Nowadays, road safety has advanced to a new level with the use of fiber Bragg grating sensors. Due to its characteristics, fiber optic technology has become part of the other technologies. For example, FBG sensors are applied in WIM systems (or Weigh-In-Motion systems) for that purpose.
There are several types of WIM systems and one of them is based on fiber Bragg grating sensors. Such systems provide specialists with the most accurate and detailed data around the clock, monitoring traffic flow. They are able to detect the vehicles and in the meantime determine their weight during the regular traffic. The traffic monitoring in real time allows improving the enhancement of traffic management.
Moreover, fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are used in WIM systems for the structural health monitoring, for example, of the bridges or rails.
What is Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) Technology?
Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems are based on technology that allows providing reliable weight measurements of the vehicles. The systems can be applied whether for specific road or rail vehicles such as trucks and trains, or for public applications like be set on the rail or road tracks to monitor the traffic. Weigh-in-motion systems built on fiber Bragg grating sensors measure the traffic flow and supply all the information from it. Thanks to the durability and quality of FBG sensors, the necessary data is provided using one of the most cost-effective methods.
The whole fiber optic system consists of a range of sensors and a roadside unit with all the data devices. According to the application purposes, there is an opportunity to add other fiber optic sensors to this weigh-in-motion system, for instance, temperature sensors. Moreover, to receive more data about the vehicles, it is possible to use cameras for license plate photos.
What Information do the Weigh-in-Motion Systems Provide?
Fiber optic sensors follow two basic physical principles. The first principle that belongs to fiber Bragg gratings is the diffraction changes under the deformations. The second one is the changes of the optical fibers and their characteristics under the influence of the deformation. Therefore, the WIM systems provide all the characteristics that fiber optic technology offers.
The reliable data on weight from fiber optic sensors give an understanding of the loading of heavy goods vehicles and traffic flow. FBG sensors will help in estimation, avoiding any inaccuracy in the future. This, in turn, will allow improving the goods transportation and infrastructure management.
Except for the usual weight parameters that fiber optic systems provide, there are other available options, such as date-time, speed and classes of vehicles. To efficiently operate, the fiber optic systems can be installed on the specific vehicle or placed by the road for the entire traffic flow monitoring.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Fiber Optic Sensors
As any technology based on fiber optic sensors, WIM systems possess all the features that FBG sensors have. Such characteristics as light weight, small size and insensitivity to the electromagnetic fields and weather conditions are really important in monitoring systems. Moreover, WIM systems have an ability to identify the underinflated or double tires in the traffic stream.
Weigh-in-motion systems help in providing very short response time in operations. However, there is a possibility of some inaccuracy of weighting, especially in motion. That’s why specialists are aiming at enhancing the same level of accuracy in motion as in static. And sometimes there is no use in enhancing the fiber Bragg grating sensors’ accuracy level, but increasing the number of sensors or making the automatic calibration processes better. There is a range of external factors that influence fiber optic sensors’ operation such as vehicle suspension, road roughness, etc. Moreover, they can influence the accuracy level in a bad way.
The most commonly agreed disadvantage is relatively high cost for electronic equipment. However, due to the long service life of fiber optic sensors, WIM systems seem to be a cost-effective technique by operating for at least 10 years.
Applications of the Weigh-in-Motion Systems
Fiber optic solutions are applied for many purposes as WIM systems. If it is needed, WIM unit can provide several data parameters at once. Usually, such data is applied in the following spheres:
- Vehicle and traffic loading. As it was mentioned before, the information on the traffic flow helps in optimization and planning of the road network in the future. Or the researchers frequently apply it for carrying out the studies. However, there is another implementation that can be used for the already existing infrastructure – for example, for the review of the traffic flow over the road network and its future development with time.
- Weight enforcement is aimed at complying with loading regulations. This will lead to the decline of the overloading numbers that have negative implications. These WIM systems based on the FBG principles provide the most effective instrument of weight enforcement.
- WIM systems based on the FBGs can also be applied for industrial use like in logistic centers or at ports. They are most commonly needed in the weight check and defining of the trucks’ axle loads. All these measures are aimed at avoiding overloads and their possible future consequences of entering the road network.
- WIM systems with fiber optic sensors for the railway industry are as well effective as DAS systems described in previous articles. The most common ways of application in this sphere are the total track loading and dynamic wheel loads. In practical terms, the provided data helps in design and maintenance of the rail tracks.
In the future WIM systems with fiber optic sensors will allow creating one of the base elements of the “Smart City” concept. The FBG sensors are able to provide the system that with different types of sensors will form a complex and reliable technology. Moreover, the improvement of the weigh-in-motion systems based on the fiber Bragg grating sensors will lead to the decrease of overloaded trucks on roads.
Optromix is a fast-growing vendor of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) product line such as fiber Bragg grating sensors, for example, fbg strain sensors, FBG interrogators and multiplexers, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems, Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems. The company creates and supplies a broad variety of fiber optic solutions for monitoring worldwide. If you are interested in structural health monitoring systems and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com