Structural Health Monitoring

Structural Health Monitoring ( SHM) to German about monitoring the condition of structures is a method to continuously receive clues about the functionality of components and structures. How to damage, for example, cracks or deformation, can be detected early in order to take countermeasures.

During SHM is applied in static components, the condition monitoring refers to the monitoring of machines. A model example of both methods is the skin of people whose pain receptors in a spatially resolved and timely information on both the physical stress, as well as about the state.

Method

Usually done testing of components according to specified times. The inspection intervals must be chosen so that damage can be identified before it comes to a total failure.

The method SHM always delivers characteristics that inform you whether damage is present or not. Airlines to promise alone this determination up to 40 percent savings in maintenance time. In the second step, the location and size of the loss is to be determined in order to make a statement in the third step can, what impact damage on the properties of the structure and whether any should be no immediate replacement of the component.

SHM applications are found for example in bridges, in the aerospace, wind power plants and pipelines. Thus, experiments are being embedded glass fibers in the wings and rotor blades. Changes the light signals that are sent through the fibers, provide information about the stress on the components. Alternatively, ultrasound methods are investigated.