CONTINUOUS FLOW STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A continuous flow structural health monitoring (10) system for detecting a crack in a component or structure is described. The system (10) comprises a pressure source (12), a fluidic circuit (14) and a measurement system (22). The pressure source (12) provides a supply fluid at a regulated pressure difference relative to ambient pressure. The fluidic circuit (14) is coupled at one end (16) to the pressure source (12) and is open at an opposite end (18) to ambient pressure. The pressure source (12) produces a substantially constant and continuous flow of fluid through the fluidic circuit (14). The fluidic circuit has a first passage (20) constituted in part by a first surface portion of the component or structure. The measurement system (22) monitors for perturbations in the substantially constant flow of fluid through the first passage (20) to provide an indication of structural health of the component or structure.