Tunable Fabry-Perot-resonator-based fiber-optic white-light interferometric sensor array

A tunable Fabry-Perot-resonator-based fiber-optic white-light interferometric quasi-distributed sensing system permitting absolute length measurement in a remote reflective sensor array is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor reflective signals characteristics have been analyzed, and the relationship between light signal intensities and sensors number was given for multiplexing potential evaluation. The proposed sensing scheme will be useful for the measurement of strain distribution. An important application could be deformation sensing in smart structures. Experimentally, a four-sensor array has been demonstrated.     

A fiber-optic voltage sensor based on macrobending structure

We propose and demonstrate an optical voltage sensing scheme based on a macrobending optical fiber in a ratiometric power measurement system. This novel approach to sensing has not been utilized before and has the advantage that the sensor involves simple fabrication compared to existing fiber-optic voltage sensors. To prove the feasibility of such a fiber-optic sensor, a sensor for a voltage range from 0∼100 V is demonstrated, with a resolution of 0.5 V. The sensor is robust, linear, and shows a competitive measurement resolution. The sensor can be easily scaled to suit other voltage levels and be effectively combined with optical current sensors.     

Two-loop-based low-coherence multiplexing fiber-optic sensor network with a Michelson optical path demodulator

A two-loop-based low-coherence multiplexing fiber-optic sensor network is proposed and demonstrated. It greatly extends the multiplexing capacity of this kind of sensor. A practical implementation of this scheme uses a popular amplified spontaneous emission light source and standard single-mode fiber, which are commonly used in the communications industry. The sensor's two-loop topology is completely passive. Absolute length measurements can be obtained for each sensing fiber segment for use in measuring the quasi-distribution strain or temperature. For large-scale smart structures this technique not only extends the multiplexing potential but also provides a redundancy for the sensing system. This means that the two-loop sensor network can break down at several points and the sensing system will still work even if some of the embedded two-loop sensors have been destroyed. The robustness of the nine-sensor two-loop sensing network is investigated and discussed.     

Quasi-distributed strain sensing with white-light interferometry: a novel approach

An optical fiber ring is used to generate multiple reference waves in a multiplexed fiber-optic Michelson-type sensor array. The array consists of N sensing segments connected in series along a single optical fiber path and is interrogated with a white-light interferometric technique. Experimental results with a two-sensor array are presented.     

Electric current measurement using fiber-optic curvature sensor

A novel fiber-optic curvature sensor, which can measure curvature directly, has been developed in recent years. The electric current measurements system based on fiber-optic curvature sensor and electromagnetic principle is developed. A fiber-optic curvature sensor is bonded to a thin-walled cantilever and two circular magnet targets with the same parameters are configured at the tip of the cantilever symmetrically. In this case, the throughput of the sensor will be changed due to the bending deformation of cantilever, which is proportional to the electromagnetic force caused by measured electric current. Direct and alternate characteristics of the proposed measurement system are studied experimentally. The results show that the measurement errors are within the range of ±5.5 mA and the corresponding accuracy is within 1% at the current measurement range from −300 mA to 300 mA, which indicate the feasibility of the proposed measurement system.     

海水盐度光纤遥测技术研究——测量原理

提出了一种用于海水盐度检测的光学新方法 ,利用光纤光学技术与CCD检测相结合的测量技术 ,并通过测量待测海水与参考蒸馏水的折射率差的方法 ,减小了盐度测量受温度的影响 ,并可实现海水盐度的自动化远距离遥测。建立了测量原理的理论模型。该系统水下的测量探头部分由无源的全光学结构组成 ,具有结构紧凑、精度高、抗电磁干扰、防燃、防爆、可柔性弯曲等诸多优点 ,在海洋勘探 ,环境监测以及军事、进出口贸易中的水尺计重等领域有广泛的应用前景和实用价值     

Fabry-Perot interference-based fiber-optic sensor for small displacement measurement

A simple fiber-optic sensor based on Fabry-Perot interference for small displacement measurement is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. A broadband light source is coupled into a Fabry-Perot cavity formed by the surfaces of a sensing fiber end and the measured object. The interference signals from the cavity are reflected back into the same fiber. A small displacement via changes in cavity length can be obtained by measuring the wavenumber spacing of the interference fringes. The experimental data meet with the theoretical values very well. Given the light source bandwidth of 40 nm and the initial distance of 30 μm, the proposed displacement sensing system could achieve high resolution measurement of 16 nm.     

Intensity measurement based temperature-independent strain sensor using a highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber loop mirror

A fiber-optic strain sensor is demonstrated by using a short length of highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber (HiBi-PCF) as the sensing element inserted in a fiber loop mirror (FLM). Due to the ultralow thermal sensitivity of the HiBi-PCF, the proposed strain sensor is inherently insensitive to temperature. When a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser passes through the FLM, the output power is only affected by the transmission spectral change of the FLM caused by the strain applied on the HiBi-PCF. Based on intensity measurement, an optical power meter is adequate to deduce the strain information and an expensive optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) would not be needed.     

一种新型Sagnac式光纤电流传感器

为了消除震动对Sagnac式电流传感器测量结果的影响,提出一种光路改进方法来消除传感器对震动的敏感性,其基本原理是抵消Sagnac效应而不影响法拉第磁光效应。利用琼斯矩阵对改进后的光路结构进行了偏振态分析,理论分析和实验结果吻合,表明改进后的传感器其输出与震动无关。耦合半波片后Sagnac式光纤电流传感器的震动敏感性被消除了,为Sagnac式光纤电流传感器的工程化实现提供了一种可行的方法。     

3维VSP光纤检波器井下地震采集系统

介绍了一种用于石油勘探的井下3维VSP(Vertical Seismic Profile)采集系统设计方案,实验验证该系统达到了可测量动态范围80 dB(可测量最大值与最小之比),系统采集、处理和传输的总延时低于200 ms(2 kbit/s采样率)的指标,适用于井下VSP采集.系统采用六级光纤加速度传感器组成阵列,其中每级传感器由三个麦克尔逊干涉仪构成.使用高速DSP处理芯片实现相位产生载波(Phase Generated Carrier,PGC)解调等算法以获得地震波信号;同时应用多个ARM处理器设计光纤检波器阵列控制器以及阵列内部总线.     

A parallel-multipoint fiber-optic temperature sensor based on Fresnel reflection

A parallel-multipoint fiber-optic temperature sensor for monitoring ambient temperature with a measured temperature resolution of approximately 0.03 °C is presented. The sensor relies on the temperature-dependent Fresnel reflection from each interface between a sensing fiber tip and a thermo-optic medium. An arrayed waveguide grating is used to achieve wavelength-division multiplexed-multipoint sensing. Applying the relative-intensity technique, the errors resulting from fluctuation of the light source and other influences of the environment are eliminated, and the stability for long time measurement can be improved.     

一种用于变压器局部放电在线监测的光纤声发射传感器实验研究

提出了一种光纤声发射传感器并构建传感系统实现变压器局部放电在线监测,利用传感光栅体积小,重量轻,灵敏度高和抗电磁干扰的特点,将传感器置于变压器内部实现局部放电声发射信号的测量。研究了传感光栅实现声发射应力波测量的机理,声发射信号引起传感光栅反射光谱发生漂移,导致特定频点处反射光强发生变化,通过反射光强的变化实现声发射信号的测量。构建声发射传感系统实验模型并提出了一种系统性能优化策略,使系统工作在传感光栅反射光谱上升或下降沿的半峰值频点处,从而保障传感系统具有良好的线性输出特性;研究传感系统工作点稳定技术,设计信号反馈回路自动跟踪反射光谱的漂移,保证系统稳定工作在传感光栅半峰值频点处,消除温度变化对传感系统测量精度的影响。将封装好的传感器用于变压器局部放电现场检测,结果表明,光纤光栅声发射传感器与压电传感器相比具有灵敏度高、动态范围宽等优点,可以实现变压器局部放电在线监测。     

光纤复合型油气井下压力温度测量系统

针对目前广泛使用的电子式油气井下压力温度测量系统可靠性低、高温环境漂移大的不足,设计了一种基于非本征型F-P干涉仪(EFPI)和光纤布喇格光栅(FBG)的复合型油气井下压力、温度测量系统,详细说明了其工作原理、传感器组成和信号解调方法,初步试验结果表明,该测量系统不仅克服了电子测量方式的不足,而且具有复用性好、测量精度高等优点.     

Miniature fiber-optic high temperature sensor based on a hybrid structured Fabry-Perot interferometer

A miniature Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric fiber-optic sensor suitable for high-temperature sensing is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor head consists of two FP cavities formed by fusion splicing a short hollow-core fiber and a piece of single-mode fiber at a photonic crystal fiber in series. The reflection spectra of an implemented sensor are measured at several temperatures and analyzed in the spatial frequency domain. The experiment shows that the thermal-optic effect of the cavity material is much more appreciable than its thermal expansion. The temperature measurements up to 1000 degrees C with a step of 50 degrees C confirm that it could be applicable as a high-temperature sensor.     

Analysis of a fiber ring resonator as a multi-path light-wave circuit in white-light fiber-optic interferometric sensors

According to the phase shift response of a ring resonator, the role of a fiber-optic ring resonator as a multi-path light-wave circuit in white-light fiber-optic interferometric sensors is analyzed. Formulas related to the maximum intensity of the interference fringes and the system parameters are derived by exact mathematic deduction. The main factors affecting the multiplexing capability of the sensor array are discussed. The analysis method not only gives an explicit explanation for the enhancement of multiplexing capability but also can be applied to other structural white-light sensor systems, in which the ring resonator is used as a multi-path light-wave circuit.     

Demodulation algorithm for spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau strain sensor networks

A demodulation algorithm for spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau strain sensor networks with a large number of sensors is proposed to effectively reduce the cross talk between any two adjacent sensors and hence substantially enhance the multiplexing capability of the network, which is based on the Pisarenko algorithm. The cross talk between two fiber-optic Fizeau sensors is investigated experimentally. The experimental results show that a strain accuracy of better than +/-10 micro permittivity can be achieved even when the cavity length difference is approximately 100 microm. It was demonstrated that the multiplexing capability of the spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau sensor network can be approximately 5 times greater than that of the conventional fast-Fourier-transform algorithm, and this can lead to achievement of a sensing network with a multiplexing capability of as many as 1000 Fizeau sensors.     

Fiber-optic dielectric multilayer temperature sensor: in situ measurement in vitreous during Er:YAG laser irradiation

A fiber-optic instrument for temperature measurement is presented. The sensing element consists of an optical dielectric multilayer system acting as a micro-interferometer which is deposited on a single-mode fiber tip. The sensitivity of the implemented system is theoretically derived and experimentally determined by a calibration measurement. The small size of the probe makes the system well-suited, for instance, for endoscopic in vitro and in vivo measurements in medical applications, especially in small samples. The sensor is used for the investigation of the transient thermal behavior of vitreous during Er:YAG laser irradiation in order to study the local thermal effects that are important to minimize the potential for unintentional injury in laser vitrectomy and laser vitreoretinal surgery.     

High-pressure and high-temperature characteristics of a Fabry-Perot interferometer based on photonic crystal fiber

A fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer was constructed by splicing a short length of photonic crystal fiber to a standard single-mode fiber. The photonic crystal fiber functions as a Fabry-Perot cavity and serves as a direct sensing probe without any additional components. Its pressure and temperature responses in the range of 0-40 MPa and 25°C-700°C were experimentally studied. The proposed sensor is easy to fabricate, potentially low-cost, and compact in size, which makes it very attractive for high-pressure and high-temperature sensing applications.     

Microscopic multi-point temperature sensing based on microfiber double-knot resonators

A novel fiber-optic sensor structure fabricated by cascading two optical microfiber knot resonators (MKRs) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. A theoretical model for describing the principle of the sensing structure is given and its temperature responses are characterized experimentally. Experimental results show that high-precision and simultaneous multi-point temperature sensing in micro-scale can be achieved. Such a sensing structure also has the potential for achieving dual-parameter measurement to eliminate the cross-talk between two parameters in micro-scale.     

基于周期性极化铌酸锂倍频的光学电压传感方法

从光学电压传感器的原理出发,在周期性极化铌酸锂(PPLN)晶体倍频(SHG)效应基础上,提出了一种新的光学电压传感方法,讨论了周期性极化铌酸锂不同长度、不同占空比对该电压传感性能的影响,并给出了图示。结果表明：当周期性极化铌酸锂长度一定,在占空比为0．3或0．7时,灵敏度最高;在占空比趋于0．5,但不等于0．5时,电压测量范围最大;长度增加,灵敏度提高,但测量范围变小。这些结果为制作此类传感器提供了可靠的理论依据。