Savannah Bradley is a fourth-generation pilot whose passion for aerospace fuels her research in the  Visual and Acoustic Monitoring (VAM) Laboratory with Dr. Arvin Ebrahimkhanlou.  In conjunction with her work on the Corrosion Monitoring Design Team, she conducts research that utilizes acoustic emissions data to monitor aerospace systems' structural health. 

Acoustic emission monitoring is a form of non-destructive testing which tracks the acoustic waves released when a system undergoes a permanent change in the internal structure. An example of a response is shown in the image on the left.

 

 

 Areas that indicate failure caused by stress, crack propagation, or deformation generate these stress waves. By analyzing acoustic data, engineers can determine where defects occur before the damage becomes irreparable and can aid in the design of more reliable systems.  Structural health monitoring in the aerospace industry is vital. Even the tiniest defect can put an aircraft out of commission!

 

-Article by Lorena Velasquez