Dynamic Measurements with a Luminescent Photoelastic Coating

Abstract

The luminescent photoelastic coating (LPC) technique optically measures full-field, in-plane strain and principal strain directions on specimens of interest. Typically, a circularly-polarized, continuous, blue-light source is used to excite the coating. The resulting emission polarization, and, hence, emission intensity when viewed through an analyzer optic, is a function of the absorption, luminescence, and surface strain. This research thesis focuses on the dynamic application of the technique, specifically cyclic-load cases as the image intensity is too low for the camera to accurately capture transient-load cases. The dynamic tests involved bar specimens