Over the past couple of decades, fiber Bragg gratings have been used effectively as sensors for a wide variety of applications. A rapid increase in the popularity of FBG sensors is explained by the numerous advantages that they provide. FBG sensors are superior to other traditional means of environment measurement. FBG sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference and are resistant to harsh environments and corrosion. FBG sensors can be multiplexed; this ability was originally developed for optical network applications, however, it can be exploited in order to create sensor geometries that are quasi-distributed. This technology can be used for real-time measurements of temperature, strain, deformation, etc. Some popular and promising applications of fiber optic sensors include structural health monitoring of civil structures, for haptic sensing for robot appendages, and ‘smart skins’ for ships or aerospace vehicles.
Distributed FBG sensors are utilized in the oil and gas sector by oil field service companies for temperature and pressure monitoring of oil well downhole and reservoirs. Harsh environments of 20 kpsi and 185◦C are common there; the use of FBG sensors provides accurate measurement and collection of all the data parameters important for the field.
FBG sensors can also be utilized in environments where high temperatures are prevalent. Such environments are often found within power plants, gas or aerospace turbines, combustion systems, etc. Most FBG temperature sensors are thermally stable at least up to 1000 ◦C in standard telecom fibers.
Another area of application for FBG temperature sensors is gas turbine monitoring. The FBG sensor arrays facilitate measurements of hot gas working temperatures within a turbine; this data is critical for safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective operation. Accurate measurements of the blades and vanes inside the turbines will allow preventing overheating of the turbine blades due to inhomogeneous combustions.
Optromix, Inc. is a U.S. manufacturer of innovative fiber optic products for the global market, based in Cambridge, MA. Our team always strives to provide the most technologically advanced fiber optic solutions for our clients. Our main goal is to deliver the best quality fiber optic products to our clients. We produce a wide range of fiber optic devices, including our cutting-edge customized fiber optic Bragg grating product line and fiber Bragg grating sensor systems.