Miniature high-frequency temperature-insensitive fiber optic pressure sensor for gas turbine engine applications

A newly developed fiber optic pressure sensor for gas turbine applications is described in this paper. The sensor is based on Self-Calibrated Interferometric/Intensity-Based fiber optic sensor technologies. In addition to the generic fiber sensor advantages, the new sensor was also shown to have all the distinct advantages of interferometric and intensity-based sensors while their disadvantages are significantly reduced. The sensor has a frequency response of approximately 100 kHz, and can be operate at temperatures up to 700 degrees C. The sensor was tested in simulated flow conditions similar to that found in a gas turbine engine. Excellent agreement was obtained in the measured pressure comparing the fiber-optic sensor to a conventional high frequency, semiconductor based pressure transducer.