Global-local optimization layout method for active piezoelectric sensor driven by structural critical areas

The optimal sensor placement is critical to ensure the integrity of the aircraft composite structures. The active piezoelectric sensors are crucial due to their ability to detect damage through guided wave (GW). However, the current optimization methods for piezoelectric sensor placement do not consider the simultaneous monitoring of the global and local critical areas of damage. Therefore, this study aims at performing the optimal placement of piezoelectric sensors by considering objective constraints and a combination of features that quantify the criticality of different parts of the structure and the global scanning ability of the GW. A novel global-local optimization model incorporating multiple constraints is proposed. It enhances the monitoring ability of the regional and global damage, and optimizes the placement of a limited number of piezoelectric sensors. The feasibility, accuracy, and practicality of the proposed approach are then verified using numerical and experimental cases. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed model is compared with that of public traditional models. The obtained results show the outperformance of the proposed approach.