Flexible Beam Sensor System for Rocket Deformation Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current launch vehicle attitude control systems face limitations in monitoring deformation of flexible rocket bodies due to the inconvenience and cost associated with installing fiber optic sensors, which affect structural integrity and construction complexity.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system comprising a flexible beam structure with fiber optic sensors distributed along its surface, designed to minimize the root mean square difference in strain measurements between the beam and the rocket, ensuring the natural frequency of the combined system remains within 5% of the rocket's natural frequency, allowing for accurate deformation monitoring without compromising structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fiber optic sensors are installed directly on the rocket surface, then deformation measurement capability is improved, but structural integrity and construction complexity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A beam structure is introduced as an intermediary carrier between the rocket body and the fiber optic sensors. The beam is attached to the rocket surface and serves as a platform for mounting the sensors, thereby enabling deformation measurement without directly installing sensors on the rocket surface. This resolves the contradiction by mediating between the measurement requirement and the structural integrity constraint.
2Measurement precision
If fiber optic sensors are installed on the rocket surface, then deformation monitoring capability is improved, but cost and structural integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The beam structure acts as a mediator that carries the sensor load separately from the rocket structure. By attaching the beam to the rocket surface rather than installing sensors directly on the rocket, the structural integrity of the rocket is preserved while still enabling deformation monitoring through the beam's response.
3Measurement precision
If the beam structure is made more flexible to match the rocket's natural frequency, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the beam's own flexibility introduces additional deformation variables
Solution Approach 1:
The flexibility of the beam structure is carefully controlled by adjusting its physical parameters (dimensions, material properties) to achieve a natural frequency within 5% of the rocket's natural frequency. This parameter optimization ensures the beam deforms in concert with the rocket surface, improving measurement accuracy while managing the complexity through systematic design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively monitors bending, vibration, and torsional deformations of flexible structures like rockets, providing accurate data for real-time control algorithms while minimizing design and construction complexities and costs.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of fiber optic strain sensors are coupled to and distributed in a spaced-apart fashion along the beam structure
Implementation Method 2
The beam structure has an axial strain εaxialbeam and a shear strain εxybeam associated therewith
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system for sensing deformation of a flexible structure includes a beam structure that will be coupled to a surface of the flexible structure having a natural frequency fs, an axial strain εaxialstructure, and a shear strain εxystructure associated therewith. The beam structure has an axial strain εaxialbeam and a shear strain εxybeam associated therewith. The beam structure satisfies criteria defined by minimization of a root mean square difference between εaxialstructure and εaxialbeam and minimization of a root mean square difference between εxystructure and εxybeam. Fiber optic strain sensors are coupled to and distributed in a spaced-apart fashion along the beam structure. The beam structure is more flexible than the flexible structure such that a combination of the beam structure, the fiber optic sensors, and the flexible structure has a natural frequency fc defined by (0.95)fs≤fc≤(1.05)fs.