To a question on the possibility of using mechanoluminescent sensor elements with area-distributed sensitivity in aerospace engineering

This article considers the question of the possibility of using distributed mechanoluminescent sensor elements to create materials with a self-diagnostics function for use in aerospace engineering. In particular, it is proposed to use these sensor elements to monitor the condition of the shell and detect impacts and collisions. A brief description of the phenomenon of mechanoluminescence is given and the design of a sensor imitating a sheathing element is described in this article. The main attention is paid to an experimental study of simulating the collision of a solid with a composite material, which has a mechanoluminescent sensor element distributed over the area. The results of data processing are presented and made the conclusion about the possibility of using this type of structures for structural health monitoring in aerospace technique.