António Vaz Rodrigues

Abstract
This study presents the dependence of strain sensitivity on cavity length in conventional Fabry-Perot (F-P) sensors. A high number of F-P sensors were required and to ensure their reproducibility, a manufacturing process was developed to obtain similar sensors but with different types of lengths. A hollow-core silica tube was used to fabricate several F-P cavities by fusion splicing it between two sections of SMF28 fiber. The fabricated F-P has a varying length ranging from 15 to 2500 mu m. The cavities were measured under a microscope and the reflected spectrum was acquired for each one. Strain measurements were performed for a maximum strain of 1000 mu epsilon. The strain sensitivity showed a highly linear correlation with increment lambda(FSR). Small length variations for short cavities heavily affect the FSR value. The smallest and longest cavities present sensitivities of 8.71 and 2.68 pm/mu epsilon, respectively. Thermal characterization for low- and high-temperature regimes was also performed and is constant for tested sensors.

Abstract
Power transformers have an imperative role in the future developments of the electrical grids. Treated as crucial assets for transportation and distribution of electrical energy, transformers are currently being studied regarding to the integration of technologies aiming to diagnose problems and monitoring data of electrical power grid. Furthermore, environmental noise pollution has gained importance, especially in active units of the power grid, located near consumers, such as transformers. Transformers noise can be classified according to its source: core, windings and cooling. This study addresses an experimental characterization of one of the main causes of transformers core noise-magnetostriction of electrical steel. An evaluation of magnetostriction properties of electrical steel, including resistive strain gauges and Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) measurements with an Epstein frame, are presented and discussed. The magnetic flux density influence on hysteretic strain behavior of magnetostriction was evaluated, as well as the effect of a clamping load on core joints. Nowadays, optical interrogators for Bragg gratings have a high acquisition frequencies and wavelength sensitivity when compared to former optical interrogation systems, allowing to evaluate physical phenomena without electromagnetic interference and with equivalent resolution of conventional strain gauges. © 2019 Cassiano C. Linhares et al.

Abstract
An optical fiber Fabry-Perot (FP) for relative humidity (RH) sensing is proposed. The FP cavity is fabricated by splicing a short length of hollow silica tube in a single mode fiber. The fiber is then coated with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin film to work as a mirror. The fabrication process of the FP interferometer with a dip coating process in a PVDF/dimethyl formamide solution is presented. The pattern fringes of the FP suffer a wavelength shift due to the change in the PVDF's refractive index with the ambient RH variation. A short overview of the cavity's formation and stability is presented. The RH response of the FPI cavity is tested. The sensor presented a sensitivity of 32.54 pm/%RH at constant temperature and -15.2 pm/degrees C for temperature variation.

Abstract
Power transformers are at the core of power transmission systems. The occurrence of system failure in power transformers can lead to damage of adjacent equipment and cause service disruptions. Structural and electrical integrity assessment in real time is of utter importance. Conventional techniques, typically electrical sensors or chemical analysis, present major drawbacks for real-Time measurements due to high electromagnetic interference or for being time-consuming. Optical fiber sensors can be used in power transformers, as they are compact and immune to electromagnetic interferences. In this work, an optical fiber sensor composed by 2 fiber Bragg gratings, attached in a cantilever structure was explored. The prototype was developed with a 3D printer using a typical filament (ABS) that enable a fast and low-cost prototyping. The response of the sensor to vibration was tested using two different vibration axes for frequencies between 10 and 500 Hz. Oil compatibility was also studied using thermal aging and electrical tests. The studies shown that ABS is compatible with the power transformer mineral oil, but the high working temperatures may lead to material creeping, resulting in permanent structural deformation. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.