Hidden and inaccessible corrosion in aircraft structures is the number-one logistics problem for the U.S. Air Force, with an estimated maintenance cost in excess of$1.0 billion per year in 1990-equivalent dollars. The Smart Aircraft Fastener Evaluation (SAFE) system is being developed to provide early warning detection of corrosion-related symptoms in hidden locations of aircraft structures. The SAFE incorporates an in situ measurement approach that measures and autonomously records several environmental conditions (i.e., pH, temperature, chloride, free potential, time-of-wetness) within a Hi-Lok aircraft fastener that could cause corrosion to occur. The SAFE system integrates a miniature electrochemical microsensor array and a time-of-wetness sensor with an ultra-low-power 8-bit microcontroller and 5-Mbyte solid-state FLASH archival memory to measure the evidence of active corrosion. A summary of the technical approach, system design definition, software architecture, and future field test plans will be presented.
Smart fastener for KC-135 structural integrity monitoring
Smart Sensing, Processing, and Instrumentation, 1997, Smart Structures and Materials, 1997 ; 278-282
1997
5 Seiten, 3 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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