Pvdf and Pzt Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

Piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) used in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications are able to detect structural damage using Lamb waves. PWAS are small, lightweight, unobtrusive and inexpensive. PWAS achieve direct transduction between electric and elastic wave energies. PWAS are essential elements in the Lamb-wave SHM with pitch-catch, pulse-echo, phased array system and electromechanical impedance methods. PWAS are charge mode sensors and they can be used as both transmitters and receivers. A model of PWAS is shown in this paper. In vibration, impact detections applications, the PWAS response is strong due to the large dynamic change of strain. In pitchcatch, pulse-echo and phased array applications, PWAS are used to generate and receive Lamb waves and the PWAS response is small. A charge amplifier for PWAS applications is introduced in this paper. PWAS are normally made of piezoceramic Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT). The structural integrity tests require attachment of PWAS to the material surface and there are critical applications where the rigid piezoceramic wafers cannot conform to curved surfaces. As alternative one can use flexible piezopolymer such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF); such PVDF-PWAS have been studied in this paper. PVDF-PWAS were mounted on a cantilever beam for the free vibration test and on a long rod for the longitudinal impact test. The experimental results of the PZT-PWAS and PVDFPWAS have been compared with the conventional strain gauge. The theoretical and experimental results in this study gave the basic demonstration of the piezoelectricity of PZT-PWAS and PVDF-PWAS.