Fibre Bragg grating sensor and study of its

packaging material for use in critical analysis

on steel structure

Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Introduction
Principle of operation
Strain measurement
Tensile tests
FBG strain sensor packaging with composite
materials
6. Conclusion
7. References

1.Introduction
Strain studies in civil structures, aircrafts, oil
pipelines etc. are pivotal in avoiding unexpected
failures.
Necessary things/Activities:
Maintenance schedules
Visual inspection
Structural health monitoring (SHM)
Conventional sensors
Suitable, Accurate and cost effective tool in SHM
is Fibre Bragg grating.

Objective
This paper demonstrated with the aims to provide
different design and experimental package procedures
of FBG sensors for strain measurement.
Various model of loading on FBG have been tried to
explore with particular attention on the primary
packaging of the sensor for application on steel
cantilever structure and cement concrete.

2.Principle of operation
Fibre Bragg gratings are obtained by creating
periodic variations in the refractive index of
the core of an optical Fibre.
Periodic vibrations are created by using
powerful ultraviolet radiations.
If the criterion for constructive interference is
met, then the incident light satisfies the Bragg
condition is given by

Principle of operation
B = Bragg wavelength
n = Effective refractive index of FBG
= Grating period

Fig. Transmission and reflection spectra from an

FBG

3.Strain measurement
When an FBG is strained, the Bragg wavelength, B
changes due to both the change in grating pitch. The
relative change in Bragg wavelength is given by,
=longitudinal strain
e = Effective photo-elastic constant
Pij = silica photo-elastic tensor components
v = Poissons ratio

3.1-Experimental setup for FBG based

strain measurement
Fig. A stainless steel cantilever structure has
been fabricated in-house and FBGs are placed
on it for strain calibration.

Fig. Schematic diagram of

experimental set-up and steel
cantilever.

Fig. Fibre Bragg grating interrogation instrument has shown the

wavelength peak of a FBG made in-house by CGCRI

Fig. Strain gauge data logger for strain measurement and

associated display of strain on screen.

Fig. FBG interrogation system for strain sensing and data

logger for strain gauge measurement

4.Tensile tests and results with bare FBG

Theoretical values of strain on the axis of the cantilever has
been calculated using conventional strain equation.
= Strain developed at the axis of the cantilever
= Stress due to load applied
Y= Youngs modulus of SS steel bar
M= Total moment, Z= Section modulus
Strain due to different load has been calculated and plotted

Fig4-FBG responses of CGCRI-make sensors before strain and after

strain (usedbare FBG

Fig 5. FBG-strain calibration setup developed at CGCRI.

Fig6-Response of CGCRI-make FBG sensor force applied to steel

structure (used bare FBG before packaging

5.FBG strain sensor packaging with

composite materials
Assembly of 2 or more constituents
Filler or reinforcing agent
Compatible binder

Composite material

Composite matrix
Reinforcement filler
Filler & additives
The final goal in manufacturing a composite is to
combine similar or dissimilar materials in order to
develop specific properties that are related to the
desired characteristics.

 5.1-Fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composites

5.2-FRP composite for structure
Basics
Examples
Application
5.3-Properties of FRP composites

Fig -Comparison of properties of fibre, resin and composite

Primary packaging of FBG with polymer

materials
In this experiment FBG has:
Araldite LY556, epoxy-A and Araldite HY951,
epoxy B as hardener which is
Araldite LY556 is the epoxy resin and used with
a liquid diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and
N,N-bis
(2-aminoethyl)
ethane-1,2diamine.Both resins were used.

Procedure
The chemical structure of the resin components are:
a. DGEBA-diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A.
b. AEEDA-N,N-bis (2-aminoethyl) ethane-1,2-diamine
Steps:
(i) The two resins are mixed in the molar ratio of 4:1 at room
temperature.
(ii) The curing mechanism is exothermic.
(iii) Primary packaging of FBG with epoxy-resin (7822%) has
been done.

5.4.1-Tensile tests and

results with FBG after
packaging

Fig-FBG casting in epoxy-resin (78

22%) as primary packaging for strain
measurement.

Fig-Response of CGCRI-make FBG and polymer

packaged sensor to monitor strain (when FBG is placed
on the top surface of the cantilever)

Fig-Wavelength shifting during

polymer packaging on bare FBG
Fig-Wavelength response of compressive load on the FBG
inside polymer packaging using steel structure

5.5. Packaging material testing

5.5.1-X-ray diffraction:

5.5.2. Thermo gravimetric analysis:

5.5.3. Differential scanning calorimetry:

A. Endotherm

B . Exotherm
Fig-DSC profile of epoxy-resin packaging materials

5.5.4. Scanning electron microscope:

Fig-(a and b) SEM images of epoxy-resin packaging materials

Effects of solubility parameter

The combine equation of the FloryHuggins equation and the
Hildebrand equation, the free energy of mixing can be expressed as:

e, r -volume fractions
- solubility parameters
Ve, Vr -molar volumes of epoxy and hardener, respectively

5.6-Primary packaging of FBG with fibre reinforced plastic

(FRP) composites

Fig. FBG casting in FRP composites as primary packaging

for strain measurement

Fig. Wavelength response of compressive load on the FBG

inside FRP packaging using steel structure

Fig. Schematic model shown glass fiber and epoxy composite

6. Conclusion
This paper presented design and experimental
packaging of indigenously developed FBG
sensors for the strain measurement.
A few models of loading on FBG have been
tried to explore on bare FBG and placing the
FBG on steel cantilever structure.