Open-Source Piezoelectric Multi-Function Aircraft Skin System: Integrated Structural Health Monitoring, Aerodynamic Flow Sensing, and Vibration Energy Harvesting

This technical disclosure describes a distributed piezoelectric functional layer for aircraft airframes integrating Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), aerodynamic flow sensing, and vibration energy harvesting within a single continuous system. The architecture utilises an N×M addressable matrix of PVDF and PMN-PT piezoelectric elements operating across separated frequency domains (SHM: 50–500 kHz; flow sensing: 0.1–1000 Hz) to enable simultaneous multi-function operation.The system provides full-surface structural monitoring (detecting fatigue, cracks, and delamination), real-time boundary layer and flow state sensing, and auxiliary electrical energy harvesting from aeroelastic and acoustic excitation.This disclosure is published to establish global prior art and prevent the patenting of these specific multi-function piezoelectric aircraft skin techniques or their obvious extensions by any third party. The described implementations are dedicated to the public domain under CC0 for the advancement of civilian aerospace safety. Aerospace EngineeringPiezoelectric SensorsStructural Health MonitoringEnergy HarvestingAerodynamic SensingPrior ArtOpen Technical DisclosurePVDFPMN-PTCoreMason