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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (7)
Distributed fiber optic sensors for structural health monitoring of composite pressure vessels
(2024)
In diesem Beitrag geben wir einen umfassenden Überblick über unsere Forschung auf dem Gebiet der verteilten faseroptischen Sensorik für die strukturelle Zustandsüberwachung von Wasserstoffdruckbehältern aus Verbundwerkstoffen. Insbesondere zeigen wir, wie die Integration von faseroptischen Sensoren in Druckbehälter aus Verbundwerkstoffen die Sicherheit erhöht und gleichzeitig die Wartungskosten senkt. Die geringe Größe von Lichtwellenleitern ermöglicht ihre Integration in Verbundwerkstoffstrukturen während des Herstellungsprozesses, wodurch eine kontinuierliche Überwachung sowie eine präzise Erkennung und Lokalisierung von Strukturschäden während des Betriebs der Druckbehälter ermöglicht wird. Wir erörtern auch das Potenzial modernster Signalverarbeitungsmethoden und des maschinellen Lernens für die Weiterentwicklung der vorausschauenden Instandhaltung. Die von uns vorgestellten Anwendungen von faseroptischen Sensoren zeigen, dass sie einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Energiewende hin zu erneuerbaren Energien leisten können.
We present a temperature sensor based on a polymer exhibiting a Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) in aqueous solution encapsulated in a capillary. Parameters are chosen such that the solution exhibits a cloud point in a temperature range of 30° C to 39°C. The characteristic of thermoresponsive polymers with an LCST, is that above that temperature phase separation of the polymer takes place which leads to a temperature-dependent formation of a cloudy suspension. An optical intensity measurement over the desired temperature range is established by an increase of optical attenuation inside the polymer solution caused by a rising temperature. For our purpose, the polymer capillary is connected to transmitter and receiver via a Polymer Optical Fibre (POF). Our intensity measurement is, to the best of our knowledge, a novel method and can be considered simple when compared to existing fibre-based temperature measurement techniques. Due to the lack of electrical components at the probe, this sensor is suitable for measurements in strong electromagnetic fields and environments for which flying sparks are hazardous, i.e., inflammable fluids or gases. Furthermore, all manufactured sensors share the same temperature dependence and, therefore, are well-suited for comparative measurement, e.g., flow measurement systems. With the given temperature range, a body temperature measurement is also suitable.
We present a high-precision fiber-optic temperature sensor based on a polymer possessing a Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) in aqueous solution encapsulated in a capillary. For a temperature higher than the LCST the transparent homogenous polymer solution changes into a suspension which forms an opaque fluid. The resulting temperature-dependent turbidity influences the transmission characteristics measured using a simple fiber-optic system.
The presented development provides a small-sized, robust temperature sensor, patented by the BAM (patent nr.: EP 3 043 161 B1), easy to integrate in many application fields, especially for process monitoring.
While hydrogen is one of the most promising energy carriers, the safety of hydrogen storage technology remains one of the most important factors for technological and societal approval. While the engineering safety factors of the pressure vessels are kept high, the periodic inspection and the limited lifetime are making the application very costly considering manpower, time, money, and material waste. The development of an integrated structural health monitoring system can allow an easy transition from the current situation to cost-effective predictive maintenance. Hence, we propose to integrate three different SHM systems into hydrogen pressure vessels, namely guided wave ultrasonics, acoustic emission, and fibre optic sensing, to continuously monitor the condition and integrity.
In this work, we evaluated the condition of a Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessel using ultrasonic guided wave propagation. We mounted fifteen piezo-electric wafers on the composite cylinder by shaping three rings containing five sensors each. We acquired data from the sensor network following different boundary conditions with artificial damages on the selected locations. The data were evaluated with guided wave tomography techniques using ultrasonic features (amplitude, frequency, etc.) as well as artificial intelligence (AI). The results suggest that both traditional guided wave fusion techniques and AI-based characterization methods can detect artificial damages. In future work, it is planned to integrate acoustic emission and fibre optic sensing. Moreover, the measurement and the test results will be implemented into a digital twin to derive trends and make predictions on the damage propagation as well as the remaining useful lifetime.
This work has received funding from German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Actions within the QI-Digital initiative (www.qi-digital.de).
Die Nutzung von Sensortechnologien, insbesondere im Bereich der Gasdetektion mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Wasserstoff, spielt eine entscheidende Rolle in verschiedenen Anwendungsbereichen der Wasserstofftechnologie. Sicherheitsüberwachung, Leckdetektion und Prozesskontrolle gehören zu den prominenten Anwendungsgebieten dieser Sensortechnologien. Ein zentrales Ziel ist die Erkennung von freigesetztem Wasserstoff sowie die genaue Bestimmung des Wasserstoff-Luftverhältnisses mithilfe von Gassensoren. Dies ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, um potenzielle Gefahren frühzeitig zu erkennen und angemessene Maßnahmen zu ergreifen.
Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt dieses Beitrags liegt auf der Analytik und der Verwendung zertifizierter Referenzmaterialien in Verbindung mit Metrologie für die Wasserstoffspeicherung. Dies gewährleistet eine präzise und zuverlässige Charakterisierung von Wasserstoff und unterstützt die Entwicklung sicherer Speichertechnologien. Im Rahmen des Euramet-Vorhabens Metrology for Advanced Hydrogen Storage Solutions (MefHySto) wird eine Kurzvorstellung präsentiert.
Der Vortrag stellt zwei zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren zum strukturellen Zustandsüberwachung (Structural Health Monitoring, SHM) für Wasserstofftechnologien vor. Insbesondere die Fehlstellenerkennung mittels geführter Ultraschallwellen spielt eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Lebensdauerüberwachung von Wasserstoffspeichern. Ein weiterer Aspekt ist die Anwendung faseroptischer Sensorik zur Schadensfrüherkennung von Wasserstoffspeichern. Diese zerstörungsfreien Prüfverfahren ermöglichen eine präzise und frühzeitige Identifizierung von Schäden, was die Sicherheit und Effizienz von Wasserstoffspeichersystemen entscheidend verbessert.
Application of Intensity-Based Coherent Optical Time Domain Reflectometry to Bridge Monitoring
(2022)
Although distributed fiber sensing techniques have been widely used in structural health monitoring, the measurement results of bridge monitoring, particularly under destructive testing, have rarely been reported. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first report of distributed vibration measurement results, which we obtained during a three-day destructive test on an abolished bridge. A coherent optical time domain reflectometry (COTDR) was used to acquire the vibration information while the bridge was being sawed. The obtained signal was analyzed in time and frequency domain. Some characteristics of the sawing-induced vibration were retrieved by the short-time Fourier transform; the vibration exhibited several high frequency components within the measured range up to 20 kHz and all the components appeared in the same time slot. Some unexpected signals were also detected. Thorough analysis showed that they are quite different from the sawing-induced vibration and are believed to originate from internal damage to the bridge (probably the occurrence of cracks).
A distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) based on wavelength-scanning coherent optical time domain reflectometer (WS-COTDR) is tested in an underground gas storage based on a multimode fiber for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The WS-COTDR acquires the reflection spectrum by scanning the wavelength of the laser and uses the spectra to calibrate strain. It overcomes the fading problem which is common for all DAS systems, and possesses the advantage of simple configuration and low-cost. The working principle of the system is well explained and the measurement results are presented. Various artificial and natural acoustic events have been successfully detected by the WS-COTDR. Such a sensor demonstrates several advantages over the traditional DAS systems, so it is supposed to be widely used in the oil and gas industry.
A distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) based on wavelength-scanning coherent optical time domain reflectometer (WS-COTDR) is tested in an underground gas storage based on a multimode fiber for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The WS-COTDR acquires the reflection spectrum by scanning the wavelength of the laser and uses the spectra to calibrate strain. It overcomes the fading problem which is common for all DAS systems, and possesses the advantage of simple configuration and low-cost. The working principle of the system is well explained and the measurement results are presented. Various artificial and natural acoustic events have been successfully detected by the WS-COTDR. Such a sensor demonstrates several advantages over the traditional DAS systems, so it is supposed to be widely used in the oil and gas industry.
Intelligent sensor systems, certified reference materials and instrumental analytical-chemical methods contribute to safety and functionality in hydrogen technologies.
This article gives a brief overview of SensRef activities in the Competence Centre H2Safety@BAM on the issues: Analytical methods for the determination of hydrogen purity, certified reference materials as measurement standards with regard to gas quality (primary calibrators) of BAM, test methods for gas sensor systems to detect hydrogen in air as well as the application of fibre-optic sensor systems to monitor the expansion and ageing behaviour of composite containers in hydrogen technologies.
Kombinierte faseroptische Messungen in Bohrlöchern helfen bei der Detektion von Kleinstleckagen
(2020)
Seit November 2019 läuft ein breit angelegtes und vom BMWi gefördertes ZIM-Kooperationsprojekt zwischen der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), der IAB'Weimar gGmbH, der GKSO GmbH & Co. Projekt KG, der DEEP.KBB GmbH sowie der Rembe Consulting PartG mbB. Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens sind sowohl die Lokalisierung als auch die Quantifizierung insbesondere sehr kleiner Leckagen in einer Bohrlochverrohrung durch die Nutzung faseroptischer Messtechnik. Durch Messdatenkopplung und den Wegfall bewegungsbedingter Nachteile einer Messsonde werden wesentlich präzisere Ergebnisse zur Bewertung der Bohrlochintegrität als üblich
erwartet.
We present the results of distributed fiber optic strain sensing for condition monitoring of a hybrid type IV composite fully wrapped pressure vessel using multilayer integrated optical fibers. Distributed strain sensing was performed for a total number of 252,000 load cycles until burst of the vessel. During this ageing test material fatigue could be monitored and spatially localized. Critical material changes were detected 17,000 cycles before material failure. Results have been validated by acoustic emission analysis.
For the purpose of increasing payload and reduce freight cost, lightweight composite tank containers used for Transportation have been progressively developed during the last years. Compared to conventionally produced cylindrical steel tanks, the fiber-reinforced solutions allow greater flexibility in the tank design. Despite a number of further material-related benefits of fiber-reinforced composites as non-conductive and non-magnetic behavior as well as corrosion resistance and high strength, the optimization of their thermal degradation properties during combustion is still a challenge. To improve the fire performance of lightweight composite containers, special intumescent fire protection coatings can be applied onto the outside tank surface. This paper presents fire tests on glass-fiber-reinforced plastic transport tanks with complex geometries sheltered with different surface-applied fire protection systems. To evaluate the fire resistance of the tank structures, a fiber optic monitoring system was developed. This system is based on distributed temperature measurements using high-Resolution optical backscatter reflectometry and pointwise reference measurements using fiber Bragg gratings. Thereby, all the fiber optic sensors were directly integrated in the composite layer structure of the tanks. The focus of the presented work is on the demonstration of capability of fiber optic monitoring system in such high-temperature application. Moreover, the fiber optic measurements provide new insights into the efficiency of intumescent coating applied for fire protection of fiber-reinforced plastic transport tanks.
Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent fatigue resistance, glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) are used as a construction material in a variety of applications including composite high-pressure gas storage vessels. Thus, an early damage detection of the composite material is of great importance. Material degradation can be determined via measuring the distributed strain profile of the GFRP structures. In this article, swept wavelength interferometry based distributed strain sensing (DSS) was applied for structural health monitoring of internal pressure loaded GFRP tube specimens. Measured strain profiles were compared to theoretical calculation considering Classical Lamination Theory. Reliable strain measurements with millimeter resolution were executed even at elongations of up to 3% in the radial direction caused by high internal pressure load. Material fatigue was localized by damaged-induced strain changes during operation, and detected already at 40% of burst pressure.
Kurzfassung. Die meisten Faserverbundbehälter, die in Europa für den Transport gefährlicher Stoffe oder als Speicherbehälter für Wasserstoff oder Erdgas in Fahrzeugen Verwendung finden, werden für eine nicht begrenzte Lebensdauer ausgelegt. In regelmäßigen Abständen sind für diese Druckbehälter wiederkehrende Prüfungen vorgeschrieben, die in der Regel aus visuellen Inspektionen und hydraulischen Innendruckprüfungen bestehen. Die wiederkehrenden Prüfungen sind jedoch weder geeignet, die sichere Betriebsdauer festzulegen noch den Alterungszustand der Druckbehälter zu beurteilen. Aufgrund des weiter steigenden Drucks zur Kosten- und Gewichtsreduktion von Faserverbundbehältern und der damit einhergehenden Ausnutzung der existierenden Sicherheitsmargen gewinnen Methoden zur Beurteilung des Alterungsverhaltens dieser Druckbehälter immer mehr an Bedeutung.
Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde in der BAM das Vorhaben „Alterungsverhalten von Composite-Druckgefäßen mit Carbonfaser-Compositen unter gekoppelten Beanspruchungen (COD-AGE)“ gestartet, um die Alterung von Faserverbundbehältern mittels verschiedener zerstörungsfreier Prüfverfahren zu untersuchen. Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse wurden an einem Typ 4 Hybridbehälter mit Kunststoffliner gewonnen, in den im Rahmen des Herstellungsprozesses optische Glasfasern in verschiedenen Schichten integriert wurden. Der Behälter wurde mittels hydraulischem Innendruck und erhöhter Umgebungstemperatur zyklisch bis zum Lebensende belastet. Zwischen den einzelnen Lastsequenzen erfolgte eine an die wiederkehrende Prüfung im Betrieb angelehnte hydraulische Druckbelastung.
Sowohl die hydraulische Alterung als auch die Druckrampen wurden mittels Schallemissionsprüfung (SEP) und verteilter faseroptischer Sensorik mit dem Ziel einer frühzeitigen Versagensvorhersage überwacht. Durch die Schallemissionsanalyse sollte untersucht werden, ob zum Lebensende hin ein signifikanter Anstieg der Schallemissionsaktivität und -intensität, unterteilt in verschiedene Lastbereiche, beobachtet werden kann. Zusätzlich zum kontinuierlichen Monitoring der Zyklierung sollten die Druckrampen separat untersucht werden, um hier Potenziale für die wiederkehrende Prüfung zu erkennen.
Glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP) are commonly used for the construction of pressure vessels and tanks for example in automotive and aerospace industries. Especially for pressure vessels used for the storage of natural gas or hydrogen with operation pressures up to 700 bar, an early material fatigue detection is of great interest. Measuring the distributed strain profile of GFRP structures helps to understand and detect material fatigue. In this article, we demonstrate the great potential of swept wavelength interferometry (SWI) based distributed strain sensing for the monitoring of pressure vessels made from GFRP. A resin transfer molding (RTM) process was used to manufacture GFRP-tube specimens. Commercial optical fibres with polyimid coating were glued to the surface externally in circumferential and axial direction. A cyclic load of up to 150 bar was applied to the samples using a servo-hydraulic test bench. Comparing the loaded and unloaded test conditions, we determined up to 2 % elongation in circumferential direction. We demonstrate reliable distributed strain measurements with sub-centimetre spatial resolution. By monitoring these high-resolution strain profiles, we were able to detect local material degradation that manifested itself as localized strain changes. Crucially, the material Degradation could be detected already after 75 % of dat the fatigue life before a crack appeared that led to leakage.
The mechanical stress-strain behaviour of polymer optical fibres (POFs) drawn from various materials was measured, both before and after temperature annealing of the POFs. The POFs were drawn from PMMA (GEHR), Zeonex (480R), PC (Makrolon LED2245) and two different grades of Topas (8007S-04 and 5013S-04). With fibre drawing stresses at or above the elastic (uniaxial extensional) plateau modulus, the polymer chains in the POFs have a high degree of alignment, which has a large impact on fibre mechanical behaviour. The testing was performed at straining rates ranging from 0.011%/s, to 1.1%/s for the un-annealed fibres and a straining rate of 1.1%/s for the annealed ones. The elastic modulus of the tested POFs showed no sensitivity toward variation of straining rate. In the case of Topas 5013S-04 and PMMA, the producer-reported values are the same as the one obtained here for the POFs both before and after annealing. The drawn POFs made of Zeonex, PC, and Topas 8007S-04 exhibit larger elastic modulus than the respective materials in the bulk form. The elastic modulus of these fibres is reduced upon annealing by 10-15%, but still remains above the producer-reported values for the bulk polymers. In the nonlinear elastic region, only the PC POF is statistically unaffected by the changes in the straining rate, while Topas 8007S-04 POF shows insensitivity to the straining rate until 3% strain. All other changes affect the stress-strain curves. The annealing flattens all stress-strain curves, making the fibres more sensitive to yield.
Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) especially carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) are commonly used materials in high pressure vessels and storage units for automotive and aerospace purposes. Optical fibres are suitable to be integrated or directly applied to the surface of FRP components. Using optical fibres it is possible to monitor the distributed strain profiles and changes within the fatigue life of a pressure vessel to ensure the operational safety. Within artificial ageing experiments we used swept wavelength interferometry (SWI) based distributed strain sensing for the monitoring of commercial high-pressure composite cylinder. This artificial ageing was performed using test conditions of 503bar pressure load (service pressure 300 bar) and 89 °C for 100 h. The polyimide coated optical fibres were glued to the surface externally in circumferential and axial direction. Using distributed strain sensing (DSS) material expansion of over 0.5% were monitored with sub-centimetre spatial resolution. Within the circumferential direction we observed up to 10 % local fluctuation compared to the median strain caused by inhomogeneous material expansion, which could cause local material fatigue. In addition, we determined material degradation manifested itself as localized remaining material expansion and/or contraction. Results have been validated by other non-destructive methods like digital strip projection.
The paper presents the first complex study of Gamma radiation effects on a low-loss perfluorinated polymer optical fiber (PF-POF) based on Cytop® polymer. Influence of gamma radiation on fiber’s optical, mechanical and climatic performance is investigated. The radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) in the visible and near-infrared region (0.4 μm-1.7 mm) is measured and its origins are discussed. Besides attenuation increase, radiation is also shown to decrease the thermal degradation stability of the fiber and to increase its susceptibility to water. With regard to complex fiber transmission performance upon irradiation, the optimal operation wavelength region of PF-POF-based systems intended for use in Radiation environments is determined to be around 1.1 μm. On the other hand, the investigated fiber holds potential for low-cost RIA-based optical fiber dosimetry applications with sensitivity as high as 260 dBm⁻¹/kGy in the visible region.
A systematic study of annealing behavior of drawn PMMA fibers was performed. Annealing Dynamics were investigated under different environmental conditions by fiber longitudinal shrinkage monitoring. The shrinkage process was found to follow a stretched exponential decay function revealing the heterogeneous nature of the underlying molecular dynamics. The complex dependence of the fiber shrinkage on initial degree of molecular alignment in the fiber, annealing time and temperature was investigated and interpreted. Moreover, humidity was shown to have a profound effect on the annealing process, which was not recognized previously. Annealing was also shown to have considerable effect on the fiber mechanical properties associated with the relaxation of molecular alignment in the fiber. The consequences of fiber annealing for the climatic stability of certain polymer optical fiber-based sensors are discussed, emphasizing the importance of fiber controlled pre-annealing with respect to the foreseeable
operating conditions.
In this work, the potential of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in low-loss perfluorinated polymer optical fibers (PF-POFs) is explored. The FBG is femtosecond-inscribed in a commercial multi-mode (MM) PF-POF based on Cytop® polymer. Femtosecond inscription leads to creation of a highly saturated grating with a number of higher order reflection Peaks visible throughout the visible and near-infrared spectral region. For 2 mm long FBG having a pitch of 2.2895 μm, a total of nine higher-order MM reflection bands are visible spanning from 1548 nm (4th order) to 520 nm (12th order). Strain sensitivity was measured for 6 peak bands in 500-900 nm region, where relatively low cost CCD based spectrometers and broadband LEDs are available. Strain sensitivity increases almost linearly with increasing initial peak wavelength, growing from 4.82 ± 0.02 nm/% measured for 12th order peak at 517 nm to 8.12 ± 0.04 nm/% measured for 7th order peak at 883 nm. These values correspond to roughly 20 % higher sensitivity than silica FBGs exhibit in this spectral range. The gratings in PF-POFs combine the higher strain sensitivity and low-loss operation while maintaining the mechanical advantages of polymer optical fibers. Therefore, they hold a high potential for considerable broadening of polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings application range.
Impact of gamma radiation on transmission of a commercial Cytop polymer optical fibre (Lucina, Asahi Glass Company) is investigated. Spectral dependence of radiation induced attenuation in the investigated fibre is measured in the VIS-NIR spectral region. Besides attenuation increase, radiation is found to increase fibre susceptibility to water as well. While pristine Cytop fibre is rather humidity insensitive, strong humidity related absorption in the NIR region is observed after fibre irradiation. Selective irradiation of separate fibre sections is proposed as a way of fibre humidity sensitization and quasi-distributed water detection is demonstrated using optical time domain reflectometry at 1310 nm.
In this paper we present the development of a novel of a fibre optic temperature sensor based on thermoresponsive polymers. The principle of our invention that is already applied for a patent is based on the detection of the optical power that is transmitted through an optical fibre, whilst a temperature sensitive element is integrated in this fibre.
Gamma radiation induced effects in perfluorinated polymer optical fibers for sensing applications
(2015)
Radiation induced attenuation in perfluorinated polymer optical fiber was investigated as a potential mean for online. in situ gamma radiation monitoring. Spectral dependence of radiation induced attenuation was measured in the visible and near infrared range. Attenuation spectrum exhibits sharp increase both towards the ultraviolet and infrared side of the spectrum with 3 distinct peaks around 1400 nm. The fiber sensitivity to gamma radiation was further evaluated at two commonly used IR wavelengths (1310nm and l550nm} by pre- and post-irradiation optical time-domain reflectometry measurements. The examined fiber is sensitive up to lOO kGy of total absorbed dose with only minor saturation towards the large dose values. The influence of gamma radiation on the fiber mechanical properties was studied as well. Up to the maximal dose of 100 kGy, no significant deterioration of fiber strength and elasticity was observed.
Systematic investigation of annealing behavior of drawn PMMA fibers was performed. Dynamics of annealing process were measured under different environmental conditions by fiber longitudinal shrinkage monitoring. Process was found to follow stretched exponential decay function indicating heterogeneous nature of underlying molecular dynamics. Consequences of fiber annealing for climatic stability of polymer optical fiber-based sensors are discussed, emphasizing importance of fiber controlled post-fabrication annealing. Dependence of induced fiber shrinkage on annealing time, temperature and fiber drawing conditions is investigated and interpreted. In addition, strong influence of humidity on annealing process was observed, which was not recognized in previous studies. This further highlights role of fiber post-fabrication thermal treatment with respect to intended operating conditions.
Strain sensors used for structural health monitoring (SHM) must provide reliable measurement data during their entire service lifetime. To achieve this for fibre optic sensors integrated into composites, the integration of the sensor has to be adapted according to the process conditions. This paper describes the fabrication of thermoplastic composite samples with integrated distributed fibre optic sensors (DFOS) based on copper-nickel and polyimide coated silica optical fibres. The performance of these DFOS as SHM sensors is evaluated in terms of reliability by measurements derived from comparative measurements with resistance strain gauges and from fatigue tests with 10 million load cycles.
One of the main unsolved issues of under-ground storages for, e.g., CO2, H2, and natural gas is the comprehensive surveillance of these areas with reasonable effort and costs. Conventional sensors (e.g., soil air probes or borehole probes), however, can only be used for punctual or locally limited measurements; further their application can cause structural influences (invasive application).
In this paper, we describe in detail the setup of a CO2 injection soil test field. This test field will be used to enhance and validate an innovative ap-proach for distributed subsurface monitoring of gas storage areas. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first time that, for this purpose, a test field is built in an application relevant scale.
In this paper a technique for integrating copper coated silica optical fibers into AS-4/PEEK composite for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is presented. The integration steps are described in detail. X-ray and microscopic images indicate a successfully integrated optical fiber which does not seem to affect the fiber/matrix distribution around it. Optical backscatter reflectometry shows losses of approximately 2dBm-1 along the integrated parts of the optical fiber due to temperature induced shrinkage of the composite.
Structural Health Monitoring of composite materials gains in importance with the increasing use of Composite structures for safety-related applications, e.g. in aerospace. Because of the material properties of composites, defects often occur inside the structures and raise the demand for integrated sensors. The advantages of optical fibres predestine them not only for the surface-application on composite structures but also for the Integration into composite structures. Even without quasi-distributed sensors such as FBGs or LPGs, the optical fibre itself can be used to measure the structure and occurring events over the entire fibre length by distributed sensing techniques. This paper presents the surface-application of polyimide coated silica optical fibres onto PEEK specimens and the integration of copper and polyimide coated silica optical fibres into an AS-4/PEEK Composite to be used as distributed fibre optic sensors for SHM. Results from distributed measurements by optical backscatter reflectometry based on Rayleigh backscattering are shown.
For patients under Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) spontaneous respiration is constantly at risk of being impaired by anesthetic drugs or by upper airway obstruction. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the breathing activity is needed to assess adequate ventilation or to detect specific obstruction patterns. The paper describes three MRI compatible respiration sensors based on pure optical technologies developed within the EU FP6 project OFSETH. The sensors are based on fiber Bragg gratings, optical time-domain reflectometry and macrobending effects. The developed smart medical textiles can sense elongation up to 3% while maintaining the stretching properties of the textile substrates for patient's comfort. The OFSETH harness allows a continuous measurement of abdominal and thoracic respiration movement while all vitals organs are free for medical staff actions. The sensors were tested in MRI environment and on healthy adults.
We investigated to our knowledge for the first time the capabilities of long period gratings (LPG) in single-mode microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) as real-time gamma dosimeter. The fibre is made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with a polycarbonate jacket. We measured the radiation-induced wavelength shift of the mPOF LPG loss feature wavelength and the radiation-induced attenuation of a mPOF for
different wavelength between 600 nm and 800 nm for gamma radiation with an energy distribution between 6 keV and 18 keV.
This paper reports on a fibre optic sensor for heart rate measurement which is developed within the framework of the FP7 EU project i-Protect. Goal is integration of the sensor into personal protective equipment Two different sensor prototypes based on polymer optical fibre (POF) were developed. One is based on long period gratings in microstrutured POF and the other one is based on macrobending effects in POF.
A long period grating (LPG) mechanically imprinted in a microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) is embedded in a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) unidirectional laminate. Processing steps were established in order to ensure that mPOF does not suffer significant degradation. The strain and temperature responses of the embedded mPOF-LPG were then investigated.
The potential of the use of POF as distributed sensors in several application fields has been successfully demonstrated. The distributed POF sensors have moved from the laboratory to the field. The paper presents the recent progress in the development of distributed POF sensors and addresses the main challenges to this innovative technology.
We report on three respiration sensors based on pure optical technologies developed during the FP6 EU project
OFSETH. The developed smart medical textiles can sense elongation up to 3%, while maintaining the stretching
properties of the textile substrates for a good comfort of the patient. The sensors, based on silica and polymer fibre, are
developed for monitoring of patients during MRI examination. The OFSETH harness allows a continuous measurement
of respiration movements while all vitals organs are free for medical staff actions. The sensors were tested in MRI
environment and on healthy adults.
We investigated the sensing properties of a single mode Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Microstructured Polymer
Optical Fibre (MPOF) with mechanically imprinted Long Period Grating (LPG). We measured the influence of strain to
the LPG wavelength which showed the viscoelastic nature of PMMA. We also measured the influence of temperature
and humidity to the LPG wavelength.
Technical textiles with embedded fibre optic sensors habe been developed for the purposes of the structural health monitoring in geotechnical and civil engineering as well as for healthcare monitoring in the medical sector. The paper shows selected examples of using such sensor-based smart textiles for different applications.
We investigated sensing properties of single mode poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) microstructured polymer optical
fibres (MPOF) with mechanically imprinted long period gratings (LPG). After preparation of the MPOF end-faces the
samples were elongated with silica fibres. These samples were used to measure the influence of strain to the LPG
wavelength which showed the viscoelastic nature of PMMA. We also measured the influence of temperature and
humidity. The results show that MPOF LPGs are well suited for strain sensing. One MPOF LPG was stitched to a
textile. Using this textile we measured a simulated respiratory motion.
This study discusses the development of advanced composite materials with sensing
capabilities obtained from the embedment of long period gratings in microstructured plastic
optical fibres (mPOF-LPG). The mPOF-LPG was embedded in a carbon fibre reinforced
polymer (CFRP) unidirectional laminate manufactured in autoclave. Processing steps were
established in order to insure that mPOF does not suffer significant optical and structural
degradation. The strain and temperature responses of the embedded mPOF-LPG were
investigated.
The versatility of MPOF offers a variety of sensing applications. In this paper the influence
of strain, temperature and humidity is investigated. The results show that MPOF LPGs are well suited
for strain sensing. Further investigations have to be made to clarify the behaviour on temperature and
humidity in more detail.
The principle of a low-cost but nevertheless powerful POF elongation sensor has already been described in the recent years [1, 2, 3]. The measurement of the phase shift of a signal of a modulated light source which is coupled into two different POF, one being stretched, yields information of the elongation with a resolution of up to 10-5. Analyzing the temporal or frequency behaviour of the signal gives additional information. Since the phase measurement can allow for frequencies up to 2 GHz, the vibrational analysis of macroscopic structures can be extended to several kHz very easily, limited mainly by the signal processing electronics. Thus we processed data of a sensing system applied to a 39 m rotor blade of a wind power generator and could resolve the various frequencies related to different exciting conditions, e.g. the appearance of a beat signal when the blade was externally excited by a mechanical system with a frequency close but not identical to the Eigen frequency of the blade.
The potential impact of optical fiber sensors embedded into medical textiles for the monitoring of respiratory movements in a magnetic resonance imaging environment is presented. We report on three different designs, all textile based: a macrobending sensor, a Bragg grating sensor, and a time reflectometry sensor. In all three cases, the sensing principle is based on the measure of the elongation of the abdominal circumference during breathing movements. We demonstrate that the three sensors can successfully sense textile elongations between 0% and 3%, while maintaining the stretching properties of the textile substrates for a good comfort of the patients.
Die Eignung von Faser-Bragg-Gitter-(FBG)-Sensoren zur Messung ionisierender Strahlung wurde an einem Undulator des Elektronenspeicherrings BESSY II untersucht. Über einen Zeitraum von 20 Wochen wurde eine durch Strahlung verursachte Bragg-Wellenlängenänderung der FBG-Sensoren von 25pm gemessen, was einer Strahlendosis von 720 Gy entspricht.
The suitability of using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for the measurement of ionizing radiation on the electron storage ring BESSY II by measuring the Bragg wavelength shift caused by radiation was investigated. During a time period of 20 weeks a Bragg wavelength shift of 25pm caused by the ionizing radiation was measured by FBG sensors at the storage ring. This Bragg wavelength shift corresponds to a radiation dose value of 720 Gy.
Fiber optic sensors based on polymer optical fibers (POF) take advantage of the high elasticity and high break-down strain of POF. Because of their outstanding elastic properties, POF are well suited for integration into technical textiles like geotextiles and medical textiles. Smart textiles with incorporated POF sensors, able to sense various mechanical and physical quantities, can be realized. The integration of POF as a sensor into geotextiles for monitoring of displacement of soil is very attractive since POF can be used for distributed strain measurement of strain values of more than 40 %. An online monitoring of critical mechanical deformations of geotechnical structures like dikes, dams, slopes, embankments as well as of masonry structures can be ensured. Medical textiles that incorporate POF sensors can control vital physiological parameters like respiratory movement and can be used for wearable health monitoring of patients requiring a continuous medical assistance and treatment. The biocompatibility of POF is an important criterion for selecting POF as a medical sensor. The paper shows selected examples of using POF sensors for the mentioned monitoring purposes.
We investigate two real-time strain sensing principles based on the optical time-domain reflectometry
(OTDR) in polymer optical fibres (POF). The first sensing principle uses the increase of the level of backscattered light
in a stretched POF. The second sensing principle uses the effect of losses due to bending.