Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Oil-Film Pressure Measurement in Journal Bearings

The on-line measurement of oil-film pressure inside a journal bearing based on an optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed and described for the first time. Two methods are described, one includes inserting the packaged FBG into the bearing using rubber and the other is involved the packaged FBG being directly embedded on the bearing surface. The inserted method has a higher sensitivity than the embedded version, while the embedded method incurs less damage to the bearing being small in size. Experiments to verify the feasibility of both methods are described with parameters being measured over the full motor operating range. Experimental results of the oil film pressure measured by these two methods agree well with simulated values, demonstrating excellent prospects for using the sensing schemes described in this paper as the basis for real industrial measurement systems. Furthermore, due to its small size and high sensitivity, coupled with excellent immunity to external electromagnetic interference the FBG sensor is an ideal candidate for measurement in which a strong electromagnetic field exists, e.g., in the case of electrical motors and generators.