In this article, the coverage area prediction of piezoelectric sensor network for detecting a specific type of under-surface crack in plate-like structures is addressed. In particular, this article proposes a simplified framework to estimate the coverage of any given sensor network arrangement when a critical defect is known. Based on numerical results from finite element methods (FEM), a simplified framework to estimate coverage area of any given network arrangement is developed. Using such a simplified framework, one can avoid time-consuming procedure of evaluating numerous FEM models in estimating sensor network coverage. Back-scatter fields of partial cracks are estimated using a proposed function, whose parameters are estimated from the results of a limited number of FEM simulations. The proposed function efficiently predicts the back-scattered field of any combination of transmitters and receivers for a given crack geometry. Superposition is used to estimate the coverage area of an arbitrary piezoelectric (e.g., PZT) sensor network. It is shown that the coverage area of a sensor network depends on both sensor network geometry and defect properties (e.g., crack inclination) and it is not necessarily a linear function of the number of sensors. Furthermore, it is shown that the network arrangement has an important effect on the geometry of the coverage area. Experimental results of a network of 14 PZTs in two clusters confirm the accuracy of the method.

在本文中，解决了用于检测板状结构中特定类型的下表面裂纹的压电传感器网络的覆盖区域预测。特别是，本文提出了一个简化的框架，用于在已知关键缺陷时估计任何给定传感器网络布置的覆盖范围。基于有限元方法 (FEM) 的数值结果，开发了一种用于估计任何给定网络布置的覆盖区域的简化框架。使用这种简化的框架，可以避免在估计传感器网络覆盖范围时评估大量 FEM 模型的耗时过程。使用建议的函数估计部分裂缝的反向散射场，该函数的参数是根据有限数量的 FEM 模拟的结果估计的。对于给定的裂缝几何形状，所提出的函数有效地预测了发射器和接收器的任何组合的反向散射场。叠加用于估计任意压电（例如，PZT）传感器网络的覆盖区域。结果表明，传感器网络的覆盖区域取决于传感器网络几何形状和缺陷属性（例如，裂纹倾斜度），并且不一定是传感器数量的线性函数。此外，还表明网络布置对覆盖区域的几何形状有重要影响。两个簇中的 14 个 PZT 网络的实验结果证实了该方法的准确性。PZT) 传感器网络。结果表明，传感器网络的覆盖区域取决于传感器网络几何形状和缺陷属性（例如，裂纹倾斜度），并且不一定是传感器数量的线性函数。此外，还表明网络布置对覆盖区域的几何形状有重要影响。两个簇中的 14 个 PZT 网络的实验结果证实了该方法的准确性。PZT) 传感器网络。结果表明，传感器网络的覆盖区域取决于传感器网络几何形状和缺陷属性（例如，裂纹倾斜度），并且不一定是传感器数量的线性函数。此外，还表明网络布置对覆盖区域的几何形状有重要影响。两个簇中的 14 个 PZT 网络的实验结果证实了该方法的准确性。