Demonstration of a Filterless, Multi-Point, and Temperature-Independent Fiber Bragg Grating Dynamical Demodulator Using Pulse-Width Modulation

• Main Authors: Joao B. Rosolem, Marcio C. Argentato, Fábio R. Bassan, Rivael S. Penze, Claudio Floridia, Artur de A. Silva, Deleon Vasconcelos, Marcelo A. Ramos Junior
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: FBG; PWM; engine; high temperature; ECU; FBG demodulator
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/20/5825

We demonstrated in this work a filterless, multi-point and temperature-independent FBG (fiber Bragg grating) dynamical demodulator using pulse-width-modulation (PWM). In this approach, the FBG interrogation system is composed of a tunable laser and a demodulator that is designed to detect the wavelength shift of the FBG sensor without any optical filter making it very suitable to be used in harsh environments. In this work, we applied the proposed method that uses the PWM technique for FBG sensors placed in high pressure and high-temperature environments. The proposed method was characterized in the laboratory using an FBG sensor modulated in a frequency of 6 Hz, with a 1 kHz sweeping frequency in the wavelength range from 1527 to 1534 nm. Also, the method was evaluated in a field test in an engine of a thermoelectric power plant.