Design and application of FBG shock sensor for high-G shock tester and a wider frequency range

Abstract

This study explores the potential of employing arrays of FBG shock sensors to measure strain in high-G impact test systems. Through a meticulously designed experiment, we installed three FBG arrays into grooves on the bottom surface of high-impact test equipment, ensuring a seamless profile. The unique design of the double elastic mass induced acceleration in the grating fiber while simultaneously subjecting it to stretching or compression in the opposite direction. This innovative approach allows us to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing FBG vibration sensors for precise strain measurement in high-G impact scenarios. The natural frequency and sensitivity of the sensor were theoretically investigated and optimized using MATLAB software. Furthermore, ANSYS was used to analyze the models and conduct simulations. The simulated FBG sensor had a natural frequency of 5000Hz and demonstrated a flat frequency range of 100–3500Hz. The linearity of the average sensitivity is 2.77pm/G. A high-impact FBG shock sensor can measure high-impact forces or vibrations accurately, including aerospace to monitor aircraft health, automotive to improve vehicle safety, defense to detect gunfire, and sports to monitor the impact of collisions and improve athlete safety.