paths.
• Sensor position is a critical factor influencing SHM system performance.

Conclusions:

• Environmental conditions, location, and structural dependency require novel solutions for SHM.
• The decision framework and reliability thresholds are crucial for SHM system performance.
• Understanding wave mechanics and sensor placement is essential for effective SHM.