Aircraft structural health monitoring, prospects for smart solutions from a European viewpoint

Structural health is directly related to structural performance and in this respect it is a governing parameter with regard to safety of operation. This aspect of structural health is particularly relevant for transportation systems and in this connection structural health monitoring is a safety issue. In aviation, and particularly in air transportation, structural health monitoring has been developed to a rather satisfactory level albeit using rather unsophisticated methods of inspection involving considerable man-hour requirements as well as very special skills and attitudes on the part of the inspector. Undoubtedly structural reliability of aircraft has increased considerably also as a result of the implementation of damage tolerant design practices and of automated fabrication including joining with a high degree of controllability and repeatability. It is particularly the aspects of sensitivity and reliability of manual inspection that stimulate the study of more sophisticated automated and integrated damage sensing systems as a smart substitute for the current practice relying heavily on human intelligence. The paper identifies the study and development of smart damage detection systems as an interdisciplinary activity involving specialists in different technical areas. The risks involved are of a technical nature but also relate to approval and acceptance of automated systems in air transportation systems. It describes the current situation in Europe that is international in character by definition. Different supranational bodies have recognized the development of smart systems as substitutes for human operations as a key technology and they provide funding that enables the formation of development teams with a good basis for continuity.