Abstract
A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain patch specially adapted for long-term and high-strain applications has been developed and characterized. The design concept for the patch is based on a glass-fiber reinforced plastic (gfrp) carrier material. The developed concept for the FBG integration into the carrier material was derived from reliable integration procedure of FBG sensors into composite structures. The patches’ temperature sensitivity, strain gauge factor, fiber–matrix interface adhesion and fatigue behavior were characterized. As a result, FBG strain patches with linear temperature and strain behavior, as well as excellent fatigue resistance, were developed and can be used as part of a monitoring system for advanced composite materials in aerospace structures or wind turbine power plants.
Highlights
Over the past years, fiber Bragg gratings have been used as sensors for structural health monitoring and smart structure applications
An international guideline for the use and testing of fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based optical strain sensors [3], exists and manufacturers are strongly recommended to use it, our experimental investigations showed deviations in the patch performance compared to the specified characteristics by the manufacturer
What happens during the curing process in terms of residual stress and exothermal reaction is extremely important for the configuration of the FBG inside the patch
Summary
Fiber Bragg gratings have been used as sensors for structural health monitoring and smart structure applications. Producers offer FBGs integrated or applied to a carrier material in order to simplify the handling and installation of the sensors These optical strain gauges are named “patches.” Patches are available from different manufacturers and, depending on the patch design, their characteristics are different. For this reason, it was necessary to develop a FBG patch with reliable and long-term stable mechanical and spectral properties. A carrier material glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (gfrp) was chosen so that the manufacturing technique could be adapted for the integration of optical fibers into composite structures
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