A robust signal processing method for quantitative high-cycle fatigue crack monitoring using soft elastomeric capacitor sensors

Xiangxiong Kong, Jian Li, William Collins, Caroline Bennett, Simon Laflamme, Hongki Jo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

A large-area electronics (LAE) strain sensor, termed soft elastomeric capacitor (SEC), has shown great promise in fatigue crack monitoring. The SEC is able to monitor strain changes over a mesoscale structural surface and endure large deformations without being damaged under cracking. Previous tests verified that the SEC is able to detect, localize, and monitor fatigue crack activities under low-cycle fatigue loading. In this paper, to examine the SEC's capability of monitoring high-cycle fatigue cracks, a compact specimen is tested under cyclic tension, designed to ensure realistic crack opening sizes representative of those in real steel bridges. To overcome the difficulty of low signal amplitude and relatively high noise level under high-cycle fatigue loading, a robust signal processing method is proposed to convert the measured capacitance time history from the SEC sensor to power spectral densities (PSD) in the frequency domain, such that signal's peak-to-peak amplitude can be extracted at the dominant loading frequency. A crack damage indicator is proposed as the ratio between the square root of the amplitude of PSD and load range. Results show that the crack damage indicator offers consistent indication of crack growth.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2017
EditorsJerome P. Lynch
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510608214
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
EventSensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2017 - Portland, United States
Duration: Mar 26 2017Mar 29 2017

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume10168
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherSensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPortland
Period3/26/173/29/17

Keywords

  • Fatigue crack detection
  • capacitive sensor
  • compact specimen
  • crack growth.
  • powerspectral density
  • structural health monitoring

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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