Optimization of Sensor Network for Velocity-Free Acoustic Emission Source Localization in Construction Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Structural Engineering
• Nondestructive Testing

Background:

• Acoustic emission (AE) source localization is crucial for analyzing damage and fracture in construction materials.
• The accuracy of AE localization heavily relies on the design of the sensor network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an optimization framework for designing an effective six-sensor network for velocity-free AE source localization.
• To quantify the effective monitoring range for damage characterization.

Main Methods:

• Solving a nonlinear inverse problem using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm to determine source coordinates.
• Evaluating sensor subsets by combining location error metrics and effective localization results.
• Numerical simulations and pencil-lead break tests on ceramic tiles.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal six-sensor configurations with four sensors at outer corners and two at inner corners.
• Demonstrated superior effective monitoring ranges compared to Fisher-information-based networks.
• Showcased robustness against arrival-time noise, velocity uncertainty, and sensor coordinate perturbations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework provides a robust and cost-effective method for AE sensor network design.
• Optimized networks enhance damage monitoring, fracture characterization, and nondestructive evaluation in construction materials.