16th World Conference on NDT - 2004 - Montreal (Canada)

STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING (SHM) – OVERVIEW ON TECHNOLOGIES UNDER

DEVELOPMENT
H. Speckmann1, R. Henrich1
1
AIRBUS, Bremen, Germany

Abstract: The continued growth in air traffic has placed an increasing demand on the aerospace industry to
manufacture aircraft at lower costs, while ensuring the products are efficient to operate, friendly to the environment
and that the required level of safety is maintained. The primary objective of the aerospace industry is to offer
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products that not only meet the operating criteria in terms of payloads and range but also significantly reduce the
Direct Operating Costs (DOCs) incurred by their customers, the airlines.
The structure of today's commercial transport aircraft is designed considering the current and forthcoming air-
worthiness regulations, the customers‘ requirements and manufacturing aspects. No health monitoring systems
were considered for today's large transport aircraft.
In the future Health Monitoring Systems will play a major rule in ensuring the structural integrity of aircraft
structures. A bundle of SHM related technologies are needed to fulfill the requirements of the aircraft manufacturer
and the operator.
The presentation will give an overview about the activities on SHM and on the technologies under research and
development within Airbus. It will start with the description of these technologies and will end with a statement
about the requirements, which have to be fulfilled to use SHM systems in In-Service aircraft.
An outlook on Upstream technologies in the field of SHM, like Nanotechnology and intelligent coatings, will
finalize the presentation.

Introduction: The continued growth in air traffic has placed an increasing demand on the aerospace industry to
manufacture aircraft at lower costs, while ensuring the products are efficient to operate, friendly to the environment
and that the required level of safety is maintained. The primary objective of the aerospace industry is to offer
products that not only meet the operating criteria in terms of payloads and range but also significantly reduce the
Direct Operating Costs (DOCs) incurred by their customers, the airlines. The structure of today's commercial
transport aircraft is designed considering the current and forthcoming airworthiness regulations, the customers‘
requirements and manufacturing aspects. No health monitoring systems were considered for today's large transport
aircraft. Loads monitoring systems with on-board evaluation to adjust the maintenance programs were evaluated in
the past but were not introduced after cost / benefit trades were carried out. Reducing the structural weight and
enhancing the customer’s satisfaction by decreasing the maintenance cost are some of the key drivers to become
competitive in the future. Using this technology permits new advanced metallic, integral fuselage design as well as
optimized CFRP structures to ensure structural integrity. Maintenance aspects are increasingly significant in
reducing the Direct Maintenance Costs (DMC) as most other DOCs such as fuel, airport fees, etc. have little
potential for further reduction.
Decreased maintenance costs will have a very positive effect, especially for airlines that are running into trouble
with their costs. The biggest challenge is to find appropriate SHM technologies that can be used under in-service
conditions. These technologies must prove that they are able to monitor the integrity of aircraft structures, while
being reliable and durable.

What is SHM? What is Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) from the point of view of an aircraft manufacturer?
The basic approach is to make non-destructive testing technology to become an integral part of the aircraft structure
itself. Different techniques can be used such as measuring loads and predicting actual fatigue life or sending waves
being either of an acoustic, electromagnetic, thermal or any other physical nature through the structure for direct
damage monitoring. Different implementations of these methods as well as sensors are available or are under
development. It is therefore essential to know:
• Which is the typical behaviour of different types of damage, what are the mechanisms and which physical
principle is best for their detection?
• Which of the different monitoring methods have the respective strength for monitoring aircraft components
prone to damage?
 • Which technologies are able to fulfil the requirements for new and improved maintenance concepts?
• What scheme can be applied such that a SHM system can still be continuously updated with new sensing
and sensor signal processing technology to emerge?
It is true that the systems available have been used for aircraft monitoring for some time, but these are mostly loads
monitoring systems (strain gages, etc.) or systems that determine flight parameters and enable conclusions to be
drawn concerning the load levels that occurred during flight. Direct monitoring of hot spots as well as monitoring
of large areas to detect a wide range of damage has never been applied as solutions in in-service aircraft.

Basic Idea: The basic idea of SHM is to build a system that is similar to the human nervous system (see Figure 1).
It will work in the same manner but will differ some case: Within the human body we have areas that do not
contain any nerves, e.g. bones. If you break your leg, it may be that you do not notice it or there is only a slight
pain. This is because the bones have no nerves, i.e. no "SHM System". In case of aircraft, the sensors (that are the
nerves) must be right at the place where an area is to be monitored to ensure the structural integrity. In case of
damage, the sensors directly identify the location and follow-up actions can be taken.

Pain indication: The brain checks the intensity of the

pain and judges when to go to the
doctor

Evaluation

Damage indication: The SHM System checks the

structure and evaluate the follow up
actions for maintenance

Figure 1 - Comparison of systems

SHM Technologies: Unlike conventional NDT systems, SHM systems are not independent of the aircraft
infrastructure. Since the sensors, and for some technologies the equipment as well, remain on the aircraft during
flight operations they exert a considerable influence on the aircraft systems (e.g. hydraulic, electric, pneumatic,
avionic systems, etc.). How far the systems are influenced depends on the SHM technology.
The following criteria apply:

Active Sensors
• Sensors can be used as both receiver and actuator
• Location and magnitude of damage are determined by means of signals
• E.g. systems based on ultrasonic or eddy current
Passive Sensors
• Sensors are used only as receivers
• Detection of damage from external sources (e.g. in-flight loads)
Online Systems
• Equipment on-board
• Monitoring cracks (while the structure is loaded/in-flight)
 • Measuring during flight
• Data are sent to a storage device or evaluation computer for further processing
Offline Systems
• Equipment off-board
• Monitoring cracks on unloaded structures
• Activation on demand
• Producing data when necessary or wanted (mostly during normal checks)
• No data storage in-flight
A short overview on some technologies is given in the following table. It is clearly identified, that each
technologies has its special field of application in the future, so that there is no competition. Quiet the contrary;
each technology will complete the other.

Detectable Detection Target Detection

Technology Basic physical principle
damage types area materials mode
Gratings written on the fibre core
are subjected to strains (variation
“Loads”
Fibre Bragg in length), which are caused by Metallic and
FBG Impacts Local On-line
Gratings temperature changes (temp. composites
Delaminations
sensor), or by local material
strain, transmitted to the fibre.
Acoustic waves are sent through
the material and received by
specific transducers. A change in
Acousto- Delaminations Metallic and
AU the material local behaviour (and Global Off-line
Ultrasonics Cracks composites
hence a damage) can be picked
up and localised by an array of
such sensors.
Open cracks generate leaks in a
Comparative Cracks Metallic
series of galleries bonded to the
Vacuum CVM Corrosion Local and Off-line
structures. A remote monitoring
Monitoring Debondings Composites
device tracks the pressure drop.
Acoustic waves generated by
small structural events (impacts,
Impacts
Acoustic crack initiation, crack growth, Metallic and
AE Cracks De- Global On-line
Emission delamination) are recorded by composites
laminations
specific transducers when they
occur.
Coatings with integrated piezo-
and ferro-electric elements, being
Sensitive Corrosion, Metallic and
SC directly able to be bonded on a Global Off-line
Coatings Cracks composites
component’s surface or even
integrated into a composite.
Multifunctional sensors capable of
monitoring parameters such as
Environmental
temperature, humidity, time of Local to
Degradation Metallic and
EDMS wetness and pH. In conjunction Corrosion sensor On-line
Monitoring composites
with a corrosion model, corrosion position
Sensors
prediction and detection is
possible.
Micro waves are send and re-
Micro Wave ceived in a pitch-catch mode Composites
µW Water ingress Local Off-line
sensors inside the material, and provide a Sandwich
picture of the water content.
 Detectable Detection Target Detection
Technology Basic physical principle
damage types area materials mode
Classical ultrasound 2D images All damages
Imaging generated by newly developed caught by Metallic and
IU Local Off-line
Ultrasonics integrated and miniaturized ultrasonic composites
sensor networks methods
Eddy currents are generated in
Foil Eddy the structure. Their pattern and
Cracks,
Current ET frequency distribution varies Local Metallic Off-line
Corrosion
sensors according to the presence of
crack or other damages

In the following chapter some of these technologies are described in detail.

Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM): CVM offers an effective method for in-situ, real time monitoring of
crack initiation and/or propagation. CVM is a measure of the differential pressure between fine galleries containing
a low vacuum alternating with galleries at atmosphere in a simple manifold (s. Fig. 2). CVM has the ability to
monitor external surfaces of materials for crack initiation, propagation and corrosion. In addition, CVM sensors can
also be embedded between components (e.g. lap joints) or within material compounds such as composite fibre. In
this way, problems related to cracking, fatigue and corrosion can be detected when and where they are initiated.
This technique offers a quick and easy way to monitor “Hot Spot” areas and thus improve the operational
efficiency of the aircraft.

CVM Sensor Air Galleries Vacuum Galleries

Test Ob-
j t

Crack (connects vacuum gallery with air gallery)

Figure 2: CVM Principle

Micro Wave Antenna: The use of microwave antennas for nondestructive testing is completely new. The system is
based on the changes of electromagnetic field parameters that are disturbed by the presence of water.
The antennas (l=30mm and dia.=8mm) will generate an EM field inside the closed structure. A coaxial cable will
carry the energy to the antenna. This way a very compact system with an intrinsic measurement capability will be
developed. The application of this type of antenna can be foreseen for all type of CFRP/Nomex structure liable to
suffer from water ingress. Studies have been carried out by to validate the concept of the sandwich CFRP structure
behavior as wave guide for this type of application with success.

Acoustic Emission: AE technology involves the use of ultrasonic transducers (20Khz-1Mhz) to listen for the
sounds of failure occurring in materials and structures. Crack growth due to fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, stress
corrosion, and creep can be detected and located by the use of AE technology. In addition high pressure leaks can
also be detected and located. AE technology is also finding wide application in the nondestructive testing for
structural integrity of composite materials and structures made from composite materials. Fiber breakage, matrix
cracking, and delamination are three mechanisms that can produce AE signals when stress is applied to the material
or structure.

Eddy Current Foil Sensors: Eddy current sensors (s. Fig. 3) are commonly used in current maintenance
operations. Their main application is to detect cracks in metallic parts. Handheld sensors are moved over wide areas
and the reading of an acquisition system allows to detect surface crack or crack invisible from the surface. Foil
eddy current sensors are an alternative technology to this classical one. The copper winding is printed on a
substrate, just like an electronic track. Their potential is very important because due to their thin geometry, they can
be mounted on interfaces between structural parts their topology can be tailored to many different part shapes
(around bolts, in corners, etc.) the connection can be part of the printed track and can therefore also be integrated,
giving access to very remote places once integrated in difficult-to-reach places (or impossible to inspect locations),
a periodic reading can give information on the structural health.

Figure 3 : Micro Coiled ET Sensor

Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBG) : A fibre optic Bragg grating is formed when a periodic variation of the index of
refraction is created along a section of an optical fibre by exposing the core of the optical fibre to an interference
pattern of intense UV-laser light (s. Fig. 4). This technology allows the measurement of either tensile or
compressive strain that is applied along the grating length. There is a linear relationship between the change in
wavelength of the reflected light and the strain in the fibre caused through externally applied loads or thermal
expansion. To operate multiple sensors along a single optical fibre, the various Bragg gratings should have different
Bragg wavelengths in order to differentiate between them. Optical fibres are typically made up of a central core of
glass through which the light passes, clad with another layer of glass and a protective coating. The typical length of
a grating is 10 mm and the grating period is about 0.5mm. The diameter of the cladding of the optical fibre is 125
µm, while a total outside diameter is about 250 µm for a typical polyamide-coated fibre.
Emitted spectrum
sensor princi-
principle

Bragg grating
Transmitted spectrum

Bragg -wavelength
fiber core
Reflected spectrum
refractive index modulation
λB (ε = 0) ∆λ λB (ε > 0)

Figure 4: Fibre Bragg Grating Principle

Acousto Ultrasonic: Acousto-ultrasonic (AU) interrogation is a single-sided nondestructive evaluation (NDE)

technique employing separated sending and receiving transducers. It is used for assessing the microstructural
condition and distributed damage state of the material between the transducers. AU is complementary to more
traditional NDE methods, such as ultrasonic c-scan, x-ray radiography, and thermographic inspection, which tend
to be used primarily for discrete flaw detection. Throughout its history, AU has been used to inspect polymer
matrix composites, metal matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites, and even monolithic metallic materials.
The integration and adaptation of small actuation and sensing elements such as piezoelectrics, MEMS or even
nanostructures into and onto the structures to be monitored has allowed to reliably observe cracks in structures from
the size of 5 mm upwards currently. Acousto-ultrasonics has been proven to effectively work on laboratory scaled
specimens, however proof of concept in real structures under in-service operational conditions is still lacking like
for most of all SHM technologies.

Future Technologies: As the idea of SHM becomes more and more “popular” an increasing number of new and
innovative technologies show up in this field. In the future intelligent coatings can be used to identify corrosion in a
very early stage. As well intelligent structures based on Nanotechnology will play an important rule in future SHM
philosophies. As such, it is prudent to pursue the development of sensing technologies that can be integrated into
structural material systems at any point in the component fabrication process, and in doing so produce
multifunctional materials that will create further gains in payload capacity.

Assessment criteria for SHM : Numerous damage monitoring technologies have been developed and built
worldwide for use in structural health monitoring. Most of this work is done by small and medium enterprises,
which act as suppliers to the larger assembling industries. The aeronautics industry belongs to this latter category;
they have to carefully formulate their requirements with regard to structure-integrated damage monitoring systems
and then assess the different monitoring options on the market.
The assessment criteria can be divided into two major sections:
• Information required
• System requirements
The information required section covers all relevant data and information about the SHM system. These assessment
criteria will be confined to facts that give an overview of the chosen technology. The system requirements section
deals with open requirements, which have to be fulfilled to enable SHM systems to be employed on in-service
aircraft. These requirements can vary from application to application but they are generally valid for most cases.

Information required: As with any new technology the major questions focus on the basic principles, the
advantages, the fundamentals and the impact it has on the operation and even the design of the aircraft.
The information required is divided into three subsections:
• system information
• handling information
• sensor/equipment data
System requirements: The second criterion used for assessment of SHM systems is the SYSTEM
REQUIREMENTS. There are some overlaps with the INFORMATION REQUIRED section because some system
requirements are simultaneously information requirements. Requirements, however, are the decisive criterion
where the application of the systems in the aircraft is concerned. Here all the important criteria are detailed that are
to be fulfilled when a system is to be put into operation under in-service conditions. The non-fulfillment of some of
the requirements, such as durability, does not mean that an SHM system cannot be employed. It does mean that
using the SHM system for a sufficient length of time should use the SHM system in an area where durability of the
SHM system is not a ‘killer criterion’ and where mission durability information can be subsequently obtained. The
requirements are subdivided into two sections:
• system requirements – general
• system requirements – sensor/equipment
This list of requirements does not lay claim to completeness and will be supplemented by specifications in the
course of preparation. As part of the requirement definition process, the preparation of specifications for qualifying
SHM systems is to be taken into consideration. Contrary to the current procedures applicable to NDT technology,
the qualification of SHM systems requires new specifications. They are a prerequisite for qualification and thus
certification.
Conclusion: Airbus works since 1990’s with an increased effort on the subject of SHM for civil aircraft airframe
design in cooperation with worldwide leading R&T institutes and other subcontractors. Airbus was the first civil
aircraft manufacturer working on this topic to have it available for the whole product range. It has been identified
that SHM is one of the key technologies to ensure the integrity of aircraft structure in future aircraft. Due to the
current maturity level of the SHM technologies, the economical benefits of SHM technology are not yet available
for the customer and cannot be realistically reached before 2008. Nevertheless, further development and stepwise
implementation to the flying aircraft will provide these benefits in the future.
The use of SHM will permit new approaches both in the design and maintenance of structures, with the following
specific advantages: The use of SHM will contribute to reduce structural weight by changing design principles
• SHM will benefit future design for Composites and Metals Maintenance costs will be reduced Aircraft
availability can be increased
• SHM will enable new maintenance concepts
For the time being Airbus is developing a variety of SHM technologies, as different SHM technologies are required
depending on the kind of application. However, some of these technologies turn out to be competitive. The
technology readiness of some of these technologies will be reached in 2008. This means not Entry Into Service
(EIS) up to 2008, because after the technology readiness the programs will decide where and how to use SHM to
benefit our products. It means just that after that date SHM can be deployed and verified in Airbus aircrafts until
EIS. The EIS will vary from application to application and can thus not be determined exactly today.

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