Development of a mems-based strain sensor platform for health monitoring of mining structures

目前的项目是艾伯塔大学(UofA)和辛克鲁德研究中心的合作成果。其目标是开发一种基于MEMS的应变传感器，能够测量其采矿设备中持续存在的机械应变，功率范围在0.1至75 mW之间。这样的规格将允许将这种基于MEMS的应变传感器集成到一个传感平台中，该平台可以在无线传感器网络中部署和测量；然后，该传感器将用于对加拿大辛克鲁德有限公司运行的采矿设备进行实时SHM。基于MEMS的应变传感器将在UofA的Waled Moussa博士的MEMS/NEMS高级设计实验室(ADL)开发。这种MEMS传感器的微加工过程将在UofA的开放式纳米加工设施中进行，在那里，微加工结果的一些表征步骤也将使用该设施中的表征设备进行评估。微型传感器的进一步表征也将在先进的MEMS/NEMS ADL中进行，以在不同的应力水平下校准传感器，并在有限的电源下测试其在预期恶劣天气条件下的功能。基于MEMS的应变传感器的无线开发将使用ZigBee(IEEE 802.15.4)协议，并将与格伦罗斯医院的无线研究团队合作开发。该无线模块与基于MEMS的应变传感器的集成将在MEMS/NEMS ADL的表征设施中进行。此外，基于MEMS的无线应变传感器的现场测试将在加拿大辛克鲁德有限公司的米尔德里德湖矿场进行。

The current project is a collaborative effort between the University of Alberta (UofA) and Syncrude Research Centre. Its objective is to develop a MEMS-based strain sensor that is capable of measuring mechanical stain sustained in their mining equipment with low power rate that range between 0.1 to 75mW. Such specifications will allow this MEMS-based strain sensor to be integrated within a sensing platform that can be deployed and instrumented within a wireless sensor network; which will then be used to perform real-time SHM of the Syncrude Canada Ltd. operated mining equipment. The MEMS-based strain sensor will be developed in Dr. Walied Moussa's MEMS/NEMS Advanced Design Laboratory (ADL) at UofA. The microfabri-cation process of this MEMS sensor will be carried out in the open access Nanofab facil-ity at UofA where some of the characterization steps of the microfaprication results will also be assessed using the characterization equipments in this facility. Further characteri-zation of the micro sensor will also be conducted in the advanced MEMS/NEMS ADL to calibrate the sensor at different stress levels and to test its functionality under expected harsh weather conditions within limited power sources. The wireless development of the MEMS-based strain sensor will be achieved using the ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) protocol and will be developed in collaboration with the wireless research team at the Glenrose hospital. The integration of this wireless module with the MEMS-based strain sensor will be performed in the characterization facility at the MEMS/NEMS ADL. And, the field testing of the wireless MEMS-based strain sensor will be conducted in Syncrude Canada Ltd. Mildred Lake mine site.