Innovative composite material component with embedded self-powered wireless sensor device for structural monitoring

Abstract

An innovative structural component, manufactured in laminated composite material is provided of an embedded sensor device to monitor his temperature and transmit it via wireless radio connection. The aim of such component is both to supporting loads, as a common structure, and to sense at the same time one or more structural parameters of interest, as in example in this work the temperature, but that can be the state of stress and/or strain and/or the dynamic mechanical loading. This capability is achieved by mean of one or a plurality of sensors, wired to a processing unit. Such unit is linked to a remote control station via wireless radio connection to transmit the acquired data. The electronic equipment is powered by an embedded energy harvesting circuit that transduce the mechanical vibrations in electric power by mean of a piezoelectric element, allowing the device to work without an external power source or a battery. Sensor network, processing unit, radio device and energy harvester are designed in a flat scale with ultra-low power electronic components in order to be embedded inside the stacking sequence of the laminated composite material. The structure and the monitoring device are all in one. The solution can be part of a more complex hosting structure as sub-component or it can be the whole structure itself. A remote station collects and post-process the information of one or more of such components and evaluate the measured parameters. The advantage of this component is to be a completely autonomous system, all integrated, ready to use and free of external equipment that can be directly subjected to harsh environmental actions.