OPTICAL DIFFERENTIAL STRAIN GAUGES FOR THE MEASUREMENTS OF DYNAMIC STRAINS

THE GOAL OF THE PHASE I PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE UTILITY OF GEO-CENTERS FIBER OPTIC DIFFERENTIAL STRAIN GAUGE FOR MONITORING THE DYNAMIC STRAINS IN CONTAINERS OF PULSED CAPACITORS AND TRANSFORMERS. THE FAILURE OF PULSED CAPACITORS AND TRANSFORMERS UNDER ROUTING OPERATING CONDITIONS PRESENTS A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO PULSED POWER SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT. COMPONENT FAILURE IMPACTS BOTH THE COST AND SAFETY OF THE PROGRAMS IN WHICH THEY ARE UTILIZED. MECHANICAL STRAINS IN THE CASES OF THESE DEVICES ARE THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF COMPONENT FAILURE. STANDARD STRAIN MEASURING DEVICES ARE INCAPABLE OF OPERATING IN THE HIGH ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH PULSE CAPACITORS AND TRANSFORMERS. THE PROPOSED SENSORS ARE IMMUNE TO THE EFFECTS OF EMI. THEY ARE, THEREFORE, IDEALLY SUITED TO THIS MEASUREMENT ENVIRONMENT. ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED SENSING APPROACH INCLUDE A TEMPERATURE INSENSITIVE SENSOR OUTPUT, OPTICAL ISOLATION, PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES EQUIVALENT TO THOSE OF FOIL GAUGES, AND A SENSOR OUTPUT DETECTION SCHEME WHICH IS IMMUNE TO SOURCE LIGHT INTENSITY VARIATIONS, MICROBENDING LOSSES AND THE EFFECTS OF RADIATION FIBER DARKENING.