The Role of Fiber Optic Sensors for Enhancing Power System Situational Awareness: A Review

The integration of low carbon technologies and more efficient power system operation are key components in the transition to a sustainable future. To support this, power system operators are leveraging data from an ever-expanding network of sensors. Due to their ability to measure several different physical parameters, fiber optic sensors are recognized as an important enabling technology and offer many interesting opportunities to improve situational awareness in power systems. This paper presents an extensive overview of fiber optic sensors in power system applications, with particular focus on the needs of the power system sector and how these may change as the system continues to evolve. The intention is to provide the reader with a review that clearly discusses the current and future trends in power system sensors applications and connect these to the most recent developments in fiber optic sensor technology.