Overview
The objective of this activity was to design and manufacture composite specimens integrating fibre optic sensors, evaluate the reliability of the sensors, develop a concept to evaluate the system reliability and define a design of experiments of sensorized structures.
The purpose of this study was to facilitate the validation of real-time health monitoring systems, which can detect strain as well as the temperature of the structure at multiple locations through numerous embedded optical fibre sensors. Optical fibre sensors for damage detection were embedded in the structure made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates.
An integrated assessment of all critical manufacturing steps of fibre Bragg grating strain sensors was performed in order to achieve high reliability of the embedding process in composite materials. The study comprised the analysis of different types of optical fibres towards the optimisation of embedding processes in composite materials.
High resolution strain mapping by embedding series of closely spaced independent sensors in composite material samples was assessed. Parameters that influence the infant failure of the structures were analysed and the tests required to assess their effect were defined. A preliminary test campaign based on thermal, mechanical and fatigue tests had already been defined.