Fibre optic strain measurement for aerospace structures - Lessons from their use in the offshore oil and gas, and wind energy industries

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Fibre optic strain measurement for aerospace structures - Lessons from their use in the offshore oil and gas, and wind energy industries

Volanthen, M. / Caesley, R.

Insensys has for a number of years successfully deployed optical fibre strain measuring systems in the offshore oil and gas, and wind energy industries. In offshore oil and gas they are being used for asset integrity management of major metallic structures. For wind energy the prime use is for load measurement which is used for the active control of blade pitch angle. This is used to reduce blade loads and out of balance rotor forces, which improves both the life and efficiency of the turbine. The information can also be used to asses the consumption of fatigue life not only of the blades but also the supporting structure. For aerospace structures the requirement is to provide a robust and reliable method for collecting strain time history data so that the real consumption of fatigue life can be measured and compared with the spectrum used to establish the qualified life. Where real usage is less severe than the qualified spectrum then extensions of life should be possible. If the reverse is detected then a potential flight safety hazard can be avoided. This paper will detail the methods Insensys has successfully used to asses fatigue life in both the offshore oil and gas, and wind energy industries and draw parallels with the requirements for SHM in aerospace structures. It will include experience of embedding optical fibres in composite structures and the additional benefits of using the system to verify the design assumptions. Lessons learned will be described and the applicability to aerospace structures will be discussed.