Technical structures will soon have their own nervous system. Developers and users expect this to bring greater safety, maintenance activities only when required, and a more efficient use of material and energy. Researchers will present a demonstrator for monitoring wind turbines at the Hannover-Messe from April 21 to 25 (Hall 2, Stand C24). On average, a single square centimeter of human skin contains over 300 receptors that register pain, pressure, heat or cold. Twenty-four hours a day, these tiny sensors receive and transmit vital information about the condition of our outermost covering via a widely ramified network to the brain. An electronic network modeled on this nervous system will in future protect technical structures, from aircraft and pipelines to the rotor blades of wind turbines. The ambitious concept bears the name of ‘Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)’. Sophisticated systems of sensors, actuators and signal processing devices detect cracks, rust and other defects at an early stage in order to prevent damage – especially in critical places that are difficult to reach. In structural status monitoring, unlike conventional test methods, the sensors are firmly attached to the structure and can monitor it constantly – even during day-to-day operation.
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