SBIR Phase II: Automated Structural Health Monitoring Sensor

这项小型企业创新研究（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缝和测量应力。目前基于电的SHM仪器体积庞大，价格昂贵。随着传感点和结构尺寸的增加，硬件的布线量、重量和成本急剧增加。该仪器结合了光波导、光纤、Bragg光栅（BG）和低成本、坚固耐用的光源，产生了一种能够在现场连续测量的SHM仪器，具有高精度和灵敏度。第二阶段的研究将开发一种现场测试的基于bg的8通道SHM仪器，用于同时检测大型结构的裂纹和加载应力。这种新型的SHM仪器将为大型机身结构（如机翼、机身和搭接）以及民用结构（如石油管道、桥梁、高速公路、工厂和建筑物）的裂纹检测提供低成本的解决方案，从而显著节省成本。由于传感器仪器能够准确预测和早期预测大型公共交通和公用事业系统的灾难性故障，新的传感器技术将通过低成本的状态维护和有效的预警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.