Page 39 - Research Report 2021 - Institut für Leichtbau und Kunststofftechnik

MonStrain

Development of a novel spatially resolved carbon fiber-based
strain measurement system for real-time structural health monitoring
and validation of load assumptions

Period
01.01.2021 – 30.06.2024
Project management
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Niels Modler

Contact
Jan Condé-Wolter
Philip Steinbild

Project partners
Akaflieg Dresden e. V.
Funding

© Akaflieg Dresden e. V.
Vision of the novel carbon fiber-based spatially resolved strain sensor in the targeted
generic wing demonstrator.
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and
Within the MonStrain project, the ILK is striving to research a novel carbon Climate Action (BMWK): Federal Aviation
fiber sensor for strain measurement and its integration into a generic airfoil Research Programme LuFo VI-1, Funding
line “Eco-efficient aviation and disruptive
demonstrator. The aim is to provide sensors of several meters in length with technologies”
a spatial resolution in the single-digit millimeter range, which can be success- Funding code: 20E1904
fully used in small aircrafts.
Managed by:
The measurement principle of the sensor is based on spatially resolved resis-
tivity determination of a pre-damaged carbon fiber roving by electrical time
domain reflectometry. Until now, the length of these sensors has been limited
to 15 cm due to the high base resistance of the carbon fibers, which is why German Aerospace Center (DLR)
the project is particularly aimed at scaling up to longer measurement lengths.

Initial results show that the base resistance is massively reduced by using
metal-coated carbon fibers. This allows the possible measurement length to
be increased while retaining the fiber character and the associated sensor
properties.

In order to be able to realize a realistic demonstration at the end of the pro-
ject, real loads from gliders were analyzed together with Akaflieg Dresden and
the data was adopted as boundary conditions for the generic airfoil demon-
strator.

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