High-sensitivity fiber Bragg grating strain sensor of the substrate type

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Geophysics

Background:

• Strain measurement is crucial across various engineering disciplines.
• Existing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors suffer from low sensitivity, limiting their application scope.
• There is a need for enhanced FBG sensors with improved strain detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and develop a high-sensitivity FBG strain sensor utilizing a substrate-based sensitization structure.
• To theoretically analyze and computationally simulate the proposed sensor design.
• To experimentally validate the sensor's performance and compare it with theoretical predictions.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical sensitivity analysis of the proposed FBG strain sensor.
• 3D modeling and simulation using Solidworks and ANSYS for structural optimization.
• Fabrication of the optimized sensor prototype.
• Experimental testing using a dedicated strain test system.

Main Results:

• The developed FBG strain sensor exhibits a strain sensitivity of 3.21 pm/µε.
• This sensitivity is approximately 2.7 times higher than that of a bare FBG strain sensor.
• The sensor demonstrated excellent linearity (R² = 0.9999) and repeatability (3.9%FS).

Conclusions:

• The proposed substrate-type FBG strain sensor with a sensitization structure significantly enhances strain measurement sensitivity.
• The experimental results align well with theoretical predictions, validating the sensor design.
• This research provides a valuable reference for developing next-generation fiber optic strain sensors with superior performance.