Simultaneous Measurements of Strain and Temperature with Dual Fiber Bragg

Gratings for Pervasive Computing

Tianshu Wang
1
, Yubin Guo
1
, Xiaosu Zhan
2
, Ming Zhao
1
, Ke Wang
1
1
College of Communication Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
Nichols.wang@yahoo.com.cn
2
Center of Computer-Telecommunication Integrations
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, P.R. China
zhanxiaosu@vip.sina.com
Abstract
Smart sensors are the key components of pervasive
computing networks. The fiber Bragg grating (FBG)
can be composed of the distributed sensing networks for
the high sensitivity. The cross-sensitivity is the intrinsic
problem of FBG sensors. We analyzed the influence of
the measurand-strain (or temperature) effect on
temperature (or strain) in fiber-optic sensors that
employ FBGs. Based on the mode-coupling theory,
equation of fiber Bragg grating and the formula of the
cross-sensitivity of strain and temperature were
obtained. The physical mechanics of the
cross-sensitivity in fiber gratings sensors is described.
We show that a sensor scheme consisting of two FBGs
gives large discrimination against temperature and
strain. The characteristics of the solution with
dual-wavelength matrix measuring strain and
temperature simultaneously is discussed. The matrix of
strain and temperature with wavelength change of dual
FBG is explained. The relationship of strain
(temperature) with two wavelengths shifts was obtained.
By enhancing the FBGs temperature sensitivity or using
polymer grating instead of one FBG, the condition
number of the matrix of sensitivities can be dropped, so
the accuracy of the sensor can be improved. The
feasibility of using this type of embedded sensors
configuration for simultaneous strain and temperature
measurements was demonstrated.
Key words: Pervasive Computing, fiber Bragg grating
(FBG), Cross-sensitivity, Strain, Temperature
1. Introduction
During the past decade, the application of fiber Bragg
gratings (FBGs) in optical sensing systems had come to
pervade in many aspects rapidly. Smart sensors are the
key components of pervasive computing networks. The
fiber Bragg grating (FBG) can be composed of the
distributed sensing networks for the high sensitivity.
Fiber Bragg gratings sensors can be used for measuring
many different measurands such as temperature, strain,
pressure, displacement, electrical field, refractive index,
rotation, position and vibration [1]. Especially
fiber-optic strain (temperature) sensors are of great
importance in many industries. But the most serious
disadvantage of the FBG is that the sensors have been
suffering from the fact that temperature (strain) change
affects the accuracy of the sensor, namely,
cross-sensitivity. So it is necessary to develop some
techniques to eliminate the error induced by the
temperature (strain) change. Obviously, utilizing a
single fiber to obtain such a sensor is the best design,
such as a scheme for simultaneous measurement of
strain and temperature [2]. The temperature and strain
cross-sensitivity has been proved particularly difficult to
eliminate and many papers have been written on the
subject. Possible solutions include making an
independent measurement of strain or temperature using
a separate sensor and using a method to measure the
temperature and strain fields simultaneously and
directly within a single fiber [35]. A single grating
cannot achieve this goal. Long period grating method
utilizes the multiple resonance bands in a single long
period grating to measure strain and temperature
simultaneously. Nevertheless, it is difficult to accurately
measure small shifts in the resonant wavelength in long
period grating by using broad bandwidth spectrum. All
of these methods involve complex gratings, special
made fibers or other optical elements. These specials
may add up the system cost [6-8].
In this letter the formula of the sensitivities of strain
and temperature and the cross-sensitivity were deduced
on the basis of the equation of Bragg gratings. The
physical mechanics of the cross-sensitivity from
simultaneous measurements of strain and temperature
with optical fiber Bragg grating were studied. We
showed the configuration of simultaneous measurement
of strain and temperature by the dual-wavelength FBG
and deduced the matrix of the dual-wavelength fiber
grating. By enhancing the temperature sensitivity of
FBG or using polymer grating instead of one FBG, the
condition number of the matrix of sensitivities could be
dropped, so the accuracy of the sensor can be improved.
The feasibility of using this type of embedded sensors
configuration for simultaneous strain and temperature
2006 1st International Symposium on Pervasive Computing and Applications
786
measurements is demonstrated. Finally, the relationship
of train (temperature) against the two gratings
wavelength shifts was expressed clearly by figurations.
2. Cross-sensitivity of the fiber grating
sensor
When a broad-band source transmits through a FBG,
only a specifically wavelength light (Bragg wavelength)
reflects along the incident way, the rest wavelength of
optics can get through the grating without reflection
effect. Based on the mode-coupling theory, the Bragg
wavelength is determined by the following formula:
=
eff B
n 2 (1)
Where, is the grating period and n
eff
is the effective
index of grating guided modes. is changed by
temperature and strain, so FBG is sensitive to both
temperature and strain. We can measure the perturbation
of temperature and strain by detecting the change of the
FBG wavelength.
) , ( ) , ( ) , ( T T n T
B
= (2)
Assuming that only strain and temperature T apply
to the sensing FBG, both n and are the functions of
and T, we can use a Taylor expansion of n and around
some ambient strain
0
and temperature T
0
, respectively,
and obtained:
+

+


+

+ =
= =
= =
= =
= =
= =
2
,
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
,
2
2
2
2
,
2 2
,
,
0 0 0 0
) (
) (
) , ( ) , (
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
T
T
n
T
n
T
n
n
n
T
T
n n
T T
n
T
n
T
T
n
T
n
n
n
T T n
T T
T T
T T
T T
T T
B

(3)
Obviously, from Equation (3), the cross-sensitivity
means that the temperature sensitivity is strain
dependent (or the strain sensitivity is temperature
dependent), that is, if the cross-sensitivity is not zero,
for a different temperature change (or strain change), we
have a different strain sensitivity (or temperature
sensitivity). These quantities could be expressed in
terms of the strain change and temperature change
T:
T K T K K T
T T
+ + =

) , ( (4)
Where, K

is strain sensitivity coefficient,

= n
n
K (5)
and K
T
is temperature sensitivity coefficient
T
n
T
n
K
T

= (6)
as the sensor sensitivities to strain and temperature T,
respectively. On the other hand, we can define K
T
T
T
K
T
n
T
n
T
n
n
T T
n
T
n
K

+


+

=
) (
2 2
(7)
as the cross-sensitivity between strain and temperature
T.
3. Dual FBGs simultaneous measuring
strain and temperature
To construct a sensor that discriminates temperature
and strain, we adopted the idea [9]. The sensor of
simultaneous measurements of strain and temperature
with dual FBGs is shown in Figure1. A broadband light
as sensing source enters the sensing system through a
3dB coupler and it is transmitted into two sensor fiber
gratings. Two narrow band of the transmitting light,
whose wavelengths are centered at the Bragg
wavelengths of the sensor FBGs, respectively, will be
reflected, depending on the strain (or temperature)
condition of the sensor FBGs. Part of the reflected light
then enters the filter via the coupler. The optical power
transmitting through the filter is measured with a
photodiode. When the center wavelengths of the sensor
and filter are matched, the reflection of the incident light
by the filter would become maximal, resulting in the
minimum measured power on the photodiode.
In order to sense the strain change and
temperature change T independently and
simultaneously, the Bragg wavelength shift due to each
grating would be recorded as
1
and
2
, respectively,
by an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA).
2006 1st International Symposium on Pervasive Computing and Applications
787
Fig.1. Sensor configuration of measuring strain and
temperature simultaneously based on dual FBGs.
These quantities can be expressed in terms of the
strain change and temperature change T:
T K K T
T B
+ =

) , ( (8)
We can write the sensor sensitivities to strain and
temperature as follows:
B e
P K

) 1 ( = (9)
B T
K ) ( + = (10)
Where, p
e
is the valid elastic-optic coefficient that
represents the effect of strain on the reflective index.
( ) ( ) [ ]
12 11 12
2
2 / p p p n P
eff e
+ = (11)
The factor P
e
has a numerical value of 0.22, P
12
and
P
11
represent the components of strain-optic tensor
(Pockel coefficients), we take p
11
=0.126, p
12
=0.274.
And is the Poisson ratio (=0.17). We can measure
the fiber's valid elastic-optic constant. Where, is the
thermo-inflation coefficient that be represented, and is
the thermo-optic coefficient that be represented. Here,
we have =510
-7
/, =110
-5
/, respectively.
We find that K
T
and K

are all wavelength dependent.

So, utilizing two wavelengths within the FBG mode
region, we can obtain two interferometers that can
measure strain and temperature simultaneously. The
sensors yield two linear equations whose matrix form is

T K K
K K
T
T

2 2
1 1
2
1
(12)
Where, K
1
and K
2
are the corresponding strain
sensitivity of FBG1 and FBG2, respectively, while K
1T
and K
2T
are the temperature sensitivities. To obtain
and T, we need to invert Equation (12) so that:

2
1
1 2
1 2
1 2 2 1
1

K K
K K
K K K K T
T T
T T
(13)
We then obtained the following equation operating at
the wavelength 1300nm (K
1
=0.96pm/,
K
1T
=8.72pm/ ) and 850nm (K
2
=0.59pm/,
K
2T
=6.3pm/) [9].

3 . 6 59 . 0
72 . 8 96 . 0
2
1
To obtain and T, we need to invert the above
matrix, so that:

2
1
06 . 1 65 . 0
65 . 9 975 . 6

T
Where, the wavelength shifts
1
and
2
are in unit
of nm while the strain change is in micro-strain ()
and the temperature change T is in . As we know
that the matrix inversion technique assumes constant
value for K
1T
, K
1
, K
2T
and K
2
. In some special cases, all
four parameters could become nonlinear functions.
Therefore, an accurate measurement would be
impossible. Nevertheless, it is not the case here. Hence,
when this scheme is used to measure strain and
temperature variation under certain reasonable range, it
can simultaneously measure strain and temperature
accurately.
Fig.2 (a) shows the strain variation as a function of
the measured wavelength shifts and Fig.2 (b) shows the
temperature change as a function of the same variables.
Both figures indicate that the sensor response is in the
form of a plane joined to the origin of the coordinates.
The slopes of these planes are determined by the
sensitivity parameters of the two gratings.
0
2
4
6
8
10
0
2
4
6
8
10
-100
-50
0
50
100
1/nm

2/ nm

(a) Strain with wavelength shifts of two gratings

ISO 3dB Coupler
Matching
Liquid
Wide-band
Light
Tunable filter
Reciever
FBG1 FBG2
2006 1st International Symposium on Pervasive Computing and Applications
788
0
2
4
6
8
10
0
2
4
6
8
10
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
1/nm

2
/ nm

T
/

(b) Temperature with wavelength shifts of two gratings

Fig.2. Strain and temperature change against the
wavelength change of FBGs
If one of the gratings is sensitivity, the parameters are
very different. This makes it possible to sense both
temperature and strain changes more accurately. By
sticking the FBG on aluminum firmly, the temperature
sensitivity can be improved. Using this method to
measure strain and temperature simultaneously, the
condition number of the matrix of sensitivities can be
dropped markedly, so the accuracy of the sensor can be
improved. So, the equation (12) can be written:

23 . 20 59 . 0
72 . 8 96 . 0
2
1
To obtain and T, we need to invert the above
matrix, so that:

2
1
067 . 0 041 . 0
611 . 0 417 . 1

T
Fig.3 (a) shows the strain variation as a function of
the measured wavelengths shifts and Fig.3 (b) shows the
temperature change as a function of the same variables.
Both figures indicated that the sensor response was in
the form of a plane joined to the origin of the
coordinates. The slopes of these planes were determined
by the sensitivity parameters of the two gratings. These
slopes are larger in the case of a combination of
sensitivity and common fiber Bragg gratings than for
the case of two common FBGs. Furthermore, since the
tuning range of sensitized grating is much larger than
that of common grating, the dynamic ranges of and
T were correspondingly much larger than in the case of
common gratings.
0
2
4
6
8
10
0
2
4
6
8
10
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
1/nm

2/nm

(a) Strain with wavelength shifts of two gratings

0
2
4
6
8
10
0
2
4
6
8
10
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1/ nm

2/ nm

T
/

(b) Temperature with wavelength shifts of two gratings

Fig.3. Strain and temperature change against the
wavelength change of FBGs with enhancing a FBGs
temperature sensitivity
In addition, if one of the gratings is silica and the
other one is polymer, the parameters are very different
[10]. This makes the denominator in Equation (13) very
different from zero and it is then possible to sense both
temperature and strain changes more accurately.
Another advantage of this scheme is that the large
cross-sensitivity does not exist here as the two FBGs are
written on totally different materials, which had large
different strain and temperature responses.
4. Conclusion
We have deduced the formula of the sensitivities of
strain and temperature, on the basis of the equation of
Bragg gratings. The cross-sensitivity of fiber Bragg
2006 1st International Symposium on Pervasive Computing and Applications
789
gratings sensors were obtained. The physical mechanics
of the cross-sensitivity from simultaneous measurement
of strain and temperature with optical fiber Bragg
grating were studied. We showed that the configuration
of simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature
by the dual-wavelength fiber grating and deduced the
matrix of the dual-wavelength fiber grating. Finally,
with 1300nm and 850nm light as signal entering sensing
gratings, the relationships of train and temperature
against the two gratings wavelengths shifts were
expressed clearly by the figurations. The large
cross-sensitivity issue can also be successfully solved
by enhancing grating photosensitivity or using polymer
grating instead of one fiber grating.
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