Strain Transfer in Surface-Bonded Optical Fiber Sensors

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Fiber optic sensors are crucial for structural health monitoring.
• Accurate strain transfer prediction in sensor coatings is a key challenge.
• Existing analytical models often assume zero strain at bonding ends, which is unrealistic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel analytical model for strain transfer in multilayered, surface-bonded fiber optic sensing cables.
• To address the limitations of existing models that assume null strain at bonding extremities.
• To provide a more accurate prediction of strain profiles in complex sensing cable configurations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel analytical model for strain transfer in multilayered sensing cables.
• Experimental validation using two surface-mounted cable prototypes.
• Numerical validation of the analytical model.
• Testing across three different bonding lengths and five distinct load cases.

Main Results:

• The developed model accurately predicts the strain profile along the fiber optic sensor.
• Demonstrated that strain values at the extremities of the bonded fiber length are non-null.
• Validated the model's effectiveness against experimental and numerical data.

Conclusions:

• The novel strain transfer model offers improved accuracy for surface-bonded sensing cables.
• The model's ability to account for non-null end strains enhances structural monitoring reliability.
• This advancement is critical for precise analysis of engineering structures using fiber optic sensing technology.