High-Sensitivity RFID Sensor for Structural Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is crucial for ensuring operational safety in applications like pipelines, tanks, aircraft, ships, and vehicles. Traditional embedded sensors have limitations due to expense and potential structural damage. A novel technology using radio frequency identification devices (RFID) offers wireless transmission of highly sensitive strain measurement data. The system features a thin, flexible sensor based on an inductance-capacitance (LC) circuit with a parallel-plate capacitance sensing unit. By incorporating tailored cracks in the capacitor electrodes, the sensor’s capacitor electrodes become highly piezoresistive, modifying electromagnetic wave penetration. This unconventional change in capacitance shifts the resonance frequency, resulting in a wireless strain sensor with a gauge factor of 50 for strains under 1%. The frequency shift is passively detected through an external readout system using simple frequency sweeping. This wire-free, power-free design allows easy integration into composites without compromising structural integrity. Experimental results demonstrate the cracked wireless strain sensor's ability to detect small strains within composites. This technology offers a cost-effective, non-destructive solution for accurate structural health monitoring.