Mn-doped 0.7BiFeO3-0.3BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramic sensor array for high-temperature impact monitoring

Real-time impact monitoring is essential to ensure the safe service and efficient operation of the aircraft structure. By embedding the piezoelectric sensor array within the structure and applying appropriate signal processing algorithms, the impact position can be precisely localized, enabling real-time monitoring of the aircraft structure. With the development of supersonic aircraft, the fuselage skin of the aircraft is often exposed to high temperatures and other harsh environments during flight. However, the relatively low operating temperature significantly limits the application of traditional piezoelectric sensor arrays in high-temperature impact monitoring. The Mn-doped BiFeO 3 -BaTiO 3 ceramics exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties and high Curie temperature ( T c ), making them promising for high-temperature impact monitoring of the supersonic aircraft. In the present work, we fabricated a sensor array based on 0.7BiFeO 3 -0.3BaTiO 3 -0.25 %molMnO 2 (73BFBT-Mn) ceramic, which demonstrates a T c of 478 °C and a piezoelectric charge constant ( d 33 ) of 125 pC/N at room temperature. Significantly, the 73BFBT-Mn ceramic sensor array maintains a good impact localization accuracy from 25 °C to 200 °C combined with the improved path imaging algorithm. This is attributed to the construction of virtual paths within the sensor array and the extraction of impact signal features, which represent the major improvement compared to traditional path imaging algorithms. The 73BFBT-Mn ceramic sensor array exhibits significant prospects for high-temperature impact monitoring, particularly in the monitoring of supersonic aircraft fuselage skins.