Airbus Operations Gmbh

Holger Speckmann

Jens Telgkamp

Wolfgang Entelmann

Bengt Abel

Piet Wölcken

Clemens Böckenheimer

The invention relates to a structural component, to a system and to a method for monitoring the integrity of a structure or a structural component. The structural component according to the invention has at least one elongated air duct which can be connected to a vacuum source and to a device for detecting the volumetric flow of air and/or the air pressure in the air duct, wherein, when the structure is intact in the region of the air duct, the air pressure in the air duct essentially corresponds to the air pressure of the vacuum source and there is essentially no volumetric flow of air through the air duct but, when a structural defect occurs in the region of the air duct, air from the region surrounding the structure or structural component enters the air duct and increases the air pressure and volumetric flow of air in the air duct in an identifiable manner.

System and method for monitoring the state of structural components

The present invention relates to a method of monitoring the condition of structural components, in which an optical sensor in conjunction with a computing unit ascertains image deviations from successive images of the structural components to be monitored, and therefrom ascertains changes in shape of the structure. Robust three-dimensional scanning of the structural components is possible when using two or more sensors. The invention further relates to an apparatus for monitoring the condition of structural components having an optical sensor and an apparatus having two or more sensors. Finally the invention relates to an aircraft in which the methods or apparatuses according to the invention are used.

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Schwanewede, Germany

Holger Speckmann