A systems engineering approach to structural health monitoring of composites using embedded optical fibre Bragg sensors for aeronautical applications

摘要

The need to perform structural health monitoring on composite primary structures in real time for their life cycle has become cardinal because of the drastic increase in composite usage on aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial systems. The Systems Engineering approach was followed to ensure that these efficient low weight high strength components are optimally, economically and safely utilized. Details of the phases involved in this approach are outlined. In this document the activities associated with the preliminary design phase of the Systems Engineering process will be emphasised. Glass embedded optical fibre Bragg sensors were identified as the most appropriate for the strain measurement essential for the structural health monitoring of composites. The necessary Interrogator instrumentation subsystem for data acquisition and an Algorithm analysis subsystem are outlined. Detail design aspects of only the embedded optical fibre Bragg sensor subsystem will be covered in this paper.