Fiber-optic vibration sensor for remote monitoring in high-power electrical machines

A novel fiber optic vibration sensor is presented, based on the motion detection of an elastic cantilever by means of the optical triangulation technique. The sensor was designed to work at a fixed frequency of 100 Hz for applications in high power electrical plants where insulation and EM immunity requirements make fiber optic sensing the most suitable choice. The working linear range reaches a peak amplitude of 0.25 mm; resolution is 0.1 µm; accuracy is better than ±3%; and sensitivity is 10 mV/µm. Design details and experimental results are reported.