Crack detection sensor layout and bus configuration analysis

In crack detection applications large sensor arrays are needed to be able to detect and locate cracks in structures. Emerging graphene-oxide paper sensing skins are a promising technology that will help enable structural sensing skins, but in order to make use of them we must consider how the sensors will be laid out and wired on the skin. This paper analyzes different sensor shapes and layouts to determine the layout which provides the preferred performance. A ‘snaked hexagon’ layout is proposed as the preferred sensor layout when both crack detection and crack location parameters are considered. In previous work we have developed a crack detection circuit which reduces the number of channels of the system by placing several sensors onto a common bus line. This helps reduce data and power consumption requirements but reduces the robustness of the system by creating the possibility of losing sensing in several sensors in the event that a single wire breaks. In this paper, sensor bus configurations are analyzed to increase the robustness of the bused sensor system. Results show that spacing out sensors in the same bus as much as possible increases the robustness of the system and that at least 3 buses are needed to prevent large segments of a structure from losing sensing in the event of a bus failure. This work is a preliminary effort toward enabling a new class of ‘networked materials’ that will be vitally important for next generation structural applications. ‘Networked materials’ have material properties related to information theoretic concepts. An example material property is ‘bandwidth’ per unit of material that might indicate the amount of information the material can provide about its state-of-health.