Fiber optic interrogation systems for hypervelocity and low velocity impact studies

The aim of this project was to develop non-contact fiber optic based displacement sensors to operate in the harsh environment of a “light gas gun” (LGG), which can “fire” small particles at velocities ranging from 1 km/s-8.4 km/s. The LGG is used extensively for research in aerospace to analyze the effects of high speed impacts on materials. Ideally the measurement should be made close to the center of the impact to minimize corruption of the data from edge effects and survive the impact. We chose to develop a non-contact “pseudo” confocal intensity sensor, which demonstrated resolution comparable with conventional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors combined with high survivability and low cost. A second sensor was developed based on “fiber Bragg gratings” (FBG) to enable a more detailed analysis of the effects of the impact, although requiring contact with the target the low weight and very small contact area of the FBG had minimal effect on the dynamics of the target. The FBG was mounted either on the surface of the target or tangentially between a fixed location. The output signals from the FBG were interrogated in time by a new method. Measurements were made on carbon fiber composite plates in the LGG and on low velocity impact tests. The particle momentum for the low velocity impact tests was chosen to be similar to that of the particles used in the LGG.