US 11,773,783 B2
Flexible sensor system for prognostic health monitoring of composite aerostructures
John J. Gangloff, Jr., Middletown, CT (US); Callum Bailey, Lakewood Ranch, FL (US); Wenping Zhao, Glastonbury, CT (US); Steven M. Kestler, San Diego, CA (US); and Sameh Dardona, Thuwal (SA)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/858,014.
Prior Publication US 2021/0332760 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. F02C 7/24 (2006.01); B32B 3/12 (2006.01); B32B 3/26 (2006.01); G01K 7/16 (2006.01); G01L 1/16 (2006.01); G01L 1/22 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/24 (2013.01) [B32B 3/12 (2013.01); B32B 3/266 (2013.01); G01K 7/16 (2013.01); G01L 1/16 (2013.01); G01L 1/22 (2013.01); F05D 2260/80 (2013.01); F05D 2260/963 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core having a longitudinal center axis;
a non-rotating, inner structure disposed circumferentially about the engine core; and
an acoustic panel coupled to a surface of the inner structure, the acoustic panel including a back skin adjacent the inner structure, a face skin, and a core structure disposed between the back skin and the face skin, the acoustic panel further comprising a sensor array comprising:
a lattice network mounted directly onto a portion of the back skin, the lattice network including a plurality of interconnects and at least one node defined by an intersection of two or more interconnects of the plurality of interconnects; and
a first sensor electrically connected to the lattice network at a first node of the at least one node.