United Technologies Corporation

Finmeccanica S.p.a. - Ramo Aziendale Alenia

Claudio Voto

James R Dunphy

Gerald Meltz

Pietro Ferraro

Mauro Varasi

Antonello Vannucci

Mario Signorazzi

Sabato Inserra Imparato

Sabato I Imparato

A system based on integrated optical technologies for the measurement and diagnostics of physical parameters on whatever structure, by the use of optical sensors, made by the fiber embedded Bragg grating method and by the use of a planar integrated optics device for the analysis of the optical signal. The sensors may be embedded or bonded to the structure, allowing the measurement of parameters like strain and temperature, in either a static or dynamic regime. The system pertains to the technical field of the diagnostics and measurements of mechanical or thermal parameters and to the application field of ground, water and aerospace transportation and also to the application field of construction.

Integrated optical instrumentation for the diagnostics of parts by

An embedded optical sensor has a plurality of layers 10-20 and an optical fiber 21 with a fiber grating 28, disposed between the layers 14,16. The layers 10-20 comprise filaments 22 and resin 24 which have different thermal expansion coefficients and the filaments 22 are oriented so as to create unequal transverse residual stresses that act through the geometry of a resin-rich region that surrounds on the grating 28 in the fiber 21. The unequal transverse residual stresses cause birefringence in the grating 28, thereby causing the grating 28 to reflect light 32 having two wavelengths with a predetermined separation, each along a different polarization axis. The wavelength separation and average wavelength between such separation have different sensitivities to temperature and strain, thereby allowing independent temperature and strain measurements using only a single grating. The birefringence is maximized when the filaments 22 of the adjacent layers 10,12 are oriented at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal (Z-axis) of the fiber 21.

Embedded optical sensor capable of strain and temperature measurement

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Naples, Italy

Claudio Voto