Architecture of optical fiber sensor for the simultaneous measurement of axial and radial strains

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ability to measure simultaneously the axial and radial strain with a single optical fiber sensor. The discussion begins with the analytical study of a cylinder subjected to pure tensile strain and thermal load. We emphasize the necessity of measuring the radial strain in order to determine the axial strain of an embedded sensor with accuracy. Then, we describe a few sensors able to measure axial and radial strains and study their efficiency. The conclusion is that the best structure is made of the juxtaposition of a short and a long period grating. (paper)