FUSED TENSION-BASED FIBER GRATING PRESSURE SENSOR

摘要

A fused tension-based fiber grating pressure sensor (8) includes an optical fiber (10) having a Bragg grating (12) impressed therein. The fiber (10) is fused to tubes (20) on opposite sides of the grating (12) and an outer tube (30) is fused to the tubes (20) to form a chamber (34). The tubes (20, 30) and fiber (10) may be made of glass. Light (14) is incident on the grating (12) and light (16) is reflected from the grating (12) at a reflection wavelength (μ1). The grating (12) is placed in tension pre-strain and as the pressure (P) increases, the tension on the grating (12) is reduced and the reflection wavelength shifts accordingly. A temperature grating (50) may be used to measure temperature and allow for a temperature-corrected pressure measurement. The shape of the outer tube (20) may have geometries other than a straight cylinder. Also, the axial ends of tubes (20) where the fiber (10) exits the tubes (20) may have an inner region (22) and/or a protruding tapered (or fluted) axial section (27), to provide strain relief or improved pull strength of the fiber (10). More than one grating or pair of gratings may be used and more than one fiber (10) may be used. The fiber (10) may be doped at least between a pair of gratings (150, 152) to form a tunable fiber laser or the grating (12) or gratings (150, 152) may be constructed as a tunable DFB fiber laser.