Structural Health Monitoring Software and Hardware

Description:

Reference #: 00730

Invention Description:

The present invention is improved apparatus and methodologies for monitoring structural integrity. More specifically, the invention relates to apparatus and methodologies employing ultrasonic devices and associated analysis software to perform, investigations of a structure.

Potential Applications:

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a method of determining the health of a structure from the readings of an array of permanently-attached sensors that are embedded into the structure and monitored over time.

Advantages and Benefits:

While various implementations of structural health monitoring devices have been developed, and while various methodologies have been proposed to evaluate structural health, no design has emerged that generally encompasses all of the desired characteristics as has the subject invention. Software is provided for automatic control of associated hardware for providing user selectable operational environments for SHM. An integrated software program has been developed to permit simplified selection of various structural health monitoring aspects including the ability to detect and locate cracking, corrosion, and disbanding through the use of pitch-catch, pulse-echo, electro/mechanical impedance, and phased array technology. Another positive aspect of this type of device is that stand alone hardware and an associated single software package has been provided that permits performance of all needed SHM investigations to assess the health of a structure.

 

Patent Information:
Title App Type Country Serial No. Patent No. File Date Issued Date Expire Date Patent Status
Structural Health Monitoring Apparatus and Methodology Utility United States 12/539,986 7,881,881 8/12/2009 2/1/2011 8/12/2029 Issued
For Information, Contact:
Technology Commercialization
University of South Carolina
technology@sc.edu
Inventors:
Victor Giurgiutiu
Lingyu Yu
Weiping Liu
Buli Xu
Giola Bottai
Keywords:
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