Smart Composites: Optical Sensors Embedded in 3D Orthogonal Woven Fabric for Structural Health Monitoring Applications - ProQuest
Unexpected failure in structures such as airplanes, bridges, and dams can have catastrophic
effects. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a way to monitor the integrity of such structures
so that any critical deformation can be detected and acted upon immediately. Compared to most
current SHM systems, which are applied to a structure’s exterior, this research aims to introduce
a polymer optical fiber (POF) based system that is an integral part of the construction material.
Due to their fiber-like structure, optical fibers are well suited to be incorporated in textile
composites. 3D orthogonal woven (3DOW) preforms are an excellent host for optical fiber
sensors because the yarns are arranged in straight paths. During composite fabrication, a POF
can be woven directly alongside yarns in the 3DOW preform, creating a smart composite. This
allows access to interior locations where other sensing methods may not be able to detect....
