Date of Award
Summer 2025
Access Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering
Department
Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Daewon Kim
Committee Chair Email
kimd3c@erau.edu
First Committee Member
Sirish Namilae
First Committee Member Email
namilaes@erau.edu
Second Committee Member
Foram Madiyar
Second Committee Member Email
MADIYARF@erau.edu
Third Committee Member
Yizhou Jiang
Third Committee Member Email
JIANGY5@erau.edu
College Dean
James W. Gregory
Abstract
The development of embeddable, multi-material wireless microsensors offers transformative potential for structural health monitoring (SHM) in aerospace applications. This work integrates additive manufacturing (AM) techniques with advanced microstructural design to produce flexible, high-resolution sensors that can be directly embedded into polymer substrates. By utilizing the vat photopolymerization process, customized embedded sensors are seamlessly integrated into polymer AM structures. These sensors are then continuously refined, targeting increases in performance, both internal and external. Microstructural enhancements are explored to modify the rheological properties of the fabricated embedded sensing channels and enhance the adhesive bonding between the embedded sensor and the AM structure. Analytical modeling characterizes these advancements and provides the tools necessary to make informed design decisions for future complex sensing applications. Then, the concepts applied to polymer sensors are expanded to ceramic substrates. Design alterations then enable the fabrication of wireless embedded thermal ceramic sensor systems. The addition of multi-material fabrication techniques consequently enables the fabrication of long range wireless strain ceramic sensing systems. These results collectively establish a robust framework for designing and deploying customizable, embeddable microsensors, enabling in-situ monitoring of deformation and temperature, and successfully demonstrating the overall viability of embedded sensors for real-world aerospace sensing applications, as well as potential avenues for further SHM advancements built upon this work.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Reed, Nicholas, "Embeddable Multi-Material Wireless Micro-Sensors Utilizing Additive Manufacturing and Enhanced Microstructure" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses. 919.
https://commons.erau.edu/edt/919
GS9_Acceptance
