Combined Estimation of Structural Displacement, Rotation and Strain Modes on a Scaled Glider

Abstract

Incorporating sensors such as microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based inertial measurement units (IMUs) and strain gauges into aircraft structures has the potential to complement ground vibration testing results and improve the tracking of structural modes and wing shape in flight, as well as structural health monitoring. This study evaluates the feasibility and accuracy of employing MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes together with strain gauges to estimate the structural modes of an aircraft. For this purpose, a ground vibration test was carried out on a 1:3 scaled Diana 2 glider model from which the displacement, rotation, and strain modes were estimated. The estimated modal parameters were compared with traditional piezoelectric accelerometer results and Finite Element Method model predictions. The results showed that the modal frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes estimated using MEMS IMUs and strain gauges closely matched the reference accelerometer estimates. Furthermore, the combination of displacement, rotation, and strain mode shapes allowed for greater insight into the structural dynamics. The exploratory use of gyroscopes for aircraft GVT allowed the structural torsion to be captured directly, thereby potentially simplifying future GVT setups by eliminating the need for placing accelerometers in pairs across the structure.