System for diagnosing and monitoring structural health conditions

Abstract

Systems for diagnosing/monitoring structural health conditions of objects. The system, which monitors structural health conditions by use of a plurality of patch sensors attached to an object, includes at least one bridge box. Each of the patch sensors is capable of at least one of generating a wave upon receipt of an actuator signal and developing a sensor signal in response to the wave. The bridge box includes: a switch array module that has a plurality of relay switches; and a signal condition module, wherein the plurality of relay switches are operated to establish a channel between a selected one of the patches and the signal condition module.

1 . A diagnostic system for monitoring structural health conditions by use of a plurality of patch sensors attached to an object, each said patch sensor being capable of at least one of generating a wave upon receipt of an actuator signal and developing a sensor signal in response to said wave, said system comprising: 
 at least one bridge box including: 
 a switch array module that has a plurality of relay switches; and  
 a signal condition module,  
 wherein said plurality of relay switches are operated to establish a channel between a selected one of said patches and said signal condition module.  
   
   
   
       2 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a data acquisition system for generating the actuator signal and receiving the sensor signal, said data acquisition system being coupled to the bridge box by a transmission link.    
   
   
       3 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a computer for operating the patch sensors and the data acquisition system, said computer being coupled to the data acquisition system.    
   
   
       4 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bridge box is disposed in a structure.  
   
   
       5 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said transmission link includes at least one of an electrical cable and a wireless link.  
   
   
       6 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said signal condition module is operative to perform at least one of conditioning the actuator signal, filtering the sensor signal and converting a fiber optical signal into an electrical signal, said sensor signals carrying information of the health condition of the object.  
   
   
       7 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bridge box further includes: 
 at least one miniature transducer coupled to said patches, operative to receive the sensor signal from the patches and to generate transducer signals.    
   
   
       8 . A bridge box as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said miniature transducer is operative to receive a wireless actuator signal from the data acquisition system and to generate the actuator signal to the patches.  
   
   
       9 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said bridge box further includes: 
 a microprocessor operative to receive the transducer signals from the miniature transducer and to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal carrying the transducer signals.    
   
   
       10 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bridge box further includes: 
 an antenna for receiving and broadcasting a radio frequency (RF) signal.    
   
   
       11 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said antenna is a conformal load-bearing antenna.  
   
   
       12 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the RF signal is formatted in accordance with a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).  
   
   
       13 . A diagnostic system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the RF signal is accessible to a mobile internet toolkit.