Smart Rope Technology for Aquaculture Farms - Low-Cost Conductive Yarns as Load and Strain Sensors for Integrity Monitoring

Blue Economy systems like marine energy and aquaculture farms consist of several individual units held by lines made of nylon or fiber ropes. Condition-monitoring of ropes and mooring lines are essential for the overall integrity of a marine energy farm. Our research is aimed at developing a low-cost prototype of a sensor integrated rope that can be used in long-term deployment for comprehensive monitoring purposes. A functional braided composite yarn with integrated electromagnetic properties was integrated into a 5 mm polypropylene rope. Samples with different conductor and core configurations were manufactured by Nautilus Defense. Data processing algorithms for receiving and processing information from the sensors were custom-made and tested at MITRE electronic laboratories. Mechanical tests were conducted at the Ocean Resources and Renewable Energy (ORRE) laboratory at UMass Amherst, where rope samples were subject to varying levels of static and dynamic forcing in dry conditions and under water. The observed linear trend of capacitance with strain offers strong potential for the sensor to support condition monitoring efforts of mooring lines for aquaculture and marine renewable energy.