New approach for reliability assessment of guided wave-based structure health monitoring system on a pipe application

Abstract

The Model-Assisted Probability of Detection (MAPOD) approach is a promising technique for cost-effective and time-efficient assessment of the reliability of Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring (GWSHM) systems. While it has the capability to generate statistically independent datasets, it has a weakness in taking into account the influence of structural, environmental and operational parameters. This paper presents one possible solution to addresss this weakness. The approach is based on combining simulated damage scenarios with data taken from a real GWSHM system at the undamaged stage and under the influence of these parameters. The resulting dataset is then processed using the conventional POD analysis. The approach is demonstrated on a steel pipe with a GWSHM system employing an array of PZT shear elements bonded around the circumference of the pipe to excite a fundamental torsional mode, T(0,1). Different damage sizes are simulated, taking into account small pipe thickness variations. Finally, the simulation dataset is combined with the experimental one to generate a realistic, specific POD curve for that system.