Wireless Structural Health Monitoring of Lightweight Additively Manufactured Aluminum with Multifunctional Aerospace Properties
enabling smart, self-sensing aluminum structures for safer and lighter space systems
WISH proposes a novel wireless structural health monitoring (SHM) paradigm for space applications, enabling real-time, in-situ monitoring of internal stresses in aluminum structures. Although still at an early development stage, this approach has the potential to fundamentally transform how material integrity is assessed in space environments by offering a more reliable and efficient alternative to conventional SHM techniques. Aluminum alloys, commonly used in space structures, typically exhibit yield strengths in the range of 200–600 MPa and undergo irreversible plastic deformation beyond this limit, effectively marking the end of their service life. Existing stress measurement methods provide only localized information: surface-mounted strain gauges capture stresses at discrete contact points, while embedded optical fibers detect deformation along limited internal paths, both requiring physical electrical or optical connections. These constraints prevent comprehensive internal stress monitoring and limit applicability in space systems.
This project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and carried out in collaboration with BC Materials, Belgium; Politecnico Milano, Italy and the University of Twente. For further clarification and detailed information regarding the project, kindly contact:
