Optical fiber sensors for characterization of materials and structures

Abstract

Optical fiber systems have been developed during the past twenty-five years for primary applications in the high speed digital communication of information. Using much of the same rapidly-developing technology optical fiber sensor systems have been developed during the past fifteen years for the measurement of a wide range of physical observables and applications in aerospace and hydrospace, civil structures and biomedical instrumentation systems. The major advantage of optical fiber sensor methods over conventional sensor systems is the all-dielectric nature of the fiber and the intrinsic avoidance of electromagnetic interference and ground loops that plague wire and metal-based sensing networks. For physical property measurements in smart materials where actuator elements and arrays are driven by high voltage electrical signals, such immunity is especially important. Another major advantage is the operation of fiber sensors above the temperatures at which most conventional sensor instrumentation will not operate. Such operation allows the use of properly designed fiber sensors in situ for the analysis of the fabrication conditions of smart materials, as well as their performance in high temperature environments. Sensor elements incorporated into the material during fabrication may in some cases be used for material evaluation post processing. This paper briefly suggests the use of such optical fiber sensor elements during the fabrication, inservice lifetimes and damage and degradation phases of smart material and structural systems.