B5.4 - Fiber-Optic Low Airspeed Sensor
- Event
- ETTC 2026 - European Test and Telemetry Conference
2026-06-09 - 2026-06-11
Nuremberg - Chapter
- Sensor II
- Author(s)
- M. Henkel, C. T. Ries, T. Kissinger - Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau (Germany), F. Braband, T. Ries, S. Weber - Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH, Donauwörth (Germany)
- Pages
- 256 - 260
- DOI
- 10.5162/ettc2026/B5.4
- Price
- free
Abstract
A novel low air speed sensor for civil helicopters based on fiber segment interferometry (FSI) is introduced. Deflection due to air flow is converted to differential strain and thus interferometric phase signals. The sensor features a compact and robust design and is capable of measuring air speeds as low as 1 m s − 1 . The effectiveness of temperature compensation by differential signal processing was found to be about two orders of magnitude for axial and homogeneous temperature changes. The sensor sensitivity was characterized by static weight tests, yielding 4 . 774 nm mg − 1 with linear behavior up to 14 . 14 g. Wind tunnel tests conducted at air speeds ranging from 1 m s − 1 to 9 . 7 m s − 1 confirmed the expected quadratic dependence of deflection on air speed due to the increasing aerodynamic load. Kewords: FSI, RRI, Low Air Speed, Interferometry...