Successful development of the first complete miniaturized fiber optic sensor system

A research project called "SmartFiber" funded by the European Union has developed the first complete, miniaturized optical fiber sensor system that can be fully embedded in fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Smart composite materials capable of spontaneous and continuous structural health monitoring are getting closer to reality. A research project called SmartFiber, funded by the European Union, developed the first complete, miniaturized optical fiber sensor system that can be fully embedded in fiber-reinforced composite materials.

This project uses RFID wireless communication to transmit data to the fiber optic sensor network. These fiber optic sensor networks are embedded in fiber-reinforced composite materials. This project aims to develop a sufficiently small structural health monitoring system, that is, millimeter-level, which can be embedded in composite materials for manufacturing aircraft, satellites, bridges, oil and gas wells, wind turbine blades, hulls and propellers. The goal is to generate a continuous composite structure data to facilitate technicians to conduct structural health monitoring, determine when maintenance is required, and warn of possible structural failures.

The research team developed a pressure sensor, including an embedded fiber optic sensor and an embedded fiber signal transponder. Normal external signal transponders need to use fiber to connect embedded sensors. This system eliminates potentially vulnerable fiber hazards. The system uses fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors instead of other strain monitoring selection techniques, such as the classic electronic strain gauge, because the FBG system is compact, lightweight, resistant to electromagnetic interference (EMI), high corrosion resistance, high temperature operation and many Advantages of road technology capabilities. This fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor has a very small diameter and extreme elongation at break, and is specifically designed to minimize the impact on the strength of the composite material.

One of the main goals of the Smart Fiber project is to develop an embedded sensor system that can be easily integrated into the work environment and at the same time reduce costs. The automatic optical fiber composite material technology developed by the research team uses a silicon-based precision machining process to embed the sensor network in the composite material. The core of the sensor system is a photonic integrated circuit. The waveguide grating is arranged in the circuit as a spectrometer, which is accurately connected with the signal transponder of the fiber grating sensor.