Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have been widely used for measurements of strain and temperature in a host of different applications, including aerospace in composite wings, fuselage structures, and other critical components. Here, we report on a method to measure highly localized intense stress fields, generated at the initialization point of a crack, or crack-tip, using Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) inscribed in highly photosensitive hydrogenated germanium and boron co-doped fiber. From the spectral characteristics of short and long FBGs, bonded on a test aluminum coupon with a crack, which simulated damaged skins of an aircraft, the local stresses near the cracks were measured and assessed. As a case study, bespoke composite repair patches were designed and bonded on a coupon, incorporating a number of gratings to monitor the stress distribution with applied force in the composite patch, near the crack.
Sapphire-Derived Fiber Bragg Gratings for High Temperature Sensing