Production and use of an interferometric optical strain gauge with comparison to conventional techniques

The use of optical fibres in transducers has recently attracted much interest and the adoption of optical techniques in strain detection is growing due to the reliability and accuracy they can offer in harsh environmental conditions (strong electromagnetic fields, high temperature, corrosive chemicals, etc.) where the conventional electrical strain gauges often fail.In this paper an optical strain gauge based on a true fibre Michelson interferometric scheme is developed and tested. The discrete optical strain gauge is realised by embedding the optical fibre sensing leads into a resin support which allows its easy installation and use. The related static and dynamic behaviours are investigated and compared with those of similar optical sensing systems either directly bonded to the structure or embedded in composite laminates. Comparisons are also made with theoretical predictions and measurements supplied by semiconductor electrical strain gauges.