Master's thesis of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering):

The aim of this Masters of Engineering (MEng) - Aerospace thesis was to investigate the durability of Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors (PWAS) for the health monitoring of composite structures. One significant challenge faced by the aviation industry is the cost and time associated with maintaining aircrafts, in particular, aging airliners. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a possible approach to reduce the high cost of inspection and maintenance. SHM involves the integration of sensors into a structure and setting up a diagnostic system to provide continuous monitoring of its health and to detect damage when it occurs. Among available SHM technologies, PWAS are one of the most promising due to their ability to detect various types of damage over large regions.