Photonic Engineering Group of the University of Cantabria: Recent R&D Contributions in Photonic Sensing Technology

The recent research and development results of the Photonic Engineering Group in the photonic sensing field are reported. This article includes a sample of contributions in several of the ongoing R&D lines: fiber sensing using Bragg grating technology; gas sensing, high temperature monitoring; optoelectronic instrumentation for laser welding monitoring; fiber active devices; and, finally, on sensing technology using plastic optical fiber.     

分立式与分布式光纤传感关键技术研究进展

光纤传感技术已广泛应用于航空航天、石油化工、电子电力、土木工程、生物医药等领域,其技术形式主要体现为分立式和分布式.分立式光纤传感技术利用光纤敏感器件作为传感器来感知被测参量的变化,光纤作为光信号的传输通道连接光纤传感器及后端的解调装置;分布式光纤传感系统基于光纤瑞利散射、拉曼散射或布里渊散射等光学效应,利用光纤本身作为传感器,可对沿途的光信号进行大范围、长距离传感.本文介绍了分立式与分布式光纤传感中主要关键技术的研究进展,并对未来的研究和发展方向进行了探讨.     

基于光谱吸收型光纤传感器的煤矿瓦斯测量技术

甲烷是瓦斯的主要成分,是易燃易爆的气体。介绍了瓦斯的光谱特性以及光谱吸收法测量甲烷气体浓度的原理,给出了光谱吸收型光纤瓦斯气体传感器的主要进展和技术路径,包括差分吸收测量法和谐波吸收测量法。通过分析可看出,光谱吸收型光纤瓦斯传感器以其优良的特性得到了广泛关注,其中差分吸收法的抗干扰能力强,系统可靠性高,具有较强的工程应用价值。     

Smart City Surveillance Through Low-Cost Fiber Sensors in Metropolitan Optical Networks

Abstract

A continuously growing number of municipalities has optical fiber networks supporting communications at their disposal. These fiber installations can also be utilized to convey low data optical signals from a large number of deployed sensing elements, usually positioned in critical infrastructure locations, providing a variety of useful information. Such information can be used in the context of a “smart city” to provide citizens with higher-level services or even to proactively ensure public security and safety. This work demonstrates a fiber sensing network based on low-cost fiber Bragg grating sensors that are able to appropriately oversee diverse monitoring parameters.     

基于光纤微结构加工和敏感材料物理融合的光纤传感技术

将功能敏感材料与光纤在物理层面进行有机融合,充分发挥光纤传感器在结构集成、材料集成等方面的优势,将有望发展新型的光纤传感器件和系统.本文综述了飞秒激光光纤微加工技术分别在标准的单模光纤和光纤光栅上制备微结构,再结合敏感材料制备技术,实现在物理层面上光纤传感器材料和结构的集成和融合,探索实现新型高性能的光纤传感新技术.     

Photonic sensing technologies for fiber networks

This paper describes photonic sensing methods which are applied to a fiber maintenance system. They are designed for fault sensing in fiber lines, water sensing in cable joints, and future technologies.     

Investigation of cladding and coating stripping methods for specialty optical fibers

Fiber optic sensing technology is used extensively in several engineering fields, including smart structures, health and usage monitoring, non-destructive testing, minimum invasive sensing, safety monitoring, and other advanced measurement fields. A general optical fiber consists of a core, cladding, and coating layers. Many sensing principles require that the cladding or coating layer should be removed or modified. In addition, since different sensing systems are needed for different types of optical fibers, it is very important to find and sort out the suitable cladding or coating removal method for a particular fiber. This study focuses on finding the cladding and coating stripping methods for four recent specialty optical fibers, namely: hard polymer-clad fiber, graded-index plastic optical fiber, copper/carbon-coated optical fiber, and aluminum-coated optical fiber. Several methods, including novel laser stripping and conventional chemical and mechanical stripping, were tried to determine the most suitable and efficient technique. Microscopic investigation of the fiber surfaces was used to visually evaluate the mechanical reliability. Optical time domain reflectometric signals of the successful removal cases were investigated to further examine the optical reliability. Based on our results, we describe and summarize the successful and unsuccessful methods.     

Luminescence-Based Optical Fiber Chemical Sensors

Abstract

A scheme for the simultaneous determination of temperature and analyte concentration for application in luminescence-based chemical sensors is proposed. This scheme is applied to an optical oxygen sensor, which is based on the quenching of the fluorescence of a ruthenium complex. Temperature measurement is performed using the excitation radiation and an absorption long-pass filter. Preliminary results are presented that show the viability of an oxygen measurement that is independent of temperature and optical power level. The possibility of self-referenced temperature measurements with semiconductor nanoparticles is also investigated. In order to optimize the sensor design, several different optical fiber probe geometries for oxygen sensing are tested and compared, including different methods of coupling radiation into the optical fiber system. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide membranes are tested as supports for sensor immobilization in fiber-optical pH sensing devices in aqueous solution. Some results are presented that show the feasibility of using fiber-optical pH indicators for remote monitoring.     

Optical Fiber Sensor Technology in Portugal

Abstract

A general overview of the R&D activity in fiber optic sensing developed over the last fifteen years in Portugal is given. Different topics are addressed, including interferometric, intensity and Bragg grating based fiber optic sensors, signal processing and multiplexing techniques, optical current sensors, together with some references to field trials and applications. Possible guidelines for present and future national R&D activity on this subject are outlined.     

Optical Fiber Sensor Technology in Portugal

A general overview of the R&D activity in fiber optic sensing developed over the last fifteen years in Portugal is given. Different topics are addressed, including interferometric, intensity and Bragg grating based fiber optic sensors, signal processing and multiplexing techniques, optical current sensors, together with some references to field trials and applications. Possible guidelines for present and future national R&D activity on this subject are outlined.     

Luminescence-Based Optical Fiber Chemical Sensors

A scheme for the simultaneous determination of temperature and analyte concentration for application in luminescence-based chemical sensors is proposed. This scheme is applied to an optical oxygen sensor, which is based on the quenching of the fluorescence of a ruthenium complex. Temperature measurement is performed using the excitation radiation and an absorption long-pass filter. Preliminary results are presented that show the viability of an oxygen measurement that is independent of temperature and optical power level. The possibility of self-referenced temperature measurements with semiconductor nanoparticles is also investigated. In order to optimize the sensor design, several different optical fiber probe geometries for oxygen sensing are tested and compared, including different methods of coupling radiation into the optical fiber system. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide membranes are tested as supports for sensor immobilization in fiber-optical pH sensing devices in aqueous solution. Some results are presented that show the feasibility of using fiber-optical pH indicators for remote monitoring.     

光电信息事件识别感知关键技术研究进展

目前随着公共安全领域非法入侵事件的数量急剧增加,迫切需要新型传感技术来侦测非法入侵事件。针对精确定位、准确识别、多参量融合等瓶颈问题,天津大学、天地伟业技术有限公司等研究机构提出了光电信息事件识别感知关键技术,其紧密融合了视频监控和分布式光纤传感两种技术的优势,通过光时域与光频域分布式扰动定位技术、干涉信号模式识别技术、超星光图像识别技术、视频捕捉分析识别技术、多参量感知融合技术、主动式偏振跟踪感知技术等,实现了重点区域内异常事件的全天候、全覆盖监控识别。重点介绍了光电信息事件识别感知的关键技术研究进展。     

用于接触式探测的多模光纤探针形状优化

对于进行接触式探测的多模光纤探针,信号光来自于附着于探针表面的待测物。基于几何光学,提出了一个物理模型,用以分析探头形状对所收集的信号光强度的影响。采用此模型,对抛物线型探头进行了仿真,给出了最优形状参数,并采用表面增强拉曼探针进行了初步实验验证。此分析可用于指导各种光纤传感器的设计,以确定其最佳的形状参数,适用于荧光传感器、表面等离子体共振传感器、表面增强拉曼传感器等。     

长距离分布式光纤传感技术研究进展

分布式光纤传感技术是光纤传感领域的重要组成部分,具有以下突出优势:无需在光纤上制作传感器,传感光纤集传感与传输于一体,可实现远距离、大范围的传感与组网;可连续感知光纤传输路径上每一点的温度、应变、振动等物理参量的空间分布和变化信息,单根光纤上能获得多达数万点的传感信息.由于在长距离连续传感方面具有不可替代的优势,分布式光纤传感技术在周界安防、石油电力、大型结构等领域的安全监控方面具有非常广阔的应用前景.本文主要介绍电子科技大学光纤传感与器件研究团队在长距离分布式光纤静(布里渊光时域分析仪)、动(相位敏感型光时域反射仪)态参量传感技术取得的研究进展,包括基础与应用研究两个方面.     

基于表面等离子体共振原理的空芯光纤传感器

设计了一种基于表面等离子体共振原理,使用空芯光纤作为光波导、外表面镀金属膜的光学材料圆柱体作为探头的新型折射率传感器。通过建立光学模型进行分析,在理论上推导出了这种传感器的传输光谱损耗公式,并针对该传感器在不同的光纤长度、探头材料、检测物质折射率等参数设置下的检测性能进行了分析,获得了各种参数对其性能的影响。由于该传感器可针对不同折射率的检测物质灵活地更换合适探头材料,相对于传统的表面等离子体共振光纤传感器,在易用性和性价比等方面具有更好的应用价值。     

椭芯光纤干涉型多参量光纤传感技术

本文提出用椭圆纤芯高双折射光纤偏振干涉和双模干涉结合的双技术四参量以及双模干涉多参量同时测量的传感理论和实验原理，对交叉灵敏度作了分析，同时给出了误差分析，并结合理论模型对灵敏度矩阵的状态作了粗略估计。初步结果为：（１）灵敏度矩阵条件数不太大，可以采用迭代改善方法解线性方程组得到较好的解；（２）双模干涉传感器的灵敏度比偏振干涉传感器的灵敏度高两个数量级。     

CdSe/ZnS量子点在倏逝波光纤pH传感中的应用

将新型量子点荧光传感技术与光纤倏逝波传感技术相结合,发展了一种基于量子点荧光效应并结合倏逝波传导进行溶液酸碱度检测的新型传感技术,具有灵敏度高、检测速度快、便于微环境检测、可实现远程探测、实时监测和原位分析等特点。详细介绍了用于倏逝波传感的锥柱组合型光纤荧光探头的制备方法,量子点在光纤探头表面的修饰流程,光谱与强度两种光纤pH传感平台的建立,并分别从响应范围、线性度、重复性和稳定性等方面对CdSe/ZnS量子点应用于光纤pH传感进行了评价。结果表明,在pH值为2~12的范围内,CdSe/ZnS量子点的荧光光谱信号的峰位在强酸和强碱的情况下都会产生红移,且红移量随pH值的变化呈线性关系,其量子点荧光强度信号随pH值的减小呈线性降低关系,通过在强酸和强碱下交替测试的实验表明其具有较好的重复性,利用荧光强度传感平台进行实时监测的实验表明其具有较好的稳定性。因此,将CdSe/ZnS量子点用于倏逝波光纤pH传感具有可行性,在生物化学、环境监测、医学临床、食品安全等领域的pH值测量方面有着广泛的应用前景。     

光纤式输油管道安全预警系统

提出了一种基于光时域反射原理(Optical Time Domain Reflectometer,ODTR)和分布式光纤传感器的输油管道泄漏实时监测技术。当输油管道发生泄漏时,光纤所处的温度场发生变化,利用光纤后向拉曼散射的温度效应,通过测量该处的温度变化来判断管道泄漏;当发生人为破坏(盗油)事件时,所产生的振动、压力等扰动信号使在光纤中传输的后向瑞利散射光产生明显的损耗特征,通过测量其光强的变化来检测管道是否受到扰动或破坏。用ODTR技术实现对光纤测量点的定位。实验结果表明,光纤长度5km(可延长),测温范围0～90℃(可扩展),温度测量偏差小于+ 5℃,对扰动外力和温度的定位偏差小于15m。该检测技术可以有效地提高输油管道泄漏监测的水平和油的防盗水平。     

基于M-Z干涉仪原理的光纤超声检测

提出了一种基于M_Z(Mach_Zehnder)干涉仪原理的光纤超声检测技术和U形结构的光纤传感器。讨论了光纤传感器与超声波之间的相互作用关系。对传感器的灵敏度与传感光纤的有效长度、U形结构的个数之间的关系进行了理论分析,实验结果和理论分析结果是一致的。通过比较超声波在三种不同入射方式下探测器的输出电压可知,该结构的光纤传感器在声信号垂直入射时由探测器探测到的信号最强,即传感器有很强的方向性,适合于对声表面波的定向检测。     

激光多普勒测速精度分析

激光多普勒测速（ＬａｓｅｒＤｏｐｐｌｅｒＶｅｌｏｃｉｍｅｔｒｙ）以其高精度、使用方便而在速度测试领域得到广泛的应用。人们也因此而忽视了对影响其测试精度的因素进行系统的分析。为此,本文主要对影响激光多普勒测速精度的因素作了具体分析。主要分析了有限渡越时间、测控体中的示踪粒子、光电探测器、激光束定位等因素,并提出了在具体实验时的注意事项。