Microwire vs. Micro-Ribbon Magnetoelastic Sensors for Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring of Rectangular...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Structural Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Structural health monitoring (SHM) is crucial for infrastructure safety.
• Magnetoelastic sensors offer a promising non-destructive evaluation method.
• Metglas materials exhibit unique magnetic properties suitable for sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare ribbon and microwire magnetoelastic Metglas sensors for concrete beam SHM.
• To evaluate sensor performance in detecting and quantifying structural damage.
• To investigate the effect of thermal annealing on sensor signal enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Attaching ribbon and microwire Metglas sensors to concrete beams.
• Inducing cracks and subjecting beams to flexural vibrations.
• Wirelessly recording magnetic signals using coils and Fast Fourier Analysis.
• Analyzing signal spectra for bending mode frequencies and damage-induced shifts.
• Investigating the impact of thermal annealing on sensor performance.

Main Results:

• Both ribbon and microwire sensors successfully detected structural damage.
• The ribbon sensor provided a 1.4x stronger signal than the microwire sensor.
• Damage-related relative frequency shifts were minimal (<1%) and similar for both sensor types.
• Thermal annealing enhanced sensor signals by 10-30%, particularly for the ribbon sensor.

Conclusions:

• Both ribbon and microwire magnetoelastic sensors are viable for concrete structural health monitoring.
• The choice between ribbon and microwire may depend on desired signal strength.
• Thermal annealing is an effective method to improve sensor sensitivity.