Mechanical Strain Measurements Based on Fiber Bragg Grating Down to Cryogenic Temperature - R&D; Study and Applications

In recent years, optical fiber sensors have been increasingly used due to their outstanding performances. Their application is preferable in case of special requirements that exclude the application of conventional electrical sensors. The scientific background of optical fiber sensors is well developed. However, the characteristic of sensors employed in rather harsh environments is often different from the one determined in laboratory conditions or prior to their installation. In order to achieve long-term stable functioning and reliable measurement under severe working environments, such as those occurring at CERN (radiation, cryogenics, high magnetic and electrical field), a statistical measurement campaign was carried out following the international standard ISO 5725. The paper describes the ongoing study to define the accuracy of optical fiber sensors based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) for strain measurements, from room temperature down to 4.2 K. It also describes some of the demanding applications for which optical fiber sensors have been deployed to perform experimental strain measurements (e.g. detectors components, high-energy beam targets and dumps, superconducting magnets)