Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) is the basis of an emerging high-definition distributed fiber optic sensing (HD-FOS) technique that provides an unprecedented combination of resolution and sensitivity. We examine aerospace applications that benefit from HD-FOS, such as for defect detection, FEA model verification, and structural health monitoring. We describe how HD-FOS is used in applications spanning the full design chain, review progress with sensor response calibration and certification, and examine the challenges of data management through the use of event triggering, synchronizing data acquisition with control signals, and integrating the data output with established industry protocols and acquisition systems.

Date Published: 27 April 2017
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 10208, Fiber Optic Sensors and Applications XIV, 1020803 (27 April 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2262845

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10208:
Fiber Optic Sensors and Applications XIV
Christopher S. Baldwin; Gary Pickrell; Henry H. Du, Editor(s)