Light intensity-referred and temperature-insensitive fiber Bragg grating dynamic pressure sensor

Temperature-insensitive fiber Bragg grating (FBG) dynamic pressure sensing based on reflection spectrum bandwidth modulation and differential optical power detection is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A special double-hole cantilever beam is designed to induce linear strain-gradient distribution along the sensing FBG, resulting in FBG reflection spectrum symmetrical broadening and optical power increase. Based on the theory of optical waveguide and material mechanics, the causation of FBG spectrum broadening under the linear strain-gradient is analyzed, and the corresponding force-to-bandwidth broadening relation and force-to-optical power relation are formulized. FBG spectrum bandwidth and reflection optical power linearly change with applied pressure and both of them are insensitive to spatially uniform temperature variations. For a temperature range from -10°C to 80°C, the measured pressure fluctuates less than 1. 8% F. S. (120 kPa) without any temperature compensation. The system acquisition time is up to about 80 Hz for dynamic pressure measurement. © 2008 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH.