Optimal Number and Location of Sensors for Structural Damage Detection using the Theory of Geometrical Viewpoint and Parameter Subset Selection Method

Abstract

The recorded responses at predefined sensor placements are used as input to solve an inverse structural damage detection problem. The error rate that noise causes from the recorded responses of the sensors is a significant issue in damage detection methods. Therefore, an optimal number and location of sensors is a goal to achieve the lowest error rate in structural damage detection. To overcome this problem, an algorithm (GVPSS) based on a Geometrical Viewpoint (GV) of optimal sensor placement and Parameter Subset Selection (PSS) method is proposed. The goal of the GVPSS algorithm is to minimize the effect of noise on damage detection problem. Therefore, the fitness function based on error in damage detection is minimized by GVPSS. In this method, the degrees of freedom are arranged to place sensors using a fitness function based on GV theory. Then, the optimal number and location of sensors are found on these arranged the degrees of freedom using the objective function. The efficiency of the proposed method is studied in a 52-bar dome structure under static and dynamic loadings. In the examples, damages are detected in two states: 1) using responses recorded at all DOFs, 2) using responses recorded at the optimal number and location of sensors obtained by GVPSS. The results showed that the damage detection error in state 2 is approximately equal to the error in state 1. Therefore, the GVPSS have the high performance to find the optimal number and location of sensors for structural damage detection.