MAIA, Portugal, 01.March.2010 - FiberSensing today announced the release of the new FS6200 - Athermal Strain Sensor, an optical strain gage that eliminates temperature cross-sensitivity.

In the last few years, the application of fiber Bragg grating sensors for SHM (Structural Health Monitoring) has gained increasingly more importance. This is due to the intrinsic characteristics of the FBG technology that enable large-scale measurement of most relevant structural parameters while mitigating well-know technical constrains of conventional sensors.
The main drawback of a fiber Bragg grating strain sensor is, however, its thermal cross-sensitivity, which compels the use of an additional temperature reference – e.g., strain-isolated FBG. To overcome this, FiberSensing has developed a passive athermal fiber Bragg grating strain gage that renders the measurement of temperature unnecessary, benefiting large scale system design and performance. The innovative proprietary design ensures athermal operation of the strain gage by canceling the intrinsic fiber optic thermal sensitivity. Moreover, the passive athermal design can be adjusted to further compensate for structural thermal expansion, thus enabling stress and load-induced strain-components to be measured. The effect of the cross-thermal sensitivity is effectively reduced to less than 2% over -20 to +80ºC operation temperature range.

Sensor
FiberSensing strain gages feature high accuracy and resolution, and immunity to electric sparks and EMI/RFI. They are compatible with most common FBG measurement units and suitable for remote sensing being possible to install them kilometers away from the measurement unit and connect a large number of sensors in a single optical fiber.

For installation of FiberSensing FS6200 Athermal Strain Sensors in severe environments, an optional metallic protection cover is available that can be used in combination with 3 mm armor protection cables.

Integration
Compatible with most standard FBG measurement units, the Athermal Strain Sensor combines compact size and high resistance to corrosion and harsh environments with long-term reliability. It is also appropriate for remote sensing being possible to locate it several kilometers away from the measurement unit. It offers intrinsic multiplexing capability that allows the concatenation of a large number of FBG sensors in a single optical fiber. This sensor is, therefore, particularly suitable for difficult-to-reach locations and large scale sensing networks.

For more information on the Athermal Strain Sensor, please download the datasheet here or contact FiberSensing at sales@fibersensing.com.