As the autonomous aircraft market emerges globally Insensys fibre optic sensing systems can be utilised to provide real-time accurate feedback on the aircraft’s structural health during flight. In addition, data gathered can be used to optimise maintenance schedules, increasing aircraft operational hours.

• Accurate and reliable load sensor input over the airframe life cycle
• Real-time measurement of strain, stress and load
• Monitor all flight critical areas of structure
• Simple integration
• Compatible with aircraft data handling systems and interface
• Light weight design

With the increasing use of composite materials for bridges and structures especially within the Rail sector both in rolling stock but also infrastructure it has become increasingly important to monitor these loads.

By monitoring load it assists our understanding of how a particular system behaves under a load, Stress helps us understand the higher limits beyond the expected maximum.  Data can be translated directly back to the structures digital twin for monitoring.

• Structural Design Optimisation.

• • • Measuring load on components and comparing to simulation to optimise actual performance
    • Sensors can be bonded to external surfaces, or embedded in composite parts during construction

Improve Performance with Efficiency and Sustainability.

Applications such as adaptive (or active) suspension can enable cars to corner faster by re-distributing suspension loads through the corner, as well retaining momentum and reducing fuel consumption

• Micro interrogator minimises additional onboard car weight
  • 1kg interrogator impedes 1 lap performance by just 0.1secs, or approx 6 seconds per race
  • Carrying 20mph more speed per significant corner can save 0.1secs per corner, x6 corners per lap = 36second saving per race
  • An estimated net 30 seconds advantage per race
• Long term, in a next gen composite autonomous electric vehicle of the future, dynamic suspension could reduce drive energy requirements by 15% per typical UK Kilometre of road (future roads would be more purpose designed so great efficiency achievable)
• Weight on wheels across delivery vehicle axis for stability. Same with autonomous taxis that carry different number of passengers

We anticipate such applications will flow down into consumer automotive market as efficiency/sustainability feature. We also anticipate further applications within next gen vehicles that will likely be manufactured from composite materials and will benefit from other structural sensing

Composite structures used around mainframe with sensors embedded.

• • • Wing structure; real time load monitoring and lifetime condition monitoring and cycle counting
    • Design optimisation
    • Maintenance schedule optimisation

Landing gear & extreme point measuring.

• • • Optic sensors are unaffected by extreme environment conditions so are ideal for locating in challenging areas such as landing gears that are subject to extreme temperature changes during landing
    • Heavy landing notification

Weight on Wheel at take-off applications for military rotary vehicles, for quick loading and take-off situations

Increasing use of composite materials in construction is creating many opportunities to embed optical sensing technology deep into the structure enabling long term condition monitoring.

Understanding the structural integrity helps ensure that either a structure or structural component is fit for purpose under normal operational conditions and is safe even should conditions exceed that of the original design. This includes supporting its own weight, aiming to prevent deformation, breaking and catastrophic failure throughout its predicted lifetime.