Experimental research on a novel fiber-optic cantilever-type inclinometer

Experimental setup for tilt measurement and a novel signal detection method for demodulation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) wavelength shift are proposed. Being attached, respectively, on the upper and lower surface of only one single pendulum-type cantilever element, only a couple of matched FBGs are used for both tilt angle sensing and wavelength shift signal demodulating. So the received light power will change due to the split of the two reflected spectra of FBGs, which corresponds to the tilt angle. In addition, the cross-sensitivity effect of FBG-based sensors will be solved automatically due to a differential signal process method. Experimental results indicate the measurement accuracy is about +/- 0.03 degrees, and measurement resolution is estimated to be about 0.002 degrees. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.