Time domain reflectometry as a distributed strain sensor

Myung-Keun Yoon; Daniel F. Dolan; Steve Gabriel

doi:10.1117/12.776224

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8 April 2008 Time domain reflectometry as a distributed strain sensor

Myung-Keun Yoon, Daniel F. Dolan, Steve Gabriel

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Proceedings Volume 6932, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2008; 69321R (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776224
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2008, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Existing strain gages are mostly point sensors that measure local strains from a few discrete locations, while TDR sensor can interrogate distributed changes along the entire length of the sensor line. The present study investigates feasible applications of a new technique using TDR as a distributed strain sensor for structural health monitoring. First, a specially designed TDR sensor laid out on a substrate successfully measured distributed strains and detected a failure location when the substrate was under an increasing tensile load. Second, a TDR sensor spirally wound around a cylindrical tank measured a circumferential strain and detected a failure location on the tank surface when the tank was increasingly pressurized. The developed TDR monitoring technique shows great potential for real-time health monitoring of various critical structures such as bridge, aircraft, and aerospace applications.

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Myung-Keun Yoon, Daniel F. Dolan, and Steve Gabriel "Time domain reflectometry as a distributed strain sensor", Proc. SPIE 6932, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2008, 69321R (8 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776224

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