Development of Wireless Health Monitoring System for Isolated Space Structures

Abstract

We develop a progressive wireless system for structural health monitoring of isolated space structures such as satellites and space stations. The system can wirelessly communicate the monitored data using the energy harvested from structural vibrations. To construct the wireless monitoring system, we present a built-in piezoelectric energy harvester. The harvester is controlled by a microprocessor, which enhances the transduction of vibrational energy to electrical energy. Consequently, the harvester generates a larger amount of electrical energy than that of a conventional passive harvester. The harvested energy is used to drive the microprocessor and also used to transmit radio waves for wireless communication. In this system, the structural vibration is regarded as an energy source for energy harvesting as well as a monitoring target for structural health monitoring. The experimental results demonstrate that our wireless monitoring system can autonomously monitor the structural health of a vibrating system and wirelessly communicate the data without requiring an external energy supply.