Influence of Volumetric Damage Parameters on Patch Antenna Sensor-Based Damage Detection of Metallic Structure.

Zhiping Liu,Hanjin Yu,Runfa Li,Kai Zhou,Qian Guo

doi:10.3390/s19143232

Abstract

Antenna sensors have been employed for crack monitoring of metallic materials. Existing studies have mainly focused on the mathematical relationship between the surface crack length of metallic material and the resonant frequency. The influence of the crack depth on the sensor output and the difference of whether the crack is depth-penetrated remains unexplored. Therefore, in this work, a numerical simulation method was used to investigate the current density distribution characteristics of the ground plane (metallic material) with different crack geometric parameters. The data reveals that, compared with the crack length, the crack depth has a greater influence on the resonant frequency. The relationship between the frequency and the crack geometric parameters was discussed by characterizing the current density and sensor output under different crack lengths and depths. Therefore, the feasibility of monitoring another common damage of metallic materials, i.e., corrosion pit, was explored. Furthermore, the influences of crack and corrosion pit geometric parameters on the output results were validated by experiments.

Highlights

While operating under an alternating load and corrosive environment, metallic structures are prone to structural damage, such as cracks and corrosion pits
As an emerging sensor capable of passive wireless interrogation, the patch antenna sensor is used for structural damage monitoring
The results revealed that when the crack width increases, the resonant frequency shifts

Summary

Introduction

While operating under an alternating load and corrosive environment, metallic structures are prone to structural damage, such as cracks and corrosion pits. This damage often leads to failure or even destruction of the structure [1,2]. Studies focused on structural health monitoring (SHM) that allows detailed characterization of metallic structure damage are essential for ensuring safe and reliable operation of mechanical equipment and to reduce related maintenance costs. The detected response is used to combine characteristics of the system, thereby allowing damage assessment and location within the SHM system. As an emerging sensor capable of passive wireless interrogation, the patch antenna sensor is used for structural damage monitoring

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Conclusion