Microwave-Photonic Sensory Tire Control System Based on FBG

The article discusses a possibility of using fiber-optic sensors based on addressed fiber Bragg structures (AFBS) to assess tire dynamics in real operating conditions.The presented study is motivated by the fact that vehicle dynamics control systems require reliable and cost-efficient sensors for measuring forces acting in the tire contact patch. In this regard, a description of the new technology of multi-sensor measurements for continuous monitoring of tire state is presented. The experimental sensor prototypes use AFBSs with two identical ultra-narrow-band reflection spectra (2λ-FBG). Information from the sensors is implemented as input parameters of algorithms, which allow to estimate key tire-related characteristics, such as pressure in the contact patch, instantaneous angular velocity and effective wheel radius. One of advantages of this technology as compared to analogous devices is the use of an optical photodetector as an interrogator that greatly simplifies the system.