Structural testing of a Navy LPD-17 propulsion propeller using Bragg grating sensors and digital spatial wavelength domain multiplexing (DSWDM)

Christopher S. Baldwin; Peter C. Chen; Jason S. Kiddy; John B. Niemczuk; Martin B. Christiansen; Kartik Vaithyanathan; Shiping Chen

doi:10.1117/12.429649

Translator Disclaimer

14 June 2001 Structural testing of a Navy LPD-17 propulsion propeller using Bragg grating sensors and digital spatial wavelength domain multiplexing (DSWDM)

Christopher S. Baldwin, Peter C. Chen, Jason S. Kiddy, John B. Niemczuk, Martin B. Christiansen, Kartik Vaithyanathan, Shiping Chen

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4332, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.429649
Event: SPIE's 8th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2001, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., under sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), has developed a proprietary structural health monitoring system for large- scale structures based on optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. This paper describes the operational capabilities of the health monitoring system and recent rest results on large-scale naval structures performed at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD). DSWDM technology developed under this effort is electro-optics based and has been shown to provide significantly higher sampling rates than comparative FBG interrogation technologies. The baseline system under development interrogates more than 120 sensors along five fiber channels. The prototype DSWDM system also possesses a number of advantages intrinsic to optical fiber sensors as compared to resistance strain gages (RSGs). These advantages include extremely low installed weight and volume, immunity to electromagnetic interference and corrosive environments, and low signal attenuation and drift. The LPD-17 propeller was retrofitted with 24 FBGs and strain and temperature data was recorded for direct comparison with conventional RSGs. Static and dynamic full- scale propeller operating loads were applied to the LPD-17 propeller. Sampling rates of approximately 1.7 kHz were demonstrated using the DSWDM system that provided good agreement in measured strain levels between FBGs and reference RSGs.

Citation Download Citation

Christopher S. Baldwin, Peter C. Chen, Jason S. Kiddy, John B. Niemczuk, Martin B. Christiansen, Kartik Vaithyanathan, and Shiping Chen "Structural testing of a Navy LPD-17 propulsion propeller using Bragg grating sensors and digital spatial wavelength domain multiplexing (DSWDM)", Proc. SPIE 4332, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (14 June 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.429649

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE