Acoustic emission sensor holder

TECHNICAL FIELD

0001This disclosure generally relates to holders for maintaining the positioning and surface contact of sensors on an article during testing, and more particularly to acoustic emission sensor holders for use during environmental testing of non-metallic and non-magnetic materials, such as composite or ceramic materials.

BACKGROUND

0002Environmental conditions may affect materials used to make vehicles and other types of structures intended for outdoor use or for use in extreme environments, such as aerospace structures that experience dynamic and various environmental changes throughout their service history (i.e., dry to wet, cold to hot). Environmental testing of such materials at less than -17.78 °C (0°F) and greater than 37.78°C (100°F), and from 0-100% humidity, is desired to identify, quantify and monitor the properties of such materials before, during and/or after one or more uses to determine if any damage to the materials has occurred.

0003One type of sensor that has been used for environmental testing, acoustic emission (or AE) sensors, interprets the radiation of acoustic (or elastic) waves in solid materials into usable AE waveforms that help understand how the materials behave. Such acoustic (or elastic) waves occur when a material undergoes changes in its internal structure, for example as a result of crack formation or plastic deformation due to aging, temperature gradients or external mechanical forces. The waves generated by sources of acoustic emission are of practical interest in the fields of structural health monitoring, quality control, system feedback, process monitoring, analysis validation, and others, and may be used to detect, locate and characterize damage to the material. Acoustic emission sensors are therefore useful for detecting flaws and failures in materials and structures, and determining how to apply remedial solutions and repairs to resolve structural issues. In the aerospace field, acoustic emission sensing has been identified as a technology that can be scaled for enhanced fleet inspection from the laboratory setting, to the depot and to field applications. The focus is driven by the need to identify the existence of damage as a function of service hours for the fleet in order to make critical decisions regarding remaining life.

0004Acoustic emission sensors have been used to monitor aerospace and other structures. Traditional approaches for attaching acoustic emission sensors to the structure to be tested include using hot glue or magnetic clamping fixtures. Many commercially available holders for acoustic emission sensors are magnetic because acoustic emission has predominantly been done on metallic surfaces. Such magnetic holders will not function with non-metallic and non-magnetic composite materials. Hot glue does not have universal application, and does not work during environmental testing at temperatures less than -53.89°C (-65°F) and greater than 71,11°C (160°F) due to poor surface adhesion. Another solution has been to permanently attach acoustic emission sensors to a test article, but this approach is not feasible when testing large numbers of test articles due to expense and extended dwell time (greater than 10 hours per sensor) for curing an adhesive to affix the sensors to the test article.

0005Non-metallic and non-magnetic materials, such as composite materials, are now used in the manufacture of a wide variety of structures due to their high strength and rigidity, low weight, corrosion resistance and other favorable properties. For example, composite materials have become widely used to manufacture aerospace structures and component parts for aerospace structures such as aircraft ribs, spars, panels, fuselages, wings, wing boxes, fuel tanks, tail assemblies and other component parts of an aircraft because they are lightweight and strong, and therefore provide fuel economy and other benefits. The traditional approaches for attaching acoustic emission sensors to such non-metallic and non-magnetic materials are not effective.

0006Accordingly, there is a need for improved means for holding or attaching acoustic emission sensors to non-metallic and non-magnetic materials, such as composites and ceramics, during environmental testing of such materials that provide advantages over known acoustic emission sensor holders.

0007<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="EP0403807A2"><text>EP 0 403 807 A2</text></patcit> states, according to its abstract, a non-destructive non-invasive arrangement is provided for detecting defects, such as voids, or poorly adhering layers in solid objects and laminated materials. A sensing signal is emitted by one transducer and received by two others. All of the sensors are disposed in a housing unit. The difference between the received signals is used to indicate a defect in the work piece proximate one of the transducers. <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US7546780B2"><text>US 7,546,780 B2</text></patcit> states, according to its abstract, a mounting device configured for mounting a sensing device in relation to a supporting structure, and related method of mounting, are disclosed. In at least some embodiments, the mounting device includes a first support component capable of being mounted at least indirectly in relation to the supporting structure, a second support component configured to support the sensing device, and a connecting component coupled between the first and second support components, where the connecting component supports the second support component in relation to the first support component. Also, the mounting device includes an adjustor coupled to at least one of the first support component, the second support component and the connecting component that influences a positioning of the second support component in relation to the first support component. <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US20070074582A1"><text>US 2007/0074582 A1</text></patcit> states, according to its abstract, a mounting device for supporting a sensing device in relation to a supporting structure, and related method of installing a sensing device, are disclosed. In at least some embodiments, the mounting device includes a first housing portion having a first appendage, and a second housing portion having a second appendage, where the second housing portion is slidable in relation to the first housing portion. The mounting device further includes an actuating portion capable of causing sliding movement between the housing portions, where the sensing device is supported within at least one of the housing portions, hi some embodiments, a rotatable swivel ball on which the sensing device is sup-ported is contained within at least one of the housing portions, and actuation of the actuating portion results in both the coupling of the mounting device to a supporting structure and a setting of a position of the swivel ball.

SUMMARY

0008According to the present disclosure, a holder as defined in the independent claim 1 is provided. Further embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Although the invention is only defined by the claims, the below embodiments, examples, and aspects are present for aiding in understanding the background and advantages of the invention.

0009The foregoing purposes, as well as others, are achieved by an acoustic emission sensor holder that aligns and maintains the acoustic emission sensor flush with a surface of a non-metallic and non-magnetic material and is compatible with current ASTM standard test methods and test fixtures. The sensor holder provides the capability of keeping the sensor in contact with the material during extreme conditions, and therefore provides a pathway to obtain data across a wide range of environmental conditions that will be advantageous in progressive damage structural analysis, field inspection, material characterization and laboratory level experimental validation.

0010In accordance with one aspect of the product of the disclosure, a holder for attaching an acoustic emission sensor to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material is disclosed. The holder is comprised of a tubular body having a closed top end and an open bottom end through which the sensor may be inserted into the tubular body. The closed top end is provided with a plurality of unitary flexible flaps angularly extending inwardly from an inner surface of the closed top end. An inner surface of the tubular body has a plurality of partial cylindrically-shaped spacers extending radially inward and upward from the open bottom end of the tubular body. The unitary flexible flaps and the spacers act together to fix the sensor within the tubular body and maintain its positioning within the holder. The unitary flexible flaps and the spacers are made from a flexible material so that the holder can accommodate sensors of varying heights and diameters.

0011Other objects, features, and advantages of the various embodiments in the present disclosure will be explained in the following detailed description with reference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

0012<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001"><b>FIG. 1</b></figref> is an illustration of a non-metallic and non-magnetic material having acoustic emission sensor holders and sensors affixed thereto prepared for environmental testing.</li><li><figref idref="f0002"><b>FIG. 2</b></figref> is an illustration of a bottom, front and right side perspective view of an acoustic emission sensor holder with an acoustic emission sensor therein.</li><li><figref idref="f0002"><b>FIG. 3</b></figref> is an illustration of another perspective view of the acoustic emission sensor holder shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref>.</li><li><figref idref="f0003"><b>FIG. 4</b></figref> is an illustration of another aspect of an acoustic emission sensor holder.</li><li><figref idref="f0004"><b>FIG. 5</b></figref> is an illustration of an arrangement of a plurality of the acoustic emission sensor holder shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 4</figref> as part of a system of the disclosure.</li><li><figref idref="f0005"><b>FIG. 6</b></figref> is an illustration of another aspect of an acoustic emission sensor holder.</li><li><figref idref="f0006"><b>FIG. 7</b></figref> is an illustration of a plurality of acoustic emission sensor holders as shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 4</figref> in a removable snap-fit configuration as part of a system of the disclosure.</li><li><figref idref="f0007"><b>FIG. 8</b></figref> is a block diagram of a method of the disclosure.</li><li><figref idref="f0008"><b>FIGS. 9A-9D</b></figref> are illustrations of alternative arrangements for a plurality of the acoustic emission sensor holders of this disclosure.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0013In the following detailed description, various aspects of acoustic emission sensor holders that maintain the positioning and contact of acoustic emission sensors during environmental testing (less than -17.78 °C (0°F), greater than 37.78°C (100°F), and between 0-100 % humidity) of non-metallic and non-magnetic materials including, but not limited to, composite or ceramic materials, are described with reference to aerospace structures to illustrate the general principles in the present disclosure. It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced in other analogous applications or environments and/or with other analogous or equivalent variations of the illustrative aspects. For example, the disclosed acoustic emission sensor holders may be used for environmental testing of any type of non-metallic and non-magnetic materials in any industry and may be used with non-metallic and non-magnetic materials of varying shapes, sizes and surface contours including test materials for environmental testing in laboratory or other controlled settings, and completed structures that employ such non-metallic and non-magnetic materials, such as aerospace structures and vehicles, and any other structures for which environmental testing would be beneficial. Such environmental testing may be done during manufacture of the structures, after manufacture of the structures or during use of the structures. It should be noted that those methods, procedures, components, or functions which are commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the field of the disclosure are not described in detail herein.

0014In <figref idref="f0001 f0002">FIGS. 1-3</figref>, an acoustic emission sensor holder 10 in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure is shown affixed to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 in the form of a test article or coupon (<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>). The holder 10 has an acoustic emission sensor 14 installed therein with a sensor wire 16 (or electrical connection) protruding radially from the sensor 14 for connection to acoustic emission monitoring equipment (not shown). The holder 10 aligns a bottom surface 15 of the sensor 14 flush with a surface of the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 and permits use of current ASTM standard test methods and test equipment.

0015The holder 10 is in the shape of a tubular body 18 having a closed top end 20 and an open bottom end 22 that forms an interface surface 24 having an aperture 25 at the open bottom end 22 of the tubular body 18. The sensor 14 is insertable into the tubular body 18 through the aperture 25. A recess 19 in the tubular body 18 is peripherally open toward the aperture 25 at the open bottom end 22 for receiving the sensor wire 16 (or electrical connection) that protrudes radially from the sensor 14, and may form a rectangular shape as shown or any other shape. The tubular body 18 also has a base 26 forming a lip 28 on top of the base 26 and peripherally around an exterior surface 30 of the tubular body 18 that expands the size of the interface surface 24 at the open bottom end 22 to provide sufficient surface area for sealant tape (described below).

0016The closed top end 20 has a plurality of unitary flexible flaps 32 extending angularly inwardly from an inner surface 34 of the closed top end 20. Here, two of the unitary flexible flaps 32 are shown, each extending angularly inwardly toward each other to provide a force to push down on a top surface of the sensor 14 when the sensor 14 is installed into the holder 10. An interior surface 36 of the tubular body 18 has a plurality of spacers 38 extending radially inward proximate the open bottom end 22. The unitary flexible flaps 32 and the spacers 38 act together to fix the sensor 14 within the tubular body 18, and may be formed in any shape and size that provides the ability to fix the sensor 14 within the tubular body 18. For example, the spacers 38 may be formed in a partial cylindrical-shape protruding from the interior surface 36 of the tubular body 18 and extending upward from the open bottom end 22 as shown in the drawings, or the spacers 38 may be formed in a partial spherical-shape, oval-shape, or rectangular shape. In addition to the round cross-sectional shape of the tubular body 18 as shown, the holder 10 may also be formed to have a cross-sectional shape that is square, rectangular or another curved shape to accommodate different shaped sensors 14.

0017The holder 10 is formed with a flexible material as a unitary three-dimensional (3-D) printed structure. 3-D printing, also known as stereolithography or additive manufacturing, is a printing technology that uses computer-controlled lasers to build three-dimensional structures from liquid polymers and other materials. The holders 10 disclosed herein are made from a flexible material. Because the unitary flexible flaps 32 at the closed top end 20 of the tubular body 18 and the spacers 38 are made from a flexible material, the holder 10 can accommodate sensors 14 of varying heights and diameters.

0018The flexible material that forms the holder 10 and its parts should be ductile or flexible enough that the unitary flexible flaps 32 can bend but not snap when the sensor 14 is placed into the holder 10, and should have some stiffness to provide the downward force on the sensor 14. The flexible material should also be lightweight and have a wide range of operating temperatures to withstand environmental testing conditions, such as composite testing temperatures in the range from about -51.11°C (-60°F) to 65.56°C (150°F). A flexible material having properties in the ranges shown in Table I could be used to form the holders described in the present disclosure: <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="all"><tgroup cols="2"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="52mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="56mm" /><thead valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col2" align="center">TABLE I - MATERIAL PROPERTIES</entry></row></thead><tbody><row><entry>Flexural Modulus</entry><entry>2.1 to 7.6 GPa (0.3 to 1.1 × 10⁶ psi)</entry></row><row><entry>Flexural Strength</entry><entry>72 to 97 MPa (10 to 14 × 10³ psi)</entry></row><row><entry>Strength to Weight Ratio</entry><entry>37 to 79 kN m/kg</entry></row><row><entry>Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)</entry><entry>37 to 110 MPa (5.4 to 16 × 10³ psi)</entry></row><row><entry>Melting Temperature</entry><entry>Around 186.11°C (385°F)</entry></row><row><entry>Embrittlement</entry><entry>-168°C</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

0019Embrittlement is the temperature at which the material losses ductility, making it brittle. The melting temperature and embrittlement properties may be adjusted depending on the environmental conditions being tested. One material that has these properties and may be 3-D printed is ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene). ABS is a thermoplastic material further classified as styrenic plastic.

0020The holder 10 is affixed to the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 using vacuum bag, sealant tape, or a permanent sealant, which may be positioned on the interface surface 24 at the open bottom end 22 of the tubular body 18. Vacuum bag or sealant tapes should be able to withstand environmental testing conditions, and have short (less than 5 minutes) adhering time. Suitable tapes for this purpose are commercially available, for example, the sealant tapes available from the Airtech Advanced Materials Group of Airtech International, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, under the trade names GS-95, AT-199, AIRSEAL 2, AIRSEAL 3W, AIRSEAL DB, GS-100, AT-200Y, GS-213, GS-213 Tacky, GS-333, GS-213-3, GS-43MR, VBS-750 and A-800-3G. Such sealant tapes are typically available in rolls and are easy to cut and position in desired locations. When affixing the holder 10 to the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12, it is also beneficial to apply vacuum grease or another coupling agent between the sensor 14 and the surface of the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 to couple the acoustic energy between the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 and the sensor 14 or more closely match the acoustic impedance of the disparate materials (e.g. to remove the air boundary by using a coupling agent).

0021An alternative holder 40 for attaching an acoustic emission sensor 14 to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 and various systems 42, 44 using the alternative holder are shown in <figref idref="f0003 f0004 f0005 f0006">FIGS. 4-7</figref>. The alternative holder 40 comprises two parts - a cage 46 and a retainer bracket 48 - removably enagagable with each other by rotating the cage 46 into and out of engagement with retainer bracket 48. The cage 46 and the retainer bracket 48 are each unitary 3-D printed structures using the flexible materials described above, and may be manufactured individually or in groups of alternative holders 40, as shown in <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 7</figref>, to have a modular assemblage 41. In the modular assemblage 41, the plurality of alternative holders 40 are retained together at a frange periphery 49 around each of the retainer brackets 48 in each of the alternative holders 40. The frange periphery 49 permits separation of adjacent alternative holders 40. Each alternative holder 40 may be readily separated from the other alternative holders 40 in the modular assemblage 41 by snapping them apart or using a knife or scissor to cut them apart. The modular assemblage 41 of alternative holders 40 shown in <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 7</figref> may also be used as a group on a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 to provide minimum spacing between sensors 14.

0022In this configuration, one or more the retainer brackets 48 may be affixed to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 and a sensor 14 may be easily installed into or removed from the alternative holder 40 by simply rotating the cage 46 and removing it from the retainer bracket 48. This permits sensors 14 to be replaced while maintaining the positioning and configuration of the retainer brackets 48 (and thus the sensors 14) on the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12. There is no need to remove the retainer bracket 48 from the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12.

0023The cage 46 of the alternative holder 40 has a similar configuration to the holder 10 with a tubular body 18 having a closed top end 20 and an open bottom end 22 through which the sensor 14 is inserted into the tubular body 18. The closed top end 20 of the tubular body 18 has a plurality of unitary flexible flaps 32 angularly extending inwardly from an inner surface 34 of the closed top end 20, and an interior surface 36 of the tubular body 18 has a plurality of partial cylindrically-shaped spacers 38 extending radially inward and upward from the open bottom end 22 of the tubular body 18, for fixing the sensor 14 within the tubular body 18. As in the holder 10 shown in <figref idref="f0001 f0002">FIGS. 1-3</figref>, <figref idref="f0003 f0004 f0005 f0006">FIGS. 4-7</figref> show a closed top end 20 with two of the unitary flexible flaps 32, each of the unitary flexible flaps 32 extending angularly inwardly toward each other to provide a downward force onto a top surface of the sensor 14 when the sensor is installed into the alternative holder 40.

0024The exterior surface 30 of the tubular body 18 near the open bottom end 22 of the cage 46 of the alternative holder 40 has a different configuration than that shown in the holder 10. Instead of the base 26, the cage 46 in the alternative holder 40 has a plurality of capture tabs 50 extending outwardly from the exterior surface 30 of the tubular body 18 to provide a generally flat surface 52 in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the tubular body 18 proximate the open bottom end 22. The capture tabs 50 are used to removably engage the cage 46 to the retainer bracket 48. <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 4</figref> shows three capture tabs 50 positioned around the exterior surface 30 of the tubular body 18, but any number can be used depending on the diameter of the cage 46.

0025The retainer bracket 48 has a lower surface 54 for attachment to the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12, a top capture surface 56 and an engagement keyway 58 disposed between the lower surface 54 and the capture surface 56 in an aperture 60 through the retainer bracket 48. The plurality of capture tabs 50 of the cage 46 are slidably engagable with the engagement keyway 58 in the retainer bracket 48 in a rotary motion (in the direction shown by arrow A in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 4</figref>) to provide a removable locking engagement between the cage 46 and the retainer bracket 48. A stop may be provided in the engagement keyway 58 to provide notice to the user that the cage 46 is locked into the retainer bracket 48. In other aspects, the cage 46 may be configured to snap into the retainer bracket 48 without rotating, and provide removal by squeezing the sides of the tubular body 18 or other means for removing a snap-fitted part.

0026The lower surface 54 of the retainer bracket has the form of an attach pad or leg. A sealant tape as described above is adhered to the lower surface 54 of the retainer bracket 48 for affixing the alternative holder 40 to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12.

0027In the systems 42, 44 shown in <figref idref="f0004 f0005">FIGS. 5-6</figref> the alternative holders 40 are separated from the modular assemblage 41 shown in <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 7</figref> and arranged in an array with predetermined spacing. The predetermined spacing between each of the alternative holders 40 is provided by a separator 62 having a plurality of arms 64 positioned, for example, in an X-formation generally perpendicular to each other. Configurations other than X-formations may also be used, such as a straight separator without a crossing arm, or a separator configured to have a spider shape, a triangle, a circular pattern or a free-form pattern. Examples of such alternative patterns are shown in <figref idref="f0008">FIGS. 9A-9D</figref>. The shape, size and configuration options should be adaptive to the structural requirements. For example, when a repair patch is used for aerospace structures comprising a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12, the repair patch is typically in the form of an ellipsoidal or circular geometry. The separators 62 could be configured to provide a network extending around the perimeter to bound the patch. There are multiple array geometries that may be conceived wherein the density of sensors in a particular area may be adjusted based on structural need, which may be due to known damage morphology or size, structure features and geometry, or the need for quick modifications of the sensor network during use. The systems 42, 44 and variations thereof that are disclosed herein are readily adaptive to meet such structural needs. In another example, a long strip or rope of sensors, as shown in <figref idref="f0008">FIG. 9D</figref>, may be provided to wrap along a wing, spar, rib, skin of an aircraft or any other type of surface, and be positioned in any desired configuration.

0028Ends 66 of each of the arms 64 are engageable with a plurality of retainer brackets 48 for positioning a plurality of the alternative holders 40 on the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 with predetermined spacing therebetween. A plurality of separators 62 is used with a plurality of alternative holders 40 to make a wide variety of configurations for the array of alternative holders 40. The separators 62 comprise a flexible material (as described above) that permits positioning of the plurality of alternative holders 40 with predetermined spacing on flat surfaces, curved surfaces or surfaces of a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 with complex geometric shapes, and permits the entire configuration of sensors to actuate and move with the surface (for example, during fatigue loading, or during actual service use, or such that the entire configuration of sensors may be used between two parts that actuate with respect to each other) The separators 62 may be attached to the alternative holders 40 in any way known for attaching flexible materials together. For example, adhesives may be used, the ends 66 of the arms 64 can be configured to snap together or to mate together in other ways. The system of <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 5</figref> shows an aspect that uses an adhesive to affix the ends 66 of the arms 64 to corners of the frange periphery 49 of the retainer brackets 48. The system of <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 6</figref> shows an aspect that uses a snap-fit attachment means where the corners of the retainer bracket 48 have a bulbous cutout 67 that accommodates a bulbous end 68 of the arms 64 of the separator 62.

0029In a method 100 for affixing acoustic emission sensors to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material, referring to <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 8</figref>, a plurality of alternative holders 40 are used with a plurality of separators 62 to form a sensor holder array that is affixed to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12, which may be a test article or a completed structure, before, during or after manufacture and use of such structure. In step 102 of the method, an alternative holder 40 is separated from a plurality of alternative holders 40 that are retained together in a modular assemblage 41 at a frange periphery 49 around the retainer brackets 48 of each of the alternative holders 40. In step 104, the retainer bracket 48 of the separated alternative holder is affixed to the non-metallic and non-magnetic material with a sealant tape as described above. In step 106, the cage 46 of the alternative holder 40 is removed from the retainer bracket 48 by rotating the cage 46 out of the engagement keyway 58. A sensor 14, such as an acoustic emission sensor, is then inserted into the tubular body 18 of the cage 46 in step 108 and, in step 110, the cage 46 with the installed sensor 14 is engaged with the retainer bracket 48 by rotating the cage into the engagement keyway 58 in the direction shown by the arrow A in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 4</figref>.

0030In a further aspect of the method 100, the step 103 may be added to create an array of sensor holders with predetermined spacing between each sensor holder. In step 103A, the retainer bracket 48 of one of the alternative holders 40 is engaged with one end 66 of a separator 62 having a plurality of arms 64 positioned in an X-formation, and the retainer bracket 48 of another of the alternative holders 40 is engaged at another end 66 of the separator 62. The array of alternative holders 40 with predetermined spacing is then affixed to the non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12 in step 104.

0031A kit may be provided that includes a plurality of alternative holders 40 connected together in a modular assemblage 41, at least one separator 62 and sealant tape.

0032The holders and separators disclosed herein provide a cost and time efficient system and method for affixing sensors, such as acoustic emission sensors, to a non-metallic and non-magnetic material. The holders do not require additional assembly such as springs and screws, and the systems are scalable to account for variations in sensor size and test configurations, and may be used in a wide range of temperature conditions suitable for environmental testing at testing scales ranging from test article or coupon level to complete structures, such as aircraft, and any testing condition, from laboratory to field/depot, thus providing acoustic emission data from diverse environmental conditions.

0033Many other modifications and variations may of course be devised given the above description of various aspects for implementing the principles in the present disclosure. For example, and without limitation, the geometry of the sensor holder 10 and the cage 46 and retainer bracket 48 of the alternative sensor holder 40 may be designed to conform to the size and geometry of any type of acoustic sensor 14. The retainer bracket 48 may be fabricated and unitized in any modular assembly to provide different group assemblages, the separator lengths may be altered to form any array shape or geometry to cover targeted structural areas with higher or lower density of sensor placement. The adherent (such as vacuum tape etc.) may be pre-applied to the retainer bracket 48 on an individual or on a group basis and sealed so as to preserve the tacky/sticky end for adhering to a surface of a non-metallic and non-magnetic material 12. - This aspect would be provided as a pre-packaged kit containing all required parts for rapid use. The arms 64 of the separators 62 may be designed so as to snap, clip, press, into place into the retainer bracket 48. In other aspects, the retainer bracket 48 and cage 46 could be a monolithic/1-piece construction to reduce the number of parts for a specific acoustic sensor type/geometry. The width and geometry of the separator 62 may be further designed to provide non-symmetric configurations of any network or array geometry (such as spider-web, circular, triangular, diamond, linear, or curved as shown in <figref idref="f0008">FIGS. 9A-9D</figref>, or any other configuration). Such non-symmetric configurations may be designed to cover a desired structural geometry/configuration (e.g. to cover the surface area of a doubler, the perimeter of a known damage region, or boundaries of a repair patch), with a mix of cages 46 and retainer brackets 48 available to create a network of multiple sensor sizes. The separator 62 and retainer bracket 48 may also be formed as a monolithic/1-piece unit.