Optimization of Fiber Optic Sensors Parameters for Temperature Measurement

Nowadays, there are many devices the failure of which could not only lead to huge financial losses but also wreak havoc in the natural environment. Such circumstances require us to analyze the electrical components before something dangerous happens. Early reaction gives an opportunity to implement prevention measures and avoid serious consequences. Optical fiber sensors have a number of advantages, the most important of which include immunity to electromagnetic interference, low weight and the ability to incorporate them within the measured structure. Fiber Bragg gratings have other special advantages; for instance, they enable the creation of distributed sensing arrays, which contain multiple sensors. They are also insensitive to optical power source fluctuations. The multitude of FBG sensors applications extorted fabrication of gratings with different spectral shapes. Uniform gratings have spectra with strong side lobes which could affect the processing characteristics of temperature sensor. Apodization is one of ways for affecting the gratings spectral shape. This article concerns simulations based on an original computer application, which is numerical model implementation of Transfer Matrix Method. It allows to determine the spectral characteristic of optical components on the basis of the theory of coupled modes and matrix description of electromagnetic wave that passes through optical fiber. Different fiber gratings lengths were analyzed according to their reflection and transmission spectra. In the beginning, the impact of various parameters on the Bragg grating spectral characteristics was checked. Results of those simulations have been attached. The article covers measurement of real optic elements put in climatic chamber and Bragg gratings, produced under very strict conditions. The profile of the laser beam was approximated by Gaussian function using MatLab software and additional tools from package. Function matching has been defined as statistical parameters and evaluated later. The comparison of mathematical model and physical optical system, based on previously designated function apodization, has been covered. The results of these two visualizations have been summarized to better exemplify the differences and similarities. The previously measured fiber Bragg grating has been proposed as temperature sensor and parameters which may be used to construct an optical fiber temperature sensor were established. Temperature sensitivity was determined in the end