Development of Novel Optical Fiber AE Sensor with Multi-Sensing Function

Abstract

A novel optical fiber acoustic emission (AE) system with multi-sensing function in single long fiber was developed and utilized for the estimation of AE sources of model steel plate and jointed pipes. Multi-sensing function was achieved by dividing the single sensing fiber into several sensor portions with different resonance frequencies. The resonance frequencies were provided by winding the sensing fiber around the solid rods (sensor holders) with different diameters. The monitoring system with three sensors in a 10 m long fiber was demonstrated to detect three wave packets with different frequencies and correctly estimate the source locations of AEs from artificial (Nelson-Sue) sources on a 0.9 wide x 1.8 m long steel plate. Here the arrival times of AEs for the source location were determined by the continuous wavelet transform. Source locations on the steel plate were determined within a distance error of 53 mm. The system also makes the location of the pipe with damage possible.