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Published April 16, 2026 | Version v1
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Characterization and Application of Fiber-Optic Current Sensors for On-site Calibration

Authors/Creators

  • 1. National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands (VSL B.V.)
  • 2. National institute of metrology China
  • 3. ROR icon VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
  • 4. ROR icon Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica
  • 5. ROR icon University of Twente
  • 6. VSL

Description

© 2026 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. This is the author‑accepted manuscript (AAM) of a paper accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. The final Version of Record is available at https://doi.org/10.1109/tim.2026.3684656 , Wei Zhao (wei.zhao@ieee.org)

Abstract (English)

 Abstract—Fiber-optic current sensors (FOCS) have significant potential as traceable references in metrological applications, yet their widespread adoption remains limited. Laboratory calibration and comparison are essential for establishing traceability and reliability under real-world conditions. This paper presents the operating principle of self-developed FOCSs and evaluates key performance metrics. It reports the first comparison among National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) for calibration and performance assessment of FOCSs, covering stability, accuracy, linearity, temperature dependence, and frequency response. The results demonstrate that self-developed FOCSs achieve an accuracy of 0.1 %, linearity of 0.03 % up to 4 kA at room temperature, and an error variation of less than 0.2 % across the temperature range −10 °C to 60 °C. The wideband FOCS exhibits a bandwidth exceeding 120 kHz. Furthermore, FOCSs were deployed for current measurements in a medium-voltage substation and compared against Hall-effect current sensors under operational conditions. Findings confirm that FOCSs meet performance requirements in practical environments, offering excellent repeatability and traceability for on-site calibration and highlighting their unique value in metrological applications.

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FOCS_IEEE TIM_Accpeted Manuscript.pdf

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