SENSOR SKIN COMPRISING TEMPERATURE SENSORS

Abstract

A measurement arrangement for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, has a plurality of temperature sensors that are arrangeable or arranged on a component at a spacing from one another. In order to provide a measurement arrangement, by means of which temperature data can be cost-effectively obtained during the production and operation of a component and for it to thus be possible for damage to the component to be recorded and monitored, the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form a sensor array and a change in the thermal material properties of the component is detected by means of the sensor array.

Claims

1. A measurement arrangement for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, comprising a plurality of temperature sensors, arranged or arrangeable on a component at a spacing from one another, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form at least one sensor array, and wherein a change in the thermal material properties of the component can be detected by the at least one sensor array.

2. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are arranged on at least one flexible substrate.

3. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is arranged inside the component or on the surface thereof.

4. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is bonded to the matrix of the component when producing said component.

5. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein, when in use, the flexible substrate one of occupies or covers a curved surface of the component.

6. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed evenly over the flexible substrate.

7. The measurement arrangement of claim 6, wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed evenly over the flexible substrate.

8. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a heating device comprising at least one of: at least one heating element, at least one heating element being assigned to each group of sensors, one heating element being assigned to each sensor, each sensor having its own heating element, or the number of heating elements of the heating device being independent of the number of heating elements of the sensors.

9. The measurement arrangement of claim 7, wherein one of: the heating elements of the heating device are arranged on the same flexible substrate as the temperature sensors, or the heating elements and the temperature sensors are arranged on different flexible substrates that are connected to the component when it is produced.

10. The measurement arrangement of claim 7, wherein the heating device, which comprises the at least one heating element, and the plurality of sensors comprising the sensor array, are arranged on one of the same side or surface of the component or on different sides or surfaces.

11. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a control and evaluation device.

12. The measurement arrangement of claim 10, wherein the control and evaluation device of the measurement arrangement is integrated in the flexible substrate.

13. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measurement arrangement records and optionally evaluates one of a time-dependent temperature distribution, a maximum distribution of the temperature. or a duration of the temperature when a temperature load is introduced into the component.

14. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein various measurement methods, comprising at least one of at least one active or one passive measurement method, can be carried out using the measurement arrangement.

15. The measurement arrangement of claim 8, wherein the heating elements of the heating device are formed as microheaters.

16. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors are each usable or used as heating elements.

17. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic high-performance plastic material is made of one of a polyetherimide, or a polyethersulfone.

18. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of: at least one of the sensors, a plurality of the sensors, all of the sensors, at least one of the heating elements, a plurality of the heating elements, or all of the heating elements, are each formed as a conductive polymer.

19. The measurement arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the particular flexible substrate, or a different carrier film, are either doped to different extents or processed in some other way.

20. A method for detecting damage to components that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, with a measurement arrangement, comprising a plurality of temperature sensors, which are arranged or arrangeable on a component at a spacing from one another, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors on the component form at least one sensor array, and wherein the measurement arrangement is provided with a heating device having at least one heating element, and the method comprising the steps of applying heat to the component with the at least one heating element, measuring the temperatures of the component with the plurality of temperature sensors, and detecting a change in the thermal material properties of the component based on the temperatures sensed by the plurality of temperature sensors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following on the basis of embodiments shown in the partially schematic drawings, in which

[0030] FIG. 1 is a sectional, planar lateral view of a first embodiment of the measurement arrangement, comprising two substrates that are arranged on opposite sides of a flat component and are provided with sensors or heating elements;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a planar lateral view of a component comprising a measurement arrangement from FIG. 1, in which the component has been damaged, it being intended for the damage to be detected by one of the heating elements heating up; and

[0032] FIG. 3 is a graph of a temperature distribution shown in FIG. 2 resulting from the damage to the component.

[0033] In all the drawings, like or functionally like elements and apparatuses have been provided with the same reference numerals, unless specified otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a measurement arrangement, designated as a whole by reference numeral 1, for detecting damage to components 5 that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, comprising a plurality of temperature sensors 2 and temperature transducers that are arranged on the relevant portion (planar in this case) of a component 5 at a spacing from one another.

[0035] In the sectional view in FIG. 1, a component 5 is shown in the center, on each of the flat sides of which a flexible substrate 6, 7 is arranged. Temperature sensors are attached to the film-like substrate 6, which is arranged on the flat side of the component 5 that is at the top for the viewer, and are connected to the component 5 by the substrate. The same applies to the flexible substrate 7 arranged on the underside, by means of which heating elements 3 are connected to the component. Both substrates 6, 7 are bonded to the matrix of the component 5 when producing the component. In the component 5 in FIG. 1, each temperature sensor 2 of one of the substrates 6 is assigned a heating element 3 of the other substrate 7, without this having to influence the evaluation.

[0036] For this purpose, the measurement arrangement 1 known from FIG. 1 is shown in a planar view, in which the flat side comprising the heating elements 3 arranged on the substrate 7 is facing the viewer. If the 16 sensors 2 and heating elements 3 shown are enumerated, starting from the top-left position and starting with a row followed by a column, it will be seen that the heating element in position 2/3 is heated in order to apply thermal loading to the structure of the component 5, as a result of which the delamination 4 can be detected as damage. For the detection, all 16 temperature sensors shown in positions 1/1 to 4/4 can be used in this case. A temperature distribution over the flexible substrate 6 can be recorded and evaluated by the sensors 2 (as well as the heating elements 3) that form a grid 9 on the substrate thereof.

[0037] The graph in FIG. 3 shows the result of such an evaluation, in which a temperature distribution 8 is shown which, in the damage in FIG. 2, results from the evaluation by all the sensors 2 shown there. In the three-dimensional graph of the temperature distribution 8, by way of example a maximum temperature deviation from a target or reference value is plotted over the spatial, two-dimensional extension of the sensor array 9 in principally arbitrary units, as a result of which the detection of the delamination 4 in FIG. 2 can be seen clearly.

[0038] The above-described invention accordingly thus relates to a measurement arrangement 1 for detecting damage to components 5 that are made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastic material, comprising a plurality of temperature sensors 2 that are arrangeable or arranged on a component 5 at a spacing from one another.

[0039] In order to provide a measurement arrangement 1, by means of which temperature data can be cost-effectively obtained during the production and operation of a component 5 and damage to the component 5 can thus be recorded and monitored, the temperature sensors 2 are arranged on at least one flexible substrate 6 and the flexible substrate 6 is bonded to the matrix of the component 6 when producing the component.

[0040] As a result, a measurement arrangement 1 is established, by means of which it is possible to monitor the production of CFRP components 5 as well as to monitor the components and detect damage during operation, such that separate systems can be dispensed with in this connection. For this purpose, a film is provided as a flexible substrate 6 having a very high density of sensors 2 or transducers and integrated electronics functionality, which film is integrated in the component 5 to be monitored. As a result, a single system is provided for process monitoring and detecting damage, which, owing to the integrated electronics system, does not require any wiring and allows for simple signal evaluation and damage localization by active and passive temperature measurement, this in principle being able to take place at any time, i.e., also in flight.

[0041] Although the present invention has been described above by way of embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but can be modified in various ways. In particular, the invention can be varied or modified in multiple ways, without departing from the basic concept of the invention.

[0042] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.