Fiber-Optic Ultrasound Sensors for Smart Structures Applications

摘要

The project addressed the development of an important nondestructive evaluation tool utilizing fiber-optic ultrasonic sensors which can be permanently mounted in inaccessible regions of an airframe so as to facilitate flaw detection and characterization. Over the course of this project, several types of intrinsic fiber-optic ultrasound sensors were developed. These include the following fiber-optic ultrasound receivers: Fabry-Perot (FOFP) sensors, Sagnac Ultrasound Sensor (SUS), and Bragg-Grating Ultrasound (BGU) sensors. Fiber-optic laser ultrasound generator (FLUG) systems were also developed. Applications of these fiber-optic ultrasound systems in process monitoring as well as flaw detection have been demonstrated.