Fiber-optic sensors for composite cure analysis and lifetime nondestructive evaluation

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2351/1.5058351· OSTI ID:5422195

Muhs, J D; Cates, M R; Tobin, K W; Capps, G J; Beshears, D L ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

A proposed multiplexed fiber-optic sensor system capable of analyzing a composite material during its curing cycle and over its service lifetime is presented. The sensor is composed of two independent sensing schemes that will ultimately be multicomplexed onto a specialized single-mode/multimode optical fiber. The first sensing scheme is a fiber-optic viscosity and temperature sensor used for composite cure analyses. This sensor is based on (1) the laser-induced viscosity-dependent fluorescence phenomena observed in epoxy-based composite materials and (2) the temperature-dependent decay-time fluorescence phenomena observed in thermographic phosphors. The second sensor is based on a low-finesse, single-mode fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer and is used as a strain/vibration sensor for lifetime nondestructive evaluations on composites. Experimental results have determined that these sensor concepts are feasible alternatives to cure-analysis monitors and conventional strain-analysis techniques. 15 refs., 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5422195
• Report Number(s): CONF-891091-2; ON: DE90001739
• Resource Relation: Conference: 8. international congress on applications of lasers and electro-optics (ICALEO 8), Orlando, FL (USA), 15-20 Oct 1989
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
CURING
DEFECTS
EPOXIDES
FABRY-PEROT INTERFEROMETER
FIBER OPTICS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
INTERFEROMETERS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
TESTING
360601* - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture
440300 - Miscellaneous Instruments- (-1989)