Structural Damage Detection Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves Under Varying Ambient Temperature and Loading Environments

Abstract

Accurate interpretation of in-situ piezoelectric sensor signals is an enormously challenging task. This paper presents the development of environmental compensation models based on physical insight to aid in structural damage detection using in-situ piezo-sensor signals. Analytical as well as numerical simulation studies were carried out to understand the influence of varying ambient temperature and loading environments on signals collected from thin, metallic, platelike structures instrumented with surface mounted piezoelectric transducers. Numerical compensation models were developed and validated to estimate piezo-sensor response under known environmental conditions. A very limited amount of actual sensor measurements are required to estimate model parameters, making this approach to be efficient and practically useful.