Strain Measurement in Coilable Thin Composite Shells with Embedded Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Progress towards the use of ultra-thin fiber Bragg grating sensors for the in-situ strain measurement of coilable thin composite shells is presented. The first part of this work presents the manufacturing procedure used in the construction of these composite shells with embedded sensors. The second part of this work investigates how embedded ultra-thin fiber Bragg grating sensors affect the bending stiffness and failure curvature of these laminates through the use of the column bending test. The influence of the embedded sensors on the failure of these laminates is further investigated through μCT imaging after failure.