Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor

Thesis (Ph. D .)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Olson, Noah Gale, 1969-
Other Authors: Christopher K.Y. Leung.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29259
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author Olson, Noah Gale, 1969-
author2 Christopher K.Y. Leung.
author_facet Christopher K.Y. Leung.
Olson, Noah Gale, 1969-
author_sort Olson, Noah Gale, 1969-
collection MIT
description Thesis (Ph. D .)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.
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spelling mit-1721.1/292592019-04-12T21:47:43Z Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor Olson, Noah Gale, 1969- Christopher K.Y. Leung. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Civil and Environmental Engineering. Thesis (Ph. D .)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002. Includes bibliographical references. The proper interpretation of measurements from an optical fiber sensor requires a full understanding of its mechanical response to external action and the corresponding change in optical output. To quantify the mechanical behavior it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of the fiber coatings. A new method for measuring the coating stiffness directly on the fiber uses nano-indentation. Special sample preparation and testing procedures were developed for the measurement of very low modulus materials using the Nano Indenter II. Results are obtained for two different acrylate coated optical fibers, namely Corning SMF28 and 3M FS-SN-4228. These results are used in understanding the behavior of the novel crack sensor and of an interferometric strain sensor. A distributed crack sensor that does not require prior knowledge of crack location and employs a small number of fibers to monitor a large number of cracks is developed. The basic design of the sensor is a polymer sheet containing an inclined fiber that is coupled to a structure. The sensor principle is that cracking in the structural member leads to cracking in the polymer sheet which induces fiber bending leading to signal loss. Monitoring the backscattered signal provides crack opening size and location. A theoretical model for optical fiber loss prediction is developed based on a combination of mechanical and optical analyses. (cont.) Model prediction is found to be in relatively close agreement with experimental results. Model simulation can hence be carried out to provide guidelines for designing crack sensors for various applications. The behavior of both coated and uncoated fibers for strain measurement applications is also examined. A theoretical assessment using a three-dimensional finite element model for both coated and uncoated optical fibers is presented. Results show that the coating stiffness can significantly affect the strain transfer from the member under load to the optical fiber. The three-dimensional finite element model can provide guidelines for the optimized design of strain sensors. A straightforward analytical solution shows good equivalence with the theoretical solution under certain conditions. Experiments using an interferometer were conducted to verify the results of the theoretical study and show good correspondence. by Noah Gale Olson. Ph.D . 2005-10-14T19:29:59Z 2005-10-14T19:29:59Z 2002 2002 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29259 51883553 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 220 leaves 9058832 bytes 9058641 bytes application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Olson, Noah Gale, 1969-
Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title_full Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title_fullStr Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title_short Mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
title_sort mechanical and optical behavior of a novel optical fiber crack sensor and an interferometric strain sensor
topic Civil and Environmental Engineering.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29259
work_keys_str_mv AT olsonnoahgale1969 mechanicalandopticalbehaviorofanovelopticalfibercracksensorandaninterferometricstrainsensor