Fiber optic stress-corrosion sensor and system
First Claim
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1. A fiber optical based stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion sensor and associated system for monitoring stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion of a structural specimen comprising:
- a modulated laser light source;
light transmitting means for communicating the laser light source with an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer that is attached to the structural specimen;
a dual photodetection and signal processing means for determining phase angle shift and reflected intensity of the modulated laser light source, the dual photodetection means provides a signal for;
i) phase angle shift which corresponds to strain induced in the structural specimen and ii) a normalized reflectance which corresponds to corrosion of the structural specimen; and
an outputting means for outputting a signal that corresponds with stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion of the structural specimen.
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Abstract
This invention pertains to an integral Fabry-Perot stress corrosion, strain and material corrosion sensor and associated system that allows for in-situ monitoring of stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion at a given location of a specimen in real-time. The sensor uses an intrinsic Fabry-Perot cavity with one mirror integrally mounted on the specimen that provides a means for: i) transducing information of stress-corrosion of the specimen; ii) measuring strain of the specimen; and iii) measuring the corrosive environment.
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8 Claims
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1. A fiber optical based stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion sensor and associated system for monitoring stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion of a structural specimen comprising:
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a modulated laser light source; light transmitting means for communicating the laser light source with an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer that is attached to the structural specimen; a dual photodetection and signal processing means for determining phase angle shift and reflected intensity of the modulated laser light source, the dual photodetection means provides a signal for;
i) phase angle shift which corresponds to strain induced in the structural specimen and ii) a normalized reflectance which corresponds to corrosion of the structural specimen; andan outputting means for outputting a signal that corresponds with stress-corrosion, strain and corrosion of the structural specimen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A fiber optical based strain and corrosion sensor for monitoring a structural condition of a structural specimen comprising:
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a lead-in optical fiber means for introducing light into the sensor; and an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer which includes two semi-reflective mirrors that are spaced by a given distance and made of a solid fiber optical material so as to define a Fabry-Perot cavity having transmittance and reflectance properties which are affected by the stress and corrosion of the specimen which cause optical properties of a modulated light source to vary in response to the stress and corrosion which the specimen is subjected to, one of the semi-reflective mirrors is part of the surface of the structural specimen and made of the same material for corrosion measurements of the structural specimen in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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Specification