Towards smart bits: monitoring temperature and load by embedding sensors within rotary blast drill bits

本项目旨在开发一种在金属结构中嵌入光纤布拉格光栅（FBG）传感器的技术。候选结构是旋转式爆破钻头，需要同时测量关键位置的载荷和温度，以评估其使用性能。该研究项目开发的技术将促进研究小组的长期目标，即引入一种可靠的技术，将传感器嵌入金属结构中。通过使用嵌入式传感器可以满足获得关于使用中的金属工具的性能和寿命的信息的要求，所述嵌入式传感器使得能够在普通传感器无法到达的位置处监测物理参数。 为了达到所提出的目标，激光辅助无掩模微沉积（LAMM）将被表征为成功地用金属元素的纳米颗粒（例如，银、铜）。沉积导电元件的薄层将允许使用电镀技术来进一步沉积工程材料以在FBG传感器上创建保护层。 然后将利用激光实体自由成形制造（LSFF）技术在放置在钻头内的传感器上进行钨铬钴合金6的最终沉积。在拟议的研究计划中，将从理论和实验上研究LAMM和LSFF技术中涉及的各种系统和材料之间的相互作用，以开发一种新的范例，用于成功应用该技术制造具有嵌入式光纤传感器的金属结构。将对使用中的金属结构进行评估，以测量嵌入式传感器的灵敏度。 这项研究在加拿大尚属首次，将为制造带有嵌入式传感器的金属结构提供先进技术。该项目的好处是普遍的，可以用于许多行业，包括模具制造，汽车，航空航天等。

This project aims at developing a technology for embedding fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors within metallic structures. The candidate structure is a rotary blast drilling bit, for which a simultaneous measurement of load and temperature in critical locations is required for the assessment of its performance in-service. The technology developed in this research program will facilitate the long-term objective of the research group, which is an introduction of a reliable technique for embedding sensors within metallic structures. The requirements to obtain information on the performance and lifetime of metallic tools in-service can be addressed by the use of embedded sensors which enable the monitoring of physical parameters at locations not accessible by ordinary sensors.        To arrive at the proposed objective, laser-assisted maskless microdeposition (LAMM) will be characterized to successfully coat the FBG sensors with nano-particles of metallic elements (e.g., silver, copper). Depositing a thin layer of conductive element will allow the use of the electroplating technique for further depositing engineered materials to create a protective layer on the FBG sensors.  The laser solid freeform fabrication (LSFF) technique will then be utilized to perform final deposition of Stellite 6 on the sensor which is placed within the drill bits. In the proposed research program, the interactions between various systems and materials involved in both LAMM and LSFF technologies will be studied theoretically and experimentally to develop a new paradigm for the successful application of the technology in the fabrication of metallic structures with embedded fiber optic sensors. Assessment of the fabricated metallic structures in-service will be conducted to measure the sensitivity of the embedded sensors.        The proposed research is the first-of-kind in Canada and will result in an advanced technology for the fabrication of metallic structures with embedded sensors. The benefits of this project are pervasive and can be used in many industries including die manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and others.