Marine Applications for a Continuous Fiber Optic Strain Monitoring System

This paper describes preliminary bench tests results and examines two marine applications for a continuous fiber optic tensile strain sensor cable. The prototype sensor, which consists of an optical fiber in a composite jacket, produces an optical attenuation profile which can be correlated to tensile strain. Conventional optical time domain reflectometry is used to quantify strain level and define strain location. Preliminary testing results of the prototype sensor cable presented herein indicate that tensile strains of 0.0004 in/in to 0.003 in/in can be detected with a repeatability of percent. These performance characteristics are expected to improve with further testing and development.