Optical Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Beyond

Most sensors are transducers, converting the physical quantity to measure into a generated output to digitalise. For decades, the generated output has been electrical in natures, therefore the name “electrical sensors”. Following the development of optical technologies for telecommunication purpose, more and more sensors are now “optical sensors”. The output is a modified optical signal and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology is at the core of the sensor. For details on this technology, see Fiber Bragg Grating Technology by HBM and NVMS.

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The use of optical sensors provides significant advantages, of which:

• Very limited loss of signal over long distance
• No ignition source in hazardous environments (oil & gas, hydrogen, coal dust, etc.)
• EMI/RFI immune and passive sensors and cables
• Good resistance to humidity, salt, and high pressure
• Cheaper, simpler, lighter, and faster to install when high channel counts are needed
• Very high fatigue limits

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FBG-based optical sensors are therefore extremely interesting for:

• Structural health monitoring (SHM), i.e. for bridges, tunnels, power lines
• Oil & gas and mining, i.e. pipelines, stacks, large metallic structures, dams
• Rail, i.e. monitoring of catenary lines and pantographs, testing of new rail stock
• Windfarms, i.e. onshore and offshore monitoring of monopiles, foundations, cables, blades
• Power generation and energy, i.e. monitoring of gas pipelines, generators, transformers, dams, etc.

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NVMS and HBK offer optical sensors for acceleration, strain, temperature, displacement, tilt, and force. For details, see newLight | Optical Fiber Sensor | Fiber Optic | FBG (hbm.com)

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NVMS and HBK also offer incredible data acquisition systems, based on QuantumX, handling and integrating traditional electrical sensors and optical ones.

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For more information, please email: info@nvms.com.au

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Author: Christian Ebel (MEng, MBA, MIEAust) – Business Manager, Test & Measurement