Stretchable strain sensor based on conductive polymer for structural health monitoring of high-speed train head

Abstract

Stretchable strain sensor has been widely applied to structural health monitor in the aerospace, high-speed train, wear electronics, and civil engineering areas. Stretchable strain sensor based on PDMS-CB (polydimethylsiloxane carbon-black) conductive polymer with large deformability is designed to collect the structural health data of the curved surface of high-speed train head (HSTH). The stretchability (>30%) of the strain sensor is validated by the FEM simulation and experimental results. Temperature effect and fatigue analysis of PDMS-CB strain sensors are considered to compensate the accuracy of strain data. The stretchable strain sensor has been applied to detect the cracks of the curved surface via the variable strain data corresponding to the crack length. A structural health monitor (SHM) based on the PDMS-CB strain sensor array is built to collect the continuous long-term strain data of the curved surface of HSTH. Wind pressure is applied to the strain sensor onto the curved surface of HSTH as external signal to simulate the strain distribution. It has been demonstrated that the PDMS-CB strain sensor is applied to structural health monitor of HSTH effectively during the driving process.