All engineering infrastructures undergo aging. The damage that appears over time is a consequence of the loads applied to them, therefore regular maintenance actions are required in order to predict the lifetime of these structures and lengthen it, which, in turn, will aid in avoiding catastrophic failures. Aviation-related infrastructures demand the highest levels of damage detection as these structures are overwhelmingly built according to a damage-tolerant principle. The structures for aerospace are designed to withstand damages with certain characteristics. Damage-tolerant design involves considerable effort for structure inspection. The inspections and maintenance tasks need to be periodic and scheduled; these are essential for safe and efficient operations.
Automation of the inspection processes is a point of capital importance to reduce inspection efforts, as maintenance is time-consuming and costly. Fiber Bragg grating sensor systems can perform real-time inspection which leads to a reduction of maintenance costs and improved the reliability and performance of the structures. Therefore, there is great interest in developing FBG sensors from the industry and academia. The most promising sensors are FBG strain sensors, FBG temperature sensors, FBG accelerometers, etc.
The intrinsic capabilities of FBG sensors, such as insensitivity to electromagnetic radiation, lightweight, small size, high sensitivity and resolution, and, most importantly, their suitability to be embedded into structures, make them suitable for most aerospace applications.
Among different approaches to a maintenance system based on FBG sensors deployment are: 1) single-point sensors; 2) distributed sensing, including distributed temperature systems. Distributed temperature sensing (DTS) systems are optoelectronic devices that measure temperatures by means of optical fibers functioning as linear sensors. Temperatures are recorded along the optical sensor cable, thus not at points, but as a continuous profile. High accuracy of temperature determination is accomplished over great distances.
The successful application of FBG sensors to aircraft requires the sensors to provide reliable and accurate information about the condition of the structure and to reduce economic losses caused by unproductive downtimes. At this moment, FBG sensors and FBG based systems, such as DTS, are the most appropriate solution to most aerospace needs.
Optromix will write a tailored fiber Bragg grating-based on your specific requirements, which can be used with any type of optical fiber sensor technology. We will make sure to analyze your fiber optic applications and deliver the most suitable solution.
If you would like to purchase FBGs, please contact us: info@optromix.com or +1 617 558 9858