Session: 17-01-01: Research Posters

Paper Number: 150813

150813 - Research and Development of Surface-Bonded Pzt Installation Techniques 

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is an important area of research with numerous industrial applications enhancing safety, reliability and maintenance efficiency across various sectors. Piezoelectric (PZT) sensors attached to the surface of interest, and used to assess damage or detect defects, are one of the most common elements of SHM. These sensors are mounted on the surface of host structures using a bonding layer which is typically cyanoacrylate or epoxy. Despite the extensive study of the effect of the bonding layer on the sensor signal, the progress in developing a technique to generate a consistent and reproducible bonding layer has been limited. The availability of such a technique could allow to minimize variations in the sensor signal, improving the accuracy of measurements. In this study, various techniques of sensor installation were explored.  Reproducibility of the results of each technique was examined using the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method. In these tests, installation repeatability of identical PZT sensors bonded to the center of a 25.4mm x 76.2mm x 1-1.2mm glass specimen using current and proposed sensor installation methods was studied. In the presented research, sensors were applied to the glass sheets using respective techniques. The quality of the bond was first assessed visually and then impedance measurements were taken for all specimens. The slopes of the linear least-squares regression line of the susceptance-frequency curve, shown to relate to bond quality, were calculated. Standard deviation of the slopes was evaluated for each bonding technique. This quantitative metric was used to rank the ability of each different technique to create a predictable and replicable bonding layer. This study has demonstrated the differences that exist in consistency and replicability between various installation techniques for PZT sensors. Furthermore, it revealed that the technique of installation alone can play a role in the insurance of the quality of the bonding layer, and is therefore an important decision for those involved with surface-bonded PZT sensors. The results of this study will guide both researchers and industry professionals in selecting techniques of bonding piezoelectric sensors to components for testing or operation. This study aims to reduce the large number of uncertainties that exist when using surface-bonded piezoelectric sensors in SHM applications or in further research utilizing this powerful technology. Given the wide breadth of industrial applications for SHM and therefore for surface-bonded PZT sensors, the results of this study have the potential to make an impact in the manufacturing process for a large variety of interested groups.

Presenting Author: Greg Dreyer Penn State

Presenting Author Biography: Greg Dreyer is a mechanical engineering major and engineering science major at Penn State University beginning his junior year. As a recent participant in the Intelligent Energetic Systems (INTENSE) REU at New Mexico Tech, he became involved in research relating to structural health monitoring (SHM).

Authors:

Greg Dreyer Penn State
Mariya Pozhanka New Mexico Tech
Andrei Zagrai New Mexico Tech