Advanced Optical Sensors for Power and Energy Systems Applications

We have highlighted how optical sensors can be exploited to solve many measurement problems within selected power and energy systems applications. Clearly, their development is defined at present by the industry demand, often unsatisfied with the functionality and performance of electrical instrumentation. In these cases, the overall gain from being able to monitor a plant will outweigh the higher cost associated with optical measurement systems. However, as the technology advances and costs decrease, it is hoped that photonic sensors will make their way into more areas of industry and become as widely accepted as a simple strain gauge or thermocouple. We hope that this article will provide a useful perspective and will inspire a renewed interest in photonic sensors among a broad range of researchers, engineers, and industrial end-users involved in the field of instrumentation and measurement