Environmental concerns and increasingly stringent government regulations are driving the automotive Industry toward the use of new lighter weight material systems and an electrification of vehicle drive trains. These trends will create new design challenges that in turn will require new advanced methods for test, measurement and validation. Luna’s high definition fiber optic sensing technology will help automotive manufacturers speed these new technologies to market while lowering the risk associated with the introduction of these new materials and processes.
Value propositions
- High definition data helps accurately characterize high strain or thermal gradients that can only be estimated with point sensing
- Fiber can reach hard to instrument places and at only 150 microns in diameter can be embedded in structures without influencing parameters under test
- Fine mesh finite element models of critical components can be validated with certitude
Instrumenting a frame with fiber
Addressing the uncertainty in lightweighting
HD-FOS with its ability to provide a strain measurement along every millimeter of fiber is the perfect solution for taking the uncertainty out of transitioning designs from steel to advanced lightweight materials. Read more.
Fiber sensing of a windshield
Reduced installation cost vs traditional point sensing
Even standard tests protocols can benefit from the reduced installation time for fiber sensing over traditional strain gages. Customers using the ODiSI system can install thousands of strain gages in significantly less time than installing just dozens of strain gages.
Composite Parts
Ideal for testing composites
Composites, with their heterogeneous and anisotropic characteristics are an ideal application for distributed fiber sensing.
Fiber Instrumenting a Seat Frame
When form, fit and function collide
Every point along the frame of an automotive seat is a critical point in meeting the functional requirements of comfort, safety, cost, all within a limited physical space. High definition fiber optic sensing can provide engineers strain data at every point along the frame with minimal installation time.
Radiator Testing
Radiator performance testing
By providing a complete profile of the temperature drop through a radiator HD-FOS can help engineers get the maximum cooling performance from their radiator design at the minimum cost and minimum weight. By using this information the right tradeoffs can be mode in fin design, air flow, materials and shroud design. Read more.
Exhaust: Temperature measurement inside heat exhaust pipe
Exhaust temperature measurement
A high definition sensor probe can be inserted into the exhaust to provide a full profile of temperature from tail pipe to exhaust manifold. A temperature sensor fiber can also be wound helically around the tail pipe. See related video.
Leaf spring: Strain measurement
Spring testing
Springs are a key target for weight reductions and prime candidates for using alternate lightweight materials. Transitioning from metals to new lightweight materials, such as composites, presents a number of design challenges owing to their heterogeneous and non-uniform characteristics. The ability of HD-FOS to provide a full field view of strain is perfectly aligned with overcoming these challenges while mitigating risk. Read more.
Brakes: Temperature distribution on brakes
Temperature testing for brakes
As in many automotive applications temperature dictates the performance limit of brakes. Brakes undergo rapid transients in temperature and these transients are not evenly distributed throughout the brake material. HD-FOS can provide a thermal profile across the brakes contacting surfaces under all operating conditions helping to insure that the design margin is not too little, or too excessive.
Engine: Temperature profile on engine
Thermal management
For optimum thermal management simply measuring inlet and outlet temperatures using point sensors simply won’t do. HD-FOS, working in concert with CFD modeling tools can help engineers make every horsepower count. Fiber sensors can be inserted into the exhaust, providing the full temperature gradient throughout the exhaust manifold. Fiber can also be placed across the air filter and fuel inlet offering a full thermal profile under all operating conditions.