TY - EJOU AU - Wu, Zhanjun AU - Li, Tengteng AU - Zhang, Jiachen AU - Wu, Yifan AU - Li, Jianle AU - Yang, Lei AU - Xu, Hao TI - Shape Sensing of Thin Shell Structure Based on Inverse Finite Element Method T2 - Structural Durability \& Health Monitoring PY - 2022 VL - 16 IS - 1 SN - 1930-2991 AB - Shape sensing as a crucial component of structural health monitoring plays a vital role in real-time actuation and control of smart structures, and monitoring of structural integrity. As a model-based method, the inverse finite element method (iFEM) has been proved to be a valuable shape sensing tool that is suitable for complex structures. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for the shape sensing of thin shell structures with iFEM. Considering the structural form and stress characteristics of thin-walled structure, the error function consists of membrane and bending section strains only which is consistent with the Kirchhoff–Love shell theory. For numerical implementation, a new four-node quadrilateral inverse-shell element, iDKQ4, is developed by utilizing the kinematics of the classical shell theory. This new element includes hierarchical drilling rotation degrees-of-freedom (DOF) which enhance applicability to complex structures. Firstly, the reconstruction performance is examined numerically using a cantilever plate model. Following the validation cases, the applicability of the iDKQ4 element to more complex structures is demonstrated by the analysis of a thin wallpanel. Finally, the deformation of a typical aerospace thin-wall structure (the composite tank) is reconstructed with sparse strain data with the help of iDKQ4 element. KW - Structural health monitoring; inverse finite method; Kirchhoff–Love shell theory; composite tank; shape sensing DO - 10.32604/sdhm.2022.019554