Strain monitoring of a single-lap joint with embedded fiber-optic distributed sensors

We have developed a fiber-optic distributed sensor which can measure strain distributions along fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with the high spatial resolution. This sensing system is based on optical frequency domain reflectometry and a long-length FBG whose length is about 100 mm can be used. We can identify the longitudinal strain at an arbitrary position along the FBG using signal processing technology. In this study, long-length FBGs were embedded into the adhesive layers of the two single-lap joints and we could successfully measure the strain distributions inside the adhesives. In one single-lap joint, the adherends were carbon fiber reinforced plastics and in another one, they were aluminum. Theadhesive was epoxy in both cases. The measured results were compared with the calculated ones by nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis in which the large displacement and the elasto–plastic response of the adherend or adhesive material were account for. We found that in most of the applied loads, the agreement between the measured results and the calculated ones obtained from an intact FE model is excellent. While the measured strain distributions inside the adhesive layer of the aluminum single-lap joint were varied at the end of the overlap in the higher applied loads and they were much different from those of the intact model, an FE model with debonding was made and it could represent such variations. We could also monitor the strain distributions inside the adhesive during the manufacturing process and we observed the perturbation in residual strain distributions after curing. Consequently, we can say that the fiber-optic distributed sensor with the high spatial resolution is very useful not only to assess the structural integrity of adhesive joints but also to improve numerical analysis techniques and manufacturing processes for them.

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