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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Thermo-mechanical simulation for fiber-optic measurement systems

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2023

Abstract

This thesis investigates how to separate temperature and mechanical effects in fiber-optic measurement systems using Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) for structural health monitoring. Conventional strain gauges are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, corrosive environments, and provide only local readings, whereas FBG sensors enable quasi-distributed measurements in harsh conditions. The core research question is to decouple thermo-mechanical contributions in the FBG signal to obtain reliable estimates of both strain and temperature. To this end, a virtual FBG sensor is developed within a research-oriented Finite Element Method (FEM), including tools to locate relevant nodes and elements, compute element-level strains and stresses, and predict wavelength shifts. Two numerical approaches are established: an auto-calibrating method based on linear constitutive relations and regression, and a redundant sensing method that combines FEM analysis of the host structure with multiple sensors to jointly estimate temperature and load. Validation includes an experimental campaign with FBG sensors, comparisons with theoretical values and commercial FEM, and an assessment of mesh refinement effects. As stated in the report’s abstract, the decoupling challenge is addressed and the proposed solutions show robustness; detailed quantitative results are not provided in this excerpt.

Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan temperatur- og mekaniske påvirkninger kan adskilles i fiberoptiske målesystemer baseret på Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) til strukturel tilstandsovervågning. Traditionelle strain gages er følsomme over for elektromagnetisk støj, korrosive miljøer og måler kun lokalt, mens FBG-sensorer muliggør kvasi-distribuerede målinger i hårde omgivelser. Projektets centrale spørgsmål er at decouplere de termo-mekaniske effekter i FBG-signalet for at opnå pålidelige estimater af både deformation og temperatur. Til dette formål udvikles en virtuel FBG-sensor inden for en forskningsorienteret finite element-metode (FEM), herunder værktøjer til at finde relevante noder og elementer, beregne deformation og spændinger på elementniveau samt forudsige bølgelængdeskift. To numeriske tilgange etableres: en auto-kalibrerende metode baseret på lineære sammenhænge og regressionsanalyse samt en redundant sensing-metode, der kombinerer FEM-analyse af strukturen med flere sensorer til samtidig estimat af temperatur og last. Validering omfatter en eksperimentel kampagne med FBG-sensorer og sammenligninger mod teoretiske resultater og kommerciel FEM samt analyse af maskeffekter. Ifølge rapportens resume adresserer arbejdet decoupleringsudfordringen og demonstrerer robuste løsninger; specifikke kvantitative resultater fremgår ikke af dette uddrag.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]