A joint work of researchers from different countries (Spain, Italy, Germany) has been accepted for publication in Applied Sciences.
Abstract:
This paper introduces a novel structural health monitoring (SHM) approach based on guided electromagnetic waves propagating in a dielectric waveguide in the frequency range from 23.5 to 26 GHz. This approach enables the detection of structural damage based on the analysis of radar signals. The paper presents the performance of the methodology through an experimental case study considering an autonomous heavy lift drone where the whole SHM system is integrated onboard. The whole data acquisition pipeline is described and damage detection results based on a damage indicator approach are presented and discussed. Finally, this work proves the ability of guided electromagnetic wave technology to be used in flying aerial vehicles. The methodology can be applied to other aircraft structures and application cases in the future.
Reference:
Mälzer, M. ; Simon, J. ; Günner, C. ; del Rio Velilla, D. ; Rao, M. ; Beck, S. ; Memmolo, V. ; Moll, J. and Krozer, V., Structural Health Monitoring of Aerial Vehicles using Guided Electromagnetic Waves in K-band: Initial Damage Detection Results from Drone Flight Testing, Applied Sciences, 2025 (accepted in June 2025)
