Method for structural health monitoring using a smart sensor system

Abstract

The structural health monitoring method of the present invention utilizes ultrasound to determine information about deformation, stress and/or damage in structural elements. The method propagates ultrasound through at least a portion of a material having fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity, receives the ultrasound which has been propagated through at least a portion of the material and determining information about the structural element from attenuation and/or time of flight of said received ultrasound.

1 . A method for monitoring a structure comprising:
 propagating ultrasound through at least a portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity;   receiving the ultrasound after it has propagated through said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity, and   determining information relating to said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity from at least one of attenuation and time of flight of said received ultrasound.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is capable of being carried out within a temperature range of about 123.15 K to about 973.15 K. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of said structure which exhibits fully-reversible non-linear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of materials having MAX phases. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the portion of the structure having fully-reversible non-linear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Ti 3 SiC 2 , Ti 2 AlC, graphite, hexagonal-boron nitride, mica, and hexagonal metals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the hexagonal metal is selected from the group consisting of Co, Mg, and Ti. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of identifying a site of deformation, stress or damage in the structure prior to said step of propagating ultrasound through at least a portion of the structure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method provides a maximum stress said structure experienced before a potential occurrence of structural failure 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said method provides a deformation history of said structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method provides an image of deformation, stress or damage to said structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information about said structure is determined from attenuation of said ultrasound by said portion of the structure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information about said structure is determined from time of flight of said ultrasound through said portion of the structure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material having a c/a ratio of at least 1.2. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material having a c/a ratio of at least 1.5. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound is propagated through an entire part of said structure. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound is propagated through said entire structure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of materials of the formula: M n+1 AX n , where M is an early transition metal, A is an A-group element, X is carbon and/or nitrogen, and n=1-3. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said portion of the structure which exhibits fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ternary carbides and ternary nitrides.