Fiber optic sensing in rapidly rotating mechanical structures.

A novel, generic approach for fiber-optical sensing in rapidly rotating structures is presented. This approach does not require optical ingress via the central rotation axis. In this work, strain sensing at rotation speeds of up to 5000 rpm is demonstrated, and higher speeds should be possible. We demonstrate measurement of the rotation-induced strain in a rotating body at 500 rpm intervals up to 5000 rpm, and results agree very well with predictions.