Optical Fiber Sensors for Remote Condition Monitoring of Industrial Structures

Optical fibers have been explored widely for their sensing capability to meet increasing industrial needs, building on their success in telecommunications. This chapter provides a review of research activities at City, University of London in response to industrial challenges through the development of a range of optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors for transportation structural monitoring. It includes the instrumentation of marine propellers using arrays of FBGs mapped onto the surface of propeller blades to allow for capturing vibrational modes, with reference to simulation data. The research funded by the EU Cleansky programme enables the development of self-sensing electric motor drives to support ‘More Electric Aircraft’ concept. The partnership with Faiveley Brecknell Willis in the UK enables the integration of FBG sensors into the railway current-collecting pantographs for real-time condition monitoring when they are operating under 25 kV conditions.