Intelligent Structural Health Management of Aerospace, Mechanical and Civil Structures

Northwestern University is leading an NSF-funded five-year program (2007-2012) to establish a global partnership of universities, laboratories, and companies to engage in cutting-edge research and education in the area of Intelligent Structural Health Management of safety-critical aerospace, civil & mechanical structures.

Partners

• Northwestern University
• Northwestern University Infrastructure Technology Institute
• University of Illinois –Chicago
• Harbin Institute of Technology, China
• Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India
• Pusan National University, Korea
• National Aerospace Labs, India
• GE India Technology Center, Bangalore
• Honeywell
• Goodrich
• Boeing

Research Theme

Intelligent Structural Health Management systems incorporate diagnostic sensor data to make closed-loop prognosis of remaining structural integrity, thereby facilitating timely remedial actions to prevent catastrophic structural failure.

Program Features

The goal of the PIRE-ISHM project is to develop globally-engaged scientific / technological leaders with a unique set of cross-disciplinary skills that is marketable across the globe and across disciplines. The program includes several unique features:

• Cross-disciplinary curriculum
• International team projects
• Extended training & research visits to China, India and Korea for graduate students and research fellows
• Coordinated MS/PhD programs with global partners
• Summer internships for undergraduates
• Summer Schools
• Language and culture training
• Exposure to issues relating to innovation and invention in a global context
• Industrial internships for graduate students at global research centers of major US-based multinational companies prior to or after graduation

Research Topics

• Sensor Technology
• Smart Structures
• Multifunctional Materials
• Materials Science
• Nondestructive Characterization
• Structural Analysis
• Failure and Damage Models for Materials
• Probabilistic Prognosis of Remaining Lifetime
• Decision-making

Management Framework

Resources

• NSF funding of $500K~ per year for 5 years
• NU cash support of $64K+ per year for 5 years
• ITI/NU research funds $200K per year for 5 years
• UIC support of $50K+ per year for five years
• NU graduate student support for 4 students for 8 years
• NU tuition scholarships for international graduate students (12 quarters per year for 5 years)
• NU to host ISHM web portal
• Honeywell to fund research project
• GE, Honeywell to host interns
• Boeing, Goodrich participation

Contact Info

PI: Sridhar Krishnaswamy
Co-PIs: J.D. Achenbach (NU) & Farhad Ansari (UIC)

International Partners: Jinping Ou (China), Joon-Hyun Lee (Korea), Krishnan Balasubramaniam (India)

NSF Award # OISE-0730259
Project Period: 2007-2012

Contact Info: s-krishnaswamy@northwestern.edu
URL: http://www.cqe.northwestern.edu