Fatigue in aerostructures—where structural health monitoring can contribute to a complex subject

• Published in: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences Vol. 365; no. 1851; pp. 561 - 587
• Main Authors: Boller, Christian, Buderath, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Royal Society 15.02.2007
• Subjects: Aircraft; Aircraft - instrumentation; Aircraft design; Aircraft structures; Algorithms; Computer Simulation; Construction Materials - analysis; Damage tolerant engineering; Engineering - instrumentation; Engineering - methods; Engines; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis - instrumentation; Equipment Failure Analysis - methods; Fatigue; Fatigue life; Maintenance - methods; Materials Testing - methods; Models, Theoretical; Monitoring; Sensors; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Storm damage; Structural health monitoring; Structures; Transducers; Vibration
• ISSN: 1364-503X; 1471-2962
• DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2006.1924

An overview of the aircraft design and maintenance process is given with specific emphasis on the fatigue design as well as the phenomenon of the ageing aircraft observed over the life cycle. The different measures taken to guarantee structural integrity along the maintenance process are addressed. The impact of structural health monitoring as a means of possibly revolutionizing the current aircraft structural monitoring and design process is emphasized and comparison is made to jet engines and helicopters, where health monitoring has already found the respective breakthrough.