Monitoring the Structural Health of Marine Vessels

Optical sensing is a powerful tool for maintaining marine vessel safety and optimizing vessel performance. Hulls, masts, booms, and other structures can be damaged by sea waves and other strenuous loads. The integrity of these structures can be monitored by embedded multiple fiber optic sensors that evaluate their dynamic response. Such sensors need a relatively high-bandwidth monitoring system to rapidly sample the sensing elements and quickly provide critical information to the vessel’s operator. Optical sensors (strain gauges) can be installed in a ship to determine the global deformation modes of the hull as well as local stress concentrations. This data is vital for monitoring the condition of large ocean-going ships and for maximizing the performance of high-end racing yachts (such as those that race in the America’s Cup).