Smart dust is a concept that's been around for a while now and is being commercialized by companies such as Dust Networks, recently acquired by Linear Technology Inc. Now, researchers at the University of Strathclyde are developing low-cost smart paint that can detect microscopic faults in wind turbines, mines, and bridges before structural damage occurs.
Dr. Mohamed Saafi of the university’s Department of Civil Engineering said, “The development of this smart paint technology could have far-reaching implications for the way we monitor the safety of large structures all over the world.
“There are no limitations as to where it could be used and the low-cost nature gives it a significant advantage over the current options available in the industry. The process of producing and applying the paint also gives it an advantage as no expertise is required and monitoring itself is straightforward.”
The paint is formed using recycled fly ash and highly aligned carbon nanotubes. When mixed, the university reported, it has a cement-like property which makes it particularly useful in harsh environments.
Dr Saafi said the process of monitoring a structure using the paint involves a wireless sensor network that incorporates wireless communication nodes with power harvesting and warning capabilities to remotely detect any unseen damage such as micro-cracks in a wind-turbine concrete foundation. The research has been carried out at Strathclyde with Dr. Saafi working alongside David McGahon, who initiated the work as part of his Ph.D. project.
Time reports that the paint could enable a cost-effective method of distributing money aimed at infrastructure repairs most appropriately, enabling “a cheap, easy way to detect which bridges are in greatest need of repair, and to spot small weak spots before they become large, deadly ones.” The researchers at Strathclyde report that with fly ash as the main ingredient, a smart-paint-based method would cost just 1% of the cost of alternative inspection methods.
Read related articles in EE-Evaluation Engineering on sensors and wireless data acquisition. Our March issue will include an article on wireless sensor networks for remote monitoring and will cover products from companies including Dust Networks.