Fiber Grating Sensor for Damage Assessment
Summary:
Blue Road Research's fiber-optic technology has multiple uses for detecting strain in materials, including composites. Originally developed for monitoring the strength of solid rocket motor casings, the fiber-optic systems can also be used to monitor the structure of aircraft, buildings, bridges, roadways, and hydrogen fuel tanks for future hybrid vehicles. The fiber-optic systems developed at Blue Road offer considerable advantages in sensitivity and robustness for nondestructive evaluation systems, and offer time and cost savings as well.
Technology Description:
Blue Road Research's fiber-optic systems are used to detect internal strain in composite structures. When a part in which a fiber-optic sensor undergoes strain or deformation, the light transmitted through the fiber is altered, thereby signaling a potential problem. The fiber-optic sensors can be embedded in a structure or applied on the surface of a part. Multiple fiber-optic sensors can be distributed throughout a material and their functions can be monitored and recorded by simple signal transducers or computers. The data they provide can be analyzed to determine the location and the severity of the damage on either a continuous basis or in a periodical query of the system.
MDA Origins:
This work was done on the "Fiber Grating Sensor System to Determine Motor Case Damage" Phase II SBIR Program, Contract Number: F04611-02-C-0007, sponsored by Edwards AFB.
While the original MDA-funded technology is very specific to a small subset of applications (solid rocket motor casings for missiles), Blue Road Research POC Nick Ortyl readily credits the MDA work as a source of cascading refinements. This work continues with an Army Phase II SBIR that focuses on propellant strain monitoring. The contract is entitled "Embedded Sensor Technology for Solid Rocket Motor Health Monitoring."
Spinoff Applications:
Fiber-optic grating systems have applications as in situ, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) tools, and can be used in roadways, bridges, airplane parts, and other materials subject to strain over time. Used as in situ sensors, these systems can provide both periodic static measurements and dynamic real-time monitoring of material status.
For example Blue Road has tested its multi-axial fiber-optic systems (prior to the MDA SBIR) in two bridge locations in Oregon and has determined that the sensors were able to detect the presence of people merely standing on the bridge surfaces, and to assess traffic types. In other applications, such as in the wing of an airplane, the sensitivity of these systems enables them to determine the location, severity, and type of strain (or damage) in the medium in which they are embedded, providing technicians with critical information on the status of aircraft parts. In manufacturing applications, the sensors can be used to determine the rate and cure of composite materials, helping to ensure the integrity of the manufactured part. NASA has also shown interest in utilizing fiber-optic sensors to validate Space Shuttle components. NASA awarded the fiber-optic technology one of "NASA TechBrief's Top 50 Products of 2005." The underlying technology was also awarded the "Outstanding Poster Presentation" at the Moon to Mars session at the National Space and Missile Materials Symposium in June 2005. General applications are in aerospace; civil and government engineering concerns (roadways, bridges, buildings); composite structures that bear load; environmental sensing systems (temperature, humidity); oil and gas industry; naval industry; and hybrid vehicle hydrogen fuel tanks.
Commercialization:
The company sells fully equipped fiber-optic sensor readout systems. According to the company's website, they are "completely integrated sensor readout systems which are fully automated by the user's computer to monitor real-time environmental parameters from fiber-optic sensors. They come with data acquisition cards, cables, and basic software" and are customizable. The company also provides the accompanying graphical user interface and data logging software, educational kits and instructional videos, product development kits, as well as individual sensors and components.
The company also accepts custom orders.
Company Profile:
Blue Road Research was conceived in 1993 specifically as a vehicle for "moving fiber-optic sensor technology out of the laboratory and into commercial products and applications." It began as a one-person shop with an extremely detailed, stepwise, business-building strategy that has apparently been quite successful. Despite its emphasis on commercialization, the company continues to be R&D- and education-oriented and encourages clients to take advantage of its detailed course offerings in fiber-optic technology, to foster greater understanding of fiber-optic products and their potential uses. The company continues to use government grants as a source of research funding but can be described as a robust commercial enterprise, actively engaged in supplying the commercial sector with both made-to-order and off-the-shelf, customizable fiber-optic sensor technology for numerous applications.
Contact Information:
Nick Ortyl
Blue Road Research
376 NE 219th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97030
phone: (781) 275-0381
fax: (503) 667-7880
email: nortyl@bluerr.com
web: www.bluerr.com
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