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Dimpling in the composite face sheets of honeycomb sandwich structures due to mismatch in the thermal expansion coefficients of the constituent materials was studied with emphasis on its monitoring and prediction. Strain distributions along optical fibers embedded in the face sheet were monitored during manufacturing. Dimple formation and in-plane strain distributions in the face sheets were studied using finite element analysis, and an analytical model based on the beam theory was constructed to predict the dimple depths from the strain data. A system using twin optical fiber sensors was proposed to accurately measure the dimpling-induced strains. The usability and performance of the system was evaluated using small scale specimens and finally on a more realistic large-scale specimen. The system could measure the strain changes due to dimpling of the face sheets and provided decent prediction of the dimple depth distribution along the sandwich panels.

Indentation loading or low-velocity impacts on foam core sandwich structures can leave only barely visible damage on the face sheets while causing notable damage in the core due to the thin face sheets and relatively weak core. In practical applications, the measurement and damage detection can also be notably affected by environmental conditions and relaxation of the foam core. To detect the damages, a Rayleigh-scattering-based fiber optic strain monitoring system with high spatial resolution was applied to foam core sandwich structures. Damage detection ability of the system was therefore tested by indentation tests on sandwich beam and panel specimens while also considering the aforementioned effects. Finite element analysis verified by the measurements was used to provide a method to estimate the damaged core area from the measured strain data. Finally, the monitoring ability of the system was demonstrated by low-velocity impact tests on a large scale sandwich panel. The used system provided detailed strain data during and after indentation and impact tests. Due to the high resolution of the system, the damage location and size could be estimated from the obtained strain data even when barely visible dent remained on the face sheet, thus demonstrating the damage detection ability even at various environmental conditions and after relaxation of the foam core.

Optical fibre sensors (OFSs) are promising as tools for damage and structural health monitoring (SHM) of aerospace composite structures. Hence, many researchers have conceived various kinds of OFSs. First, a brief summary of OFSs used for composites is presented. Then, the authors' studies on the small-diameter fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for damage monitoring and SHM of composite structures are described. The authors and Hitachi Cable, Ltd have developed a small-diameter optical fibre and its FBG sensor for embedment inside a lamina of composite laminates without strength reduction. Then, some recent results in the current Structural Integrity Diagnosis and Evaluation of Advanced Composite Structures (ACS-SIDE) project are presented on optical fibre-based SHM for some feasible applications in aerospace composite structures.

This article presents the real-time strain measurement of a composite liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The tank was composed of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and an aluminum liner was fabricated by the filament winding method and mounted on a reusable rocket. This rocket (vertical takeoff and landing) is called a reusable rocket vehicle test (RVT) and was developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA). Considering the high operational pressure and the iterative use of the tank, its structural integrity must be guaranteed. Thus, the authors have attempted a real-time strain measurement of the composite LH2 tank using FBG sensors during rocket operations. First, the adhesive properties of the FBG sensors were investigated at cryogenic temperatures. As a result, UV-coated FBG sensors and polyurethane adhesives were adopted. An onboard FBG demodulator was then developed to be mounted on the rocket and its performance was assessed. Finally, the strain measurement was attempted during the flight experiments of the RVT using the onboard FBG demodulator. FBG sensors were glued on the surface of the composite LH2 tank and connected to the onboard FBG demodulator. During these rocket operations, the output of the onboard FBG demodulator was continuously monitored via a telemetry system. The results obtained by the demodulator agreed well with those of the conventional foil strain gage.