Sensor skin comprising temperature sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017356866-A1
Application number	US-201715619971-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A measurement arrangement for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, has a plurality of temperature sensors that are arrangeable or arranged on a component at a spacing from one another. In order to provide a measurement arrangement, by means of which temperature data can be cost-effectively obtained during the production and operation of a component and for it to thus be possible for damage to the component to be recorded and monitored, the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form a sensor array and a change in the thermal material properties of the component is detected by means of the sensor array.

First claim

1 . A measurement arrangement for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, comprising
a plurality of temperature sensors, arranged or arrangeable on a component at a spacing from one another, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form at least one sensor array, and wherein a change in the thermal material properties of the component can be detected by the at least one sensor array.

2 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are arranged on at least one flexible substrate.

3 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is arranged inside the component or on the surface thereof.

4 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is bonded to the matrix of the component when producing said component.

5 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein, when in use, the flexible substrate one of occupies or covers a curved surface of the component.

6 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed evenly over the flexible substrate.

7 . The measurement arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed evenly over the flexible substrate.

8 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a heating device comprising at least one of:
at least one heating element, at least one heating element being assigned to each group of sensors, one heating element being assigned to each sensor, each sensor having its own heating element, or the number of heating elements of the heating device being independent of the number of heating elements of the sensors.

9 . The measurement arrangement of claim 7 , wherein one of:
the heating elements of the heating device are arranged on the same flexible substrate as the temperature sensors, or the heating elements and the temperature sensors are arranged on different flexible substrates that are connected to the component when it is produced.

10 . The measurement arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the heating device, which comprises the at least one heating element, and the plurality of sensors comprising the sensor array, are arranged on one of the same side or surface of the component or on different sides or surfaces.

11 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a control and evaluation device.

12 . The measurement arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the control and evaluation device of the measurement arrangement is integrated in the flexible substrate.

13 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the measurement arrangement records and optionally evaluates one of
a time-dependent temperature distribution, a maximum distribution of the temperature. or a duration of the temperature when a temperature load is introduced into the component.

14 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein various measurement methods, comprising at least one of at least one active or one passive measurement method, can be carried out using the measurement arrangement.

15 . The measurement arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the heating elements of the heating device are formed as microheaters.

16 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensors are each usable or used as heating elements.

17 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic high-performance plastic material is made of one of a polyetherimide, or a polyethersulfone.

18 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
at least one of the sensors, a plurality of the sensors, all of the sensors, at least one of the heating elements, a plurality of the heating elements, or all of the heating elements,
are each formed as a conductive polymer.

19 . The measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of
the particular flexible substrate, or a different carrier film,
are either doped to different extents or processed in some other way.

20 . A method for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, with a measurement arrangement, comprising
a plurality of temperature sensors, which are arranged or arrangeable on a component at a spacing from one another, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form at least one sensor array, and wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a heating device having at least one heating element, and the method comprising the steps of
applying heat to the component with the at least one heating element,
measuring the temperatures of the component with the plurality of temperature sensors, and
detecting a change in the thermal material properties of the component based on the temperatures sensed by the plurality of temperature sensors.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Friedberger Alois
• Helwig Andreas

Classifications

• G01K2213/00

  Temperature mapping · CPC title

• B64C2001/0072

  from composite materials · CPC title

• G01N25/72 Primary

  Investigating presence of flaws · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• G01K1/026 Primary

  arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing · CPC title