Author(s): R. Gagnon; A. Bugden; J. Mackay
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Ice impacts; Pressure sensing; Fiberoptic enabled; Pressure-panel prototype
Abstract: The former NRC pressure-sensing technology (Patent No. : US 6,267,014 B1) has proven to be very useful in small-scale and large-scale experiments, providing pressure distribution data with high spatial and temporal resolution. A pressure panel incorporating the technology was typically quite thick, due to the need to have a camera and support structure situated behind the pressure-sensing technology to acquire the data. The present technology, however, radically reduces the size of the local data-acquisition components and corresponding thickness of the panel. This is achieved by effectively measuring the contact width of the pressure-sensing strip-elements with the underlying acrylic support-sheet using a novel fiberoptic method, rather than recording images of the contact. The essential components of this relatively-thin version of NRC’s previous pressure-sensing technology have been fabricated and assembled as a prototype that has areal dimensions of 29 cm x 26.5 cm, and thickness of ~ 20 mm. The panel is presently configured with 160 pressure sensors. However, it can be configured with up to 480 sensors without adding any more of the main components. Characteristics of the prototype are described and some preliminary data from pressurization tests of the panel at room temperature are presented. Potential applications of the technology are briefly discussed, including a configuration with a moderate degree of flexibility that could be useful for obtaining pressure-distribution measurements on a mildly plastically-deforming surface, such as a ship grillage during an ice impact involving low-to-moderate non-holing damage.
Year: 2024