Fiber optic sensors have gained increasing importance in recent years and are well established in many areas of industrial applications. In this paper, we introduce a concept of a self-diagnostic fiber optic sensor. The presented sensor is to resolve the problems of embedded fiber optic sensors in complex structures and to enable the validation under operational conditions. For this purpose, different magnetostrictive coated fiber optic sensors were developed and various experiments were performed to verify their mode of operation and to determine the respective reproducibility. The measuring principle is illustrated by obtained experimental results, which showed a change in wavelength from 1 pm at a magnetic field strength change of 0.25 mT. In addition, the temperature characteristics of the implemented magnetostrictive sensor were analyzed and an experimental factor of 1.5 compared to a reference fiber optic sensor was determined.
Innovative structural damage detection of bridges by least squares adjustment with constraints
(2015)
Detecting spreading damage in bridges is a demanding task for engineers today when the ageing infrastracture of industriaiized countries is degradating more and more. To successfully deal with tbis problem, a really advanced method has been elaborated basing on Langrange Multiplier (LM) tests and following the principle of simplicity by Hilbert and extending comments by Helmholtz refering to a combination of measurement and analytical treatment. Finally, an easy mathematical fonnation has been created.
The absolute detection of a gap distance of loose and ftxed extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) sensors with conventional measurement Systems is not possible. Due to this EFPI-sensors were deemed to be unfit for distance determination in comparision with FBG sensors. With the conventional measurement method a continous measurement of the EFPIsensors was necessary. Otherwise data about the distance change was lost. Additional it is necessary to detect the tumaround points in the interference signal with 100%. This made it worse for the analysis and the use of the sensor. At BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing a measurement System called “EFPI-Scan” is developed which can measure the absolute gap distance of four connected EFPI-sensors synchronous. Every measurement channel is temperature independetn and long term stable. Test measurements showed a deviation of maximum ±1 gm per hour. Furthermore it is possible to measure with different measurement modes (abolute, relative and a combination of both). Special emphasis should be placed to the absolute measurement accuracy of ± 5 pm at a gap distance determination ftom 40 up to 4000 pm.