Fiber optic sensing (FOS) systems can provide high-fidelity distributed strain measurements in various industries such as aerospace, automotive, structural health monitoring, and civil engineering. Proper fiber installation is crucial to obtain accurate and useful strain measurements. Unlike foil strain gauges, fiber is often suitable for embedment. Sensuron’s FOS offers hundreds to thousands of sensing points …

Installation Methods for Fiber Optic Strain Sensing Read More »

1 Results The beam response subjected to a point force was obtained by hanging a weight with known magnitude at the end of the beam for a short period. Four different weights (500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grams) were used to obtain eight instances of the beam response producing tensile and compressive strains at the …

Strain Gauges vs Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing, Part 3 of 3: Results and Benefits Read More »

2. Fiber Strain Sensitivity The two direct measurements of all Sensuron interrogators are mechanical strain and temperature. This is due to the inherent sensitivity of the Bragg wavelength, as seen below in the well-known Bragg equation. In the absence of thermal effects, obtaining the strain from the above equation is very straight forward. The temperature …

Strain Gauges vs Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing, Part 2 of 3: Sensitivity and Setup Read More »

Fiber Optic Sensing (FOS) systems have an intrinsic advantage over traditional Strain Gauge (SG) technology, namely they are capable of measuring strain along the sensing fiber in multiple locations. Sensuron’s FOS system developed in collaboration with NASA is capable of measuring strain at over 2000 locations along a 13m fiber. A single fiber that provides …

Strain Gauges vs Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing, Part 1 of 3: Introduction Read More »

In close collaboration with NASA, Sensuron developed compact fiber optic sensing systems that can provide continuous strain measurements. One major challenge facing the development of prominent nondestructive damage evaluation (NDE) tools has been a lack of fine spatial resolution from sensors. Sensuron’s advanced fiber optic sensing platforms resolve this issue with spatial resolution down to …

Nondestructive Damage Evaluation by Ensyso and Sensuron Read More »

Sensuron’s fully distributed fiber optic sensing technology enables a paradigm shift to take place in the areas of structural testing and monitoring. One frequently overlooked aspect of this shift is the potential cost savings when compared with the use of traditional sensors. For example, thousands of fiber optic strain gauges can be installed on an …

Cost Comparison – Fiber Optic Sensing versus Strain Gauges Read More »

Shrinking military budgets often necessitate the use of vehicles and aircraft well beyond their service lives. For example, according to STARS and STRIPES, among the Navy’s concerns is a rapidly aging Ready Reserve Force of 46 transport ships, which each average 44 years of age. Similar problems face the Air Force. In 1980, the average …

We’re All Getting Older: Accelerated Lifecycle and Fatigue Testing Read More »

Distributed fiber optic sensing has traditionally been a steep entry price technology to get behind. It has been a common issue for many years that has led many engineers to look for other alternatives when they see the price tag. This has adversely affected the technology’s penetration in the marketplace. Fortunately, Sensuron is pleased to …

New Affordable Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing Platform Now Available Read More »

One widespread application where FOS technology exhibits superior performance over foil strain gauges is in the fatigue testing of components, sub-assemblies, and full-scale structures. Demand for full-scale fatigue testing continues to increase, specifically in the aerospace industry where there is significant interest in extending the service life of aging aircraft well past the intended design …

Fatigue – A clear advantage of Fiber Optics Sensing over Strain Gauges Read More »

Due to the time and resource intensive installation process, traditional electrical strain gauges are often deployed in limited numbers. Because of budgetary or schedule constraints, engineers are often forced to determine critical points throughout the structure where individual strain gauges will be installed. This lack of comprehensive coverage creates unforeseen risks that can translate into …

Sensor density of strain gauges vs fiber optics sensing Read More »

Any experienced experimental stress analysis engineer would agree that the quality of a strain gauge installation greatly influences the accuracy of the measurement. Simply put, a strain gauge can only function as intended if the substrate strain is transferred to the gauge properly, which requires comprehensive expertise from the installer. As a matter of fact, …

Fiber Optics Sensing vs. Strain Gauges – Installation Effort/Complexity Read More »

The medium used for strain gauges is typically a metal alloy connected to a few copper wires. The same type of technology enabled the telephone network to interconnect the world starting in the second half of the 19th century. At the advent of the internet, copper became a bottleneck to transmit data (as those of …

Fiber Optics Sensing vs. Strain Gauges – Episode 1 Read More »

In contrast to the stiff, rigid wings found on most commercial aircraft, flexible wing technology is considered essential to next generation, fuel efficient aircraft. However, flexible wings are susceptible to “flutter,” or highly destructive aeroelastic instability. The Lockheed Martin X-56A multi-utility technology testbed (MUTT) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – a modular high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) technology …

Sensuron enables real-time structural health monitoring onboard X-56 NASA’s flexible wing aircraft Read More »

New technologies can often be intimidating to implement for a number of reasons, but one of the most common hurdles is a lack of understanding how the technology works or how it can be applied. Fiber optic sensing (FOS) is such a technology, but it’s not that hard to understand the basics. A look inside …

How Fiber Optics Sensing works – Let’s take a look under the hood Read More »

Earlier this year, the White House agreed to spend up to $2 trillion to help fix our nation’s aging infrastructure. While the largest chunk will likely go to roads, bridges, and transit, there is also talk of improvements for wastewater, harbors, and airports, as well as a more efficient energy grid to transmit energy over …

$2 Trillion in US Infrastructure Repairs Will Spur Nondestructive Evaluation Initiatives Read More »

It’s been a year and a half since a pedestrian bridge collapsed at Florida International University in March of 2018, killing six people. Recently, OSHA came out with a 115-page report concluding that the tragedy could very well have been prevented. Just hours before the bridge collapsed, its design engineers inspected the deep structural cracks …

FIU Bridge Collapse: New OSHA Report Says Key Signs Were Ignored Read More »

Organizations that put a premium on safety and reliability have been using test and measurement solutions for years to validate structural integrity (strain), moderate temperature, and gain insight into places not visible with the human eye. Traditionally, strain and temperature were measured using electrical sensing technologies, such as foil (strain) gauges and electrical vibrating wire. …

Distributed Strain and Temperature Measurement – A Thousand Points of Light Read More »