Abstract
This paper presents the characterization of a new optical sensor designed for monitoring overhead power lines (OHLs) by determining key mechanical parameters of electrical conductors. The device employs fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) written into a metal-coated fiber and enclosed within a Kovar(®) capillary tube. Its epoxy-free design provides robust hermetic protection for the FBGs, enabling reliable performance with both conventional low-temperature and high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors. The sensor configuration enables direct measurements of conductor strain and temperature, as well as indirect estimation of sag and related mechanical quantities such as tension and stress. Laboratory tests were carried out over a temperature range of 30 °C to 200 °C and for applied forces up to 2 kN. The experimentally determined sensitivities were about 0.4 nm/kN for force and 27 pm/°C for temperature. The device endured ten successive thermal cycles between 30 °C and 200 °C, maintaining its force sensitivity within 20% variation throughout the tests. These results confirm that the developed sensor can simultaneously track temperature and mechanical load across the investigated temperature range, demonstrating its potential for HTLS conductor monitoring in power transmission networks.