Fiber optic sensing in rapidly rotating mechanical structures

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fiber-optic sensing offers advantages for structural monitoring.
• Sensing in rotating structures presents unique challenges, particularly regarding optical signal transmission.
• Existing methods often require complex optical setups or are limited by rotation speed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, generic fiber-optic sensing approach for rapidly rotating structures.
• To demonstrate strain measurement without needing optical ingress through the central rotation axis.
• To validate the method's performance at high rotation speeds.

Main Methods:

• Development of a generic fiber-optic sensing system adaptable to rotating components.
• Implementation of strain measurement techniques on a rotating test structure.
• Experimental validation across a range of rotation speeds (500-5000 rpm).

Main Results:

• Successful strain sensing in a rotating body at speeds up to 5000 revolutions per minute (rpm).
• Demonstrated measurement of rotation-induced strain at 500 rpm intervals.
• Experimental results showed excellent agreement with theoretical predictions.

Conclusions:

• The presented fiber-optic sensing approach is effective for monitoring strain in rotating structures.
• The method's independence from central optical access simplifies implementation.
• The technique shows potential for even higher rotation speeds and broader applications.