Fiber optic sensors for high-temperature measurements on composite tanks in fire

• Published in: Journal of civil structural health monitoring 2019-07, Vol.9 (3), p.361-368
• Main Authors: Wosniok, Aleksander, Skoczowsky, Danilo, Schukar, Marcus, Pötzsch, Sina, Pötschke, Samuel, Krüger, Simone
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Backscattering; Bragg gratings; Civil Engineering; Containers; Control; Corrosion prevention; Corrosion resistance; Cylindrical tanks; Dynamical Systems; Engineering; Fiber composites; Fiber optics; Fire protection; Fire resistance; Freight costs; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Gratings (spectra); High temperature; Lightweight; Magnetic properties; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Monitoring; Monitoring systems; Optical fibers; Optimization; Original Paper; Protective coatings; Sensors; Systems analysis; Vibration
• ISSN: 2190-5452; 2190-5479
• DOI: 10.1007/s13349-019-00338-7

For the purpose of increasing payload and reduce freight cost, lightweight composite tank containers used for transportation have been progressively developed during the last years. Compared to conventionally produced cylindrical steel tanks, the fiber-reinforced solutions allow greater flexibility in the tank design. Despite a number of further material-related benefits of fiber-reinforced composites as non-conductive and non-magnetic behavior as well as corrosion resistance and high strength, the optimization of their thermal degradation properties during combustion is still a challenge. To improve the fire performance of lightweight composite containers, special intumescent fire protection coatings can be applied onto the outside tank surface. This paper presents fire tests on glass-fiber-reinforced plastic transport tanks with complex geometries sheltered with different surface-applied fire protection systems. To evaluate the fire resistance of the tank structures, a fiber optic monitoring system was developed. This system is based on distributed temperature measurements using high-resolution optical backscatter reflectometry and pointwise reference measurements using fiber Bragg gratings. Thereby, all the fiber optic sensors were directly integrated in the composite layer structure of the tanks. The focus of the presented work is on the demonstration of capability of fiber optic monitoring system in such high-temperature application. Moreover, the fiber optic measurements provide new insights into the efficiency of intumescent coating applied for fire protection of fiber-reinforced plastic transport tanks.