Boeing seeks patent on aircraft structural health sensor

Boeing Co., which said it will submit a bid for the Air Force's refueling tanker based on its 767 jet, is seeking a patent on a method of testing aircraft structural integrity.

According to application 20100052704, which was published in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's database March 4, the company is seeking protection for what it calls a "structural health sensor." The invention covered by the application comprises a structural element bonded to a tin breakable conductor loop, together with a conducting corrosion sensor loop.

A break or corrosion in the structural element will cause a fracture in the bonded elements, signaling possible damage, according to the patent application. Chicago-based Boeing claims this method could be used for such non-aircraft structures as overpasses and bridges.

The advantage of this invention is that it doesn't require disassembly of the structure, the messiness of dye penetrant testing, and the radiation-safety issues of X-ray testing, Boeing says in its application.

Boeing filed the patent application in September 2008, with the assistance of Canady & Loritz LLP of San Marino, California.