Critical insights into the state‐of‐the‐art NDE data fusion techniques for the inspection of structural systems

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for reliable and accurate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of structural systems has been growing and several nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are being combined to address the issues of uncertainty in the testing results. However, the synergistic combination of multiple NDT techniques and the interpretation of the testing results require the ability to process and analyze data from several sources, a process that is referred to as "data fusion." The latter has received considerable attention since the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to the advances in sensor technologies and data acquisition systems. Also, the new era of "Big Data" where heterogeneous data are measured by different sensors and processed for a unified purpose is another factor contributing to this rapid development and the establishment of new NDT opportunities. This article reviews the recent studies involving NDE data fusion for the inspection of structures and examines the state-of-the-art mathematical expressions used in different fusion algorithms. Challenges in the handling of the NDE data and the application of fusion algorithms are also identified and discussed. A generic framework of applying NDE data fusion is described, and a roadmap for potential research prospects in NDE data fusion is provided.data fusion, diagnostic and prognostic health monitoring (DPHM), multisensor fusion and integration (MFI), nondestructive evaluation (NDE), structural health monitoring (SHM), structural systems | INTRODUCTIONEngineering structures are manufactured through multivariable processes and can easily develop defects during the manufacturing process and suffer from various issues (e.g., inappropriate usages, progressive aging, impact damage, excessive loading, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.) during their service life. 1,2 To this end, several nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques have been devised (e.g., ultrasonic testing, infrared thermography, terahertz spectrometry, and imaging) to inspect these structures and their corresponding components to ensure they are free from defects and that their structural integrity is maintained throughout their service life. [1][2][3][4] At the manufacturing stage, NDE determines the structure's fitness to accomplish its intended function, and during the service stage, it determines the structure's health status, monitors the damage mechanism,

A novel method for steel bar all-stage pitting corrosion monitoring using the feature-level fusion of ultrasonic direct waves and coda waves

“…Data fusion-based approaches, which address the requirement of synergistic combinations of data from several sources for reliable and accurate condition monitoring of structures, are mainly grouped into three levels, namely, signal-level fusion, feature-level fusion, and decision-level fusion. 59,60 There is no doubt that the object will be well characterized by different types of data than a single data source if the appropriate data fusion strategy is adopted. Feature-level fusion could maintain more abundant information about damage than decision-level fusion and satisfy more scenes than signal-level fusion.…”

Terahertz Spectroscopic Characterization and Thickness Evaluation of Internal Delamination Defects in GFRP Composites

“…These types of flaws are frequently induced by several factors including internal stress release, poor material handling during the manufacturing process, water vaporization, burns from high temperatures, impact damage, etc. In this context, structural components made of GFRP composites such as wind turbine aerofoils, and hydrofoils for marine propulsors, as well as helicopter rotor blades, and aircraft auxiliary fuel tanks [4,5], must undergo extensive quality evaluation tests after the manufacturing process to ensure all defects are eliminated prior to being introduced into service and must continuously be monitored during operation to extend their service lives [2,6]. To achieve this goal while equally preserving the structural integrity of the test structure, nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) techniques must be used.…”

“…[2,3]. Each NDT&E technique has its characteristics, but most methods have some limitations in large-scale sensing, imaging, and corresponding safety considerations [2,6]. To solve this challenge and provide nondestructive testing (NDT) engineers and practitioners with the most up-to-date NDT systems, some NDT&E techniques are currently being combined to improve the quality and accuracy of the test results [6] and guarantee the adequate performance of the GFRP composite materials.…”

ISSI 2021: Terahertz Spectroscopic Characterization and Thickness Evaluation of Internal Delamination Defects in GFRP Composites

“…These types of aws are frequently induced by several factors including internal stress release, poor material handling during the manufacturing process, water vaporization, burns from high temperatures, impact damage, etc. In this context, structural components made of GFRP composites such as wind turbine aerofoils, and hydrofoils for marine propulsors [3], [4], as well as helicopter rotor blades, and aircraft auxiliary fuel tanks, must undergo quality evaluation tests after the manufacturing process to ensure all defects are eliminated prior to being introduced into service and must continuously be monitored during operation to extend their service lives [2], [5]. To achieve this goal while equally preserving the structural integrity of the test structure, nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) techniques must be used.…”

“…[2]. Each different NDT&E technology has its characteristics, but most methods have some limitations in large-scale sensing, imaging, and corresponding safety considerations [2], [5]. Indeed, the wide applicability of berreinforced composites has created the need for correspondingly advanced nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for inspection and failure detection during manufacturing and maintenance where some NDT&E techniques are currently being combined to improve the performance of the quality and accuracy of the test results [5] and guarantee the adequate performance of the GFRP composite materials.…”