Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing for Electrical Machine Diagnostics
Summary
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing has emerged as a powerful tool for the condition monitoring and diagnostics of electrical machines. By inscribing periodic refractive-index variations along an optical fibre, FBG sensors can detect minute changes in temperature, strain, vibration and even magnetic flux when combined with magnetostrictive materials. Their immunity to electromagnetic interference and compact form factor allow in situ embedding within stator windings, bearing housings and machine frames without disturbing normal operation. Multiplexing of FBG elements on a single fibre enables distributed, multipoint measurement of critical hot spots and mechanical stresses, offering richer spatial resolution than conventional point sensors. Recent advances in photonic integration and signal processing have extended the capabilities of FBG networks to resolve concurrent thermal and mechanical signatures, distinguish between bearing modes and detect early‐stage winding faults. These developments hold promise for closed‐loop thermal management, predictive maintenance and enhanced reliability across a wide range of machines, from inverter-driven induction motors to permanent-magnet synchronous machines. Globally, adoption of FBG sensing is poised to reduce unplanned downtime, extend machine lifetimes and improve energy efficiency in industrial, transport and renewable-energy applications.
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Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing for Electrical Machine Diagnostics publication trend
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Technical terms
Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG): periodic modulation of refractive index in an optical fibre that reflects a narrow wavelength band in response to strain or temperature changes.
Multiplexing: assignment of distinct reflection wavelengths to multiple FBG elements on a single fibre, enabling distributed sensing.
Photonic Lantern: optical device converting a multimode fibre input into several single-mode outputs to support spatial mode diversity.
Spatial Mode Diversity: utilisation of different guided modes in a few-mode fibre to carry individual sensing channels simultaneously.
Thermo-Mechanical Sensing: dual detection of temperature and mechanical strain by exploiting the cross-sensitivity of FBG sensors.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Immunity: inherent resilience of optical fibres to electromagnetic fields, ensuring accurate measurements in electrically noisy environments.
References
- Electric Machine Bearing Health Monitoring and Ball Fault Detection by Simultaneous Thermo-Mechanical Fibre Optic Sensing. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion (2020).
- A Multiplexing Optical Temperature Sensing System for Induction Motors Using Few-Mode Fiber Spatial Mode Diversity. Electronics (2024).
- Fiber Optic Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing for Monitoring and Testing of Electric Machinery: Current State of the Art and Outlook. Machines (2022).
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