Response Time Characterisation of a Fibre Bragg Grating Humidity Sensor for Power Conversion Device Applications

As electric machines and other power conversion devices continue to replace conventional pneumatic and hydraulic systems, the need to monitor these and the environmental conditions under which they operate becomes more significant. Humidity ingress in electrical machines is particularly important as humidity in the windings can cause degradation and failure in operating conditions, particularly in those machines that do not operate on a continuous duty cycle. With this in mind, this research aims to explore novel methods of monitoring humidity using state of the art Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors, particularly on their time response to determine their suitability for electric machine applications.