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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Discrete distributed strain sensing of intelligent structures

Techniques are developed for the design of discrete highly distributed sensor systems for use in intelligent structures. First the functional requirements for such a system are presented. Discrete spatially averaging strain sensors are then identified as satisfying the functional requirements. A variety of spatial weightings for spatially averaging sensors are examined, and their wave number characteristics are determined. Preferable spatial weightings are identified. Several numerical integration rules used to integrate such sensors in order to determine the global deflection of the structure are discussed. A numerical simulation is conducted using point and rectangular sensors mounted on a cantilevered beam under static loading. Gage factor and sensor position uncertainties are incorporated to assess the absolute error and standard deviation of the error in the estimated tip displacement found by numerically integrating the sensor outputs. An experiment is carried out using a statically loaded cantilevered beam with five point sensors. It is found that in most cases the actual experimental error is within one standard deviation of the absolute error as found in the numerical simulation.

Anderson, Mark S.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Optical Fiber Distributed Sensing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Strain Measurements Taken During Cryotank Y-Joint Test Article Load Cycling at Liquid Helium Temperatures

This paper outlines cryogenic Y-joint testing at Langley Research Center (LaRC) to validate the performance of optical fiber Bragg grating strain sensors for measuring strain at liquid helium temperature (-240 C). This testing also verified survivability of fiber sensors after experiencing 10 thermal cool-down, warm-up cycles and 400 limit load cycles. Graphite composite skins bonded to a honeycomb substrate in a sandwich configuration comprised the Y-joint specimens. To enable SHM of composite cryotanks for consideration to future spacecraft, a light-weight, durable monitoring technology is needed. The fiber optic distributed Bragg grating strain sensing system developed at LaRC is a viable substitute for conventional strain gauges which are not practical for SHM. This distributed sensing technology uses an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR). This measurement approach has the advantage that it can measure hundreds of Bragg grating sensors per fiber and the sensors are all written at one frequency, greatly simplifying fiber manufacturing. Fiber optic strain measurements compared well to conventional strain gauge measurements obtained during these tests. These results demonstrated a high potential for a successful implementation of a SHM system incorporating LaRC's fiber optic sensing system on the composite cryotank and other future cryogenic applications.

Allison, Sidney G.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Application of a Fiber Optic Distributed Strain Sensor System to Woven E-Glass Composite

A distributed strain sensing system utilizing a series of identically written Bragg gratings along an optical fiber is examined for potential application to Composite Armored Vehicle health monitoring. A vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process was used to fabricate a woven fabric E-glass/composite panel with an embedded fiber optic strain sensor. Test samples machined from the panel were mechanically tested in 4-point bending. Experimental results are presented that show the mechanical strain from foil strain gages comparing well to optical strain from the embedded sensors. Also, it was found that the distributed strain along the sample length was consistent with the loading configuration.

Anastasi, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Three-Axis Distributed Fiber Optic Strain Measurement in 3D Woven Composite Structures

Recent advancements in composite materials technologies have broken further from traditional designs and require advanced instrumentation and analysis capabilities. Success or failure is highly dependent on design analysis and manufacturing processes. By monitoring smart structures throughout manufacturing and service life, residual and operational stresses can be assessed and structural integrity maintained. Composite smart structures can be manufactured by integrating fiber optic sensors into existing composite materials processes such as ply layup, filament winding and three-dimensional weaving. In this work optical fiber was integrated into 3D woven composite parts at a commercial woven products manufacturing facility. The fiber was then used to monitor the structures during a VARTM manufacturing process, and subsequent static and dynamic testing. Low cost telecommunications-grade optical fiber acts as the sensor using a high resolution commercial Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR) system providing distributed strain measurement at spatial resolutions as low as 2mm. Strain measurements using the optical fiber sensors are correlated to resistive strain gage measurements during static structural loading. Keywords: fiber optic, distributed strain sensing, Rayleigh scatter, optical frequency domain reflectometry

Castellucci, Matt↗
NASA NTRS2000

Shape Measurement of Large Aerospace Structures Using Sensitivity Electrical TDR Distributed Strain Sensor

Electrical time domain reflectometry (ETDR) sensing technique can be best described as "closed-loop radar," where the information is derived from the reflections of a voltage pulse sent through a transmission medium. The ETDR sensing technique is a well-developed method and has been widely used to locate and evaluate discontinuities in long coaxial power transmission cables. The ETDR technique provides a true distributed sensing capability which can not only sense the distributed loading condition of the structure but also can pin-point the location of disturbance, such as the locations of stress concentration and structural damages. Proof-of-concept experiments have been conducted using photoelastic specimens with embedded commercial coaxial cables, i.e., RG85/U and RG174, to demonstrate the stress/strain sensing capability of ETDR sensors for structural health monitoring application. Although the test results showed that the ETDR sensor signals capture specimen deformation pattern both in bending and tension and indicate the location and type of crack damages of the photoelastic specimen; yet, the low signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor signal smears the details of the strain measurement that the ETDR signals can convey. A high-sensitivity ETDR coaxial strain sensor prototype newly developed at Clark Atlanta University will be presented. The construction of the prototype sensing cable as well as its electrical properties relevant to distributed strain sensing application will be shown in details. Test results of the sensitivity and tension responses of the ETDR signal of the prototype sensor will be presented and compared with those of commercial coaxial cables. Promising potentials of the ETDR distributed strain sensing method for shape measurement application of large aerospace structures will also be demonstrated using long slender beam with surface-bonded ETDR distributed strain sensor.

Lin, Mark W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Distributed Fiber-optic Strain Sensing to Estimate Generalized Modal Coordinates from Flight-test Data

A method for estimating the generalized modal coordinates of an aircraft during flight has been developed. The Fiber-optic Sensing System (FOSS) offers an efficient and cost-effective method of measuring the strain at thousands of points along the wings. The estimation of modal coordinates was implemented as a two-step process. First, a maximum likelihood method is used to estimate the statistical properties of the sensors and generalized modal coordinates. Second, the strain mode shapes from the finite element model are used along with the statistical properties from the first step to estimate the generalized modal coordinates over time. Using simulated data from the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (MUTT), different methods of modal coordinate estimation were compared to demonstrate the benefits and weaknesses of each. These were compared against the exact solution and an ordinary least squares (a more traditional method) estimate. Modal coordinate estimation methods were then applied to flight-test data from the X-56A aircraft to show that the method continues to work well with actual test data. The new estimation method provides insights unavailable from more classical approaches.

Jeffrey Ouellette↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Distributed Fiber-Optic Strain Sensing to Estimate Modal Generalized Modal Coordinates from Flight-Test Data

Background and Motivation - Problem - Contemporary aircraft carry around structural mass so that the flutter instabilities lie well outside of the operational envelope. - Better methods of measuring the structural state could allow reduction of the extra structural weight. - Modal filtering - Standard method in structural analysis - Deformations are a combination of mode shapes - Modal filtering is estimating these modal coordinates from data - Often ordinary least squares methods - Often applied to simpler test articles - Factor Analysis - Classic (in psychology) analysis method - Measurements are a combination of small number of unmeasurable variables - Lessons from this factor can be adapted to improve the modal filtering methods

Jeffrey Ouellette↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Distributed Fiber-optic Strain Sensing to Estimate Generalized Modal Coordinates from Flight-test Data

Background and Motivation - Problem - Contemporary aircraft carry around structural mass so that the flutter instabilities lie well outside of the operational envelope. - Better methods of measuring the structural state could allow reduction of the extra structural weight - Modal filtering - Standard method in structural analysis - Deformations are a combination of mode shapes - Modal filtering is estimating these modal coordinates from data - Often ordinary least squares methods - Often applied to simpler test articles - Factor Analysis - Analysis method from psychology - Measurements are a combination of small number of unmeasurable variables. - Lessons from factor analysis can be adapted to improve the modal filtering methods

Jeffrey Ouellette↗
NASA NTRS1996

Strain Insensitive Optical Phase Locked Loop

An apparatus is provided to allow for quasi distributed sensing of strain within a test object. Strain insensitive fiber is used to deliver a light signal to a strain sensitive fiber in an optical phase locked loop sensor configuration. The use of strain insensitive delivery fiber allows for non-integrated measurements of strain without the use of expensive electronics such as those employed in ODTR techniques. The novelty of the present invention lies in the use of strain insensitive multimode fiber. The inventors had previously developed a similar sensor with strain insensitive fiber, however it was restricted to the use of single or few mode fibers. The use of an optical phase locked loop arrangement allows for the use of multimode strain insensitive fiber.

Egalon, Claudio Oliviera↗
NASA NTRS2013

Method for Estimating Operational Loads on Aerospace Structures Using Span-Wisely Distributed Surface Strains

This report presents a new method for estimating operational loads (bending moments, shear loads, and torques) acting on slender aerospace structures using distributed surface strains (unidirectional strains). The surface strain-sensing stations are to be evenly distributed along each span-wise strain-sensing line. A depth-wise cross section of the structure along each strain-sensing line can then be considered as an imaginary embedded beam. The embedded beam was first evenly divided into multiple small domains with domain junctures matching the strain-sensing stations. The new method is comprised of two steps. The first step is to determine the structure stiffness (bending or torsion) using surface strains obtained from a simple bending (or torsion) loading case, for which the applied bending moment (or torque) is known. The second step is to use the strain-determined structural stiffness (bending or torsion), and a new set of surface strains induced by any other loading case to calculate the associated operational loads (bending moments, shear loads, or torques). Performance of the new method for estimating operational loads was studied in light of finite-element analyses of several example structures subjected to different loading conditions. The new method for estimating operational loads was found to be fairly accurate, and is very promising for applications to the flight load monitoring of flying vehicles with slender wings.

Ko, William L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Deformed Shape Calculation of a Full-Scale Wing Using Fiber Optic Strain Data from a Ground Loads Test

A ground loads test of a full-scale wing (175-ft span) was conducted using a fiber optic strain-sensing system to obtain distributed surface strain data. These data were input into previously developed deformed shape equations to calculate the wing s bending and twist deformation. A photogrammetry system measured actual shape deformation. The wing deflections reached 100 percent of the positive design limit load (equivalent to 3 g) and 97 percent of the negative design limit load (equivalent to -1 g). The calculated wing bending results were in excellent agreement with the actual bending; tip deflections were within +/- 2.7 in. (out of 155-in. max deflection) for 91 percent of the load steps. Experimental testing revealed valuable opportunities for improving the deformed shape equations robustness to real world (not perfect) strain data, which previous analytical testing did not detect. These improvements, which include filtering methods developed in this work, minimize errors due to numerical anomalies discovered in the remaining 9 percent of the load steps. As a result, all load steps attained +/- 2.7 in. accuracy. Wing twist results were very sensitive to errors in bending and require further development. A sensitivity analysis and recommendations for fiber implementation practices, along with, effective filtering methods are included

Jutte, Christine V.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Implementation of Fiber Optic Sensing System on Sandwich Composite Cylinder Buckling Test

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project is a multicenter project tasked with developing new analysis-based shell buckling design guidelines and design factors (i.e., knockdown factors) through high-fidelity buckling simulations and advanced test technologies. To validate these new buckling knockdown factors for future launch vehicles, the Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project is carrying out structural testing on a series of large-scale metallic and composite cylindrical shells at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama). A fiber optic sensor system was used to measure strain on a large-scale sandwich composite cylinder that was tested under multiple axial compressive loads up to more than 850,000 lb, and equivalent bending loads over 22 million in-lb. During the structural testing of the composite cylinder, strain data were collected from optical cables containing distributed fiber Bragg gratings using a custom fiber optic sensor system interrogator developed at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. A total of 16 fiber-optic strands, each containing nearly 1,000 fiber Bragg gratings, measuring strain, were installed on the inner and outer cylinder surfaces to monitor the test article global structural response through high-density real-time and post test strain measurements. The distributed sensing system provided evidence of local epoxy failure at the attachment-ring-to-barrel interface that would not have been detected with conventional instrumentation. Results from the fiber optic sensor system were used to further refine and validate structural models for buckling of the large-scale composite structures. This paper discusses the techniques employed for real-time structural monitoring of the composite cylinder for structural load introduction and distributed bending-strain measurements over a large section of the cylinder by utilizing unique sensing capabilities of fiber optic sensors.

FOS↗
NASA NTRS2015

Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions for Converting Surface Strains into Deflections for Structural Deformed Shape Predictions

Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions were formulated for shape predictions of complex wing structures, for which surface strain-sensing stations must be properly distributed to avoid jointed junctures, and must be increased in the high strain gradient region. Each embedded beam (depth-wise cross section of structure along a surface strain-sensing line) was discretized into small variable domains. Thus, the surface strain distribution can be described with a piecewise linear or a piecewise nonlinear function. Through discretization, the embedded beam curvature equation can be piece-wisely integrated to obtain the Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions (for each embedded beam), which are expressed in terms of geometrical parameters of the embedded beam and the surface strains along the strain-sensing line. By inputting the surface strain data into the Displacement Transfer Functions, slopes and deflections along each embedded beam can be calculated for mapping out overall structural deformed shapes. A long tapered cantilever tubular beam was chosen for shape prediction analysis. The input surface strains were analytically generated from finite-element analysis. The shape prediction accuracies of the Variable- Domain Displacement Transfer Functions were then determined in light of the finite-element generated slopes and deflections, and were fofound to be comparable to the accuracies of the constant-domain Displacement Transfer Functions

displacement transfer functions↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Wing Load Calibration and Sensing Methods Using Conventional Strain Gages and a Fiber Optic Sensing System Installed on a Straight Tapered Wing

State-of-the-art instrumentation techniques have provided an opportunity to obtain greater insight into structural wing loads during flight. An investigation was undertaken to research new wing instrumentation and load sensing techniques for measuring accurate in-flight spanwise load distributions on wing structures. A straight tapered wing was instrumented with both conventional foil strain gages at five spanwise wing stations and fiber optic strain sensors at every half inch along the entire wing span. Thirty-nine unique load cases were applied to the wing lower surface using hydraulic actuators to obtain various shear, bending moment, and torque load distributions on the wing. This paper will highlight three load calibration approaches. Conventional linear regression calibration methods were applied to foil strain gages providing a single wing station vertical shear, bending moment, and torque load. Linear regression methods were applied to a fiber optic sensing system to provide bending moment and torque spanwise load distributions. A load sensing scheme using strain derived wing shape information derived from a single load case provided vertical shear and bending moment spanwise load distribution information. Aspects of the three different approaches will be compared and contrasted to inform the reader of the benefits or disadvantages of each. Instrument installation, sensor characteristics, test execution aspects, and recommended calibration techniques will be discussed.

structural mechanics↗
NASA NTRS2012

Improved Displacement Transfer Functions for Structure Deformed Shape Predictions Using Discretely Distributed Surface Strains

In the formulations of earlier Displacement Transfer Functions for structure shape predictions, the surface strain distributions, along a strain-sensing line, were represented with piecewise linear functions. To improve the shape-prediction accuracies, Improved Displacement Transfer Functions were formulated using piecewise nonlinear strain representations. Through discretization of an embedded beam (depth-wise cross section of a structure along a strain-sensing line) into multiple small domains, piecewise nonlinear functions were used to describe the surface strain distributions along the discretized embedded beam. Such piecewise approach enabled the piecewise integrations of the embedded beam curvature equations to yield slope and deflection equations in recursive forms. The resulting Improved Displacement Transfer Functions, written in summation forms, were expressed in terms of beam geometrical parameters and surface strains along the strain-sensing line. By feeding the surface strains into the Improved Displacement Transfer Functions, structural deflections could be calculated at multiple points for mapping out the overall structural deformed shapes for visual display. The shape-prediction accuracies of the Improved Displacement Transfer Functions were then examined in view of finite-element-calculated deflections using different tapered cantilever tubular beams. It was found that by using the piecewise nonlinear strain representations, the shape-prediction accuracies could be greatly improved, especially for highly-tapered cantilever tubular beams.

Ko, William L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Structural Anomaly Detection Using Fiber Optic Sensors and Inverse Finite Element Method

NASA Langley Research Center is investigating a variety of techniques for mitigating aircraft accidents due to structural component failure. One technique under consideration combines distributed fiber optic strain sensing with an inverse finite element method for detecting and characterizing structural anomalies anomalies that may provide early indication of airframe structure degradation. The technique identifies structural anomalies that result in observable changes in localized strain but do not impact the overall surface shape. Surface shape information is provided by an Inverse Finite Element Method that computes full-field displacements and internal loads using strain data from in-situ fiberoptic sensors. This paper describes a prototype of such a system and reports results from a series of laboratory tests conducted on a test coupon subjected to increasing levels of damage.

Quach, Cuong C.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Adaptive Load Control of Flexible Aircraft Wings Using Fiber Optic Sensing

Over the past century aircraft wing design has transformed from the morphing wing used on the Wright Flyer to rigid wings with little to no shape-tailoring abilities. Modern day wings are designed to fly at a single trim condition and optimized to have a maximum aerodynamic efficiency at only this condition. Shape morphing wings on the other hand have the potential to undergo geometric changes allowing them to adapt to their mission profiles. Several flight demonstrations have been conducted over the decades using morphing-wing technologies. Active wing-twist control was demonstrated on the X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) research project by utilizing multiple leading- and trailing-edge control surfaces. Passive morphing technology has been demonstrated on the Rockwell RPRV-870 Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) aircraft. In the current study, the wings of a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) were modified to have segmented control surfaces (SCS). The modifications include segmenting the original wing control surfaces (one flap and one aileron per wing) into 44 individual sections, each section having its own independent servo control motor. The wings were also instrumented with a network of over 1800 fiber-optic strain sensors (on four sensing fibers distributed over the top and bottom surfaces of the wing) monitoring the strain response of the wing to aerodynamic loading. The SCS positions were manipulated in real time to modify the spanwise lift distribution of the wings on the sUAS. The change in the structural response of the wings caused by load redistribution was quantified by measuring the bending strains on the upper and lower wing surfaces using an on-board compact fiber-optic strain sensing (cFOSS) system. A feedback controller was developed to control the SCS positions using strain-based shape estimations from the Displacement Transfer Function (DTF). Post-processing of the strain data allowed for the transverse displacement distributions and load distributions to be compared for the conventional and segmented control surface cases using displacements and loads algorithms developed by Richards and Ko at AFRC (refs. 5-10). While the current study focused on the shifting of the spanwise aerodynamic loads as quantified by displacements, future applications for loads or displacement control might include active gust alleviation and flutter suppression.

Pena, Francisco↗