Development of a low-frequency accelerometer based on symmetric multi-stage triangular beam fiber Bragg grating

•The symmetrical structure is designed to double the sensitivity of the accelerometer.•Extending the accelerometer on both sides of the mass block above the thin plate can reduce the effective length of the fiber to improve the sensitivity of the role.•Accelerometers are characterized by small size and easy processing, which saves processing costs and installation space. In order to meet the needs of accelerometers for low-frequency seismic exploration, a fiber-optic grating accelerometer based on a symmetric multi-stage triangular hinge is proposed. The sensitivity of the accelerometer is improved by the symmetrical multi-stage triangular beam structure, and experimental verification is carried out. The resonant frequency and sensitivity equations of the accelerometer are given based on theoretical analysis, while the finite element analysis software is used to simulate and analyze the characteristics of the accelerometer such as resonant frequency, stress distribution, and amplitude-frequency response. The structural parameters of the accelerometer are optimized by numerical analysis software, and the influence of the structural parameters on the sensitivity and resonant frequency of the accelerometer is analyzed. The experimental results show that the accelerometer has a resonant frequency of 140 Hz and a linearity of 99.9 % in the flat region of 1–70 Hz, a sensitivity of 337.325 pm/g, and an interference immunity of 5.39 % in the lateral direction in the working axis direction. This indicates that the accelerometer shows good linearity and lateral interference immunity in the flat interval, which well meets the needs of seismic wave signal monitoring in the field of low-frequency oil and gas exploration.