SBIR Phase II: Automated Structural Health Monitoring Sensor

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段研究项目将支持开发一种新的自动化结构健康监测（SHM）传感器系统，该系统能够检测先进结构中的裂纹和测量应力。现有的基于电的SHM仪器体积庞大且价格昂贵。随着传感点的增加和结构尺寸的增加，布线量、重量和硬件成本急剧增加。该仪器将光波导和光纤以及布拉格光栅（BG）与低成本、坚固耐用的光源相结合，从而产生能够在现场进行高精度和高灵敏度连续测量的SHM仪器。第二阶段的研究将开发一种经过现场测试的8通道基于BG的SHM仪器，用于大型结构的同时裂纹检测和加载应力测量。这种新型的SHM仪器将为大型飞机结构（如机翼、机身和搭接接头）以及民用结构（如输油管道、桥梁、高速公路、工厂和建筑物）的裂纹检测提供低成本解决方案，从而节省大量成本。由于传感器仪器对大型公共交通和公用事业系统中的灾难性故障的准确预测和早期预测，新的传感器技术将通过低成本的基于状态的维护和有效的警报系统来提高公共安全。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project will support the development of a new automated structural health monitoring (SHM) sensor system capable of detecting cracks and measuring stress in advanced structures. Current electrically-based SHM instrument is bulky and expensive. With the increase of sensing points and structure size, the amount of cabling, weight, and cost for hardware increases dramatically. This instrument combines optical waveguides and fibers, and Bragg Gratings (BG) with a low-cost, rugged light source to yield a SHM instrument capable of continuous measurements in the field with high precision and sensitivity. Phase II research will develop a field-tested 8-channel BG-based SHM instrument for simultaneous crack detection and loading stress measurements in large structures.This novel SHM instrumentation will offer significant cost saving by providing a low cost solution for crack detection in large airframe structures such as wings, fuselage, and lap joints, as well as in civil structures such as oil pipelines, bridges, freeways, plants and buildings. The new sensor technology will enhance public safety as a result of low-cost condition-based maintenance and effective warning systems due to the sensor instrument's accurate prognosis and early prediction of catastrophic failures in large public transportation and utility systems.