Feasibility study of strain and temperature discrimination in a BOTDA system via artificial neural networks

Automatic discrimination between strain and temperature in a Brillouin optical time domain analyzer via artificial neural networks is proposed and discussed in this paper. Using a standard monomode optical fiber as the sensing element, the ability of the proposed solution to detect the known changes that the Brillouin gain spectrum exhibits depending on the applied temperature and/or strain will be studied. Experimental results, where different simultaneous strain and temperature situations have been considered, will show the feasibility of this technique.This work has been supported by the projects TEC2013-47264-C2-1-R and TEC2016-76021-C2-2-R

Recent development in artificial neural network based distributed fiber optic sensors

Distributed fiber optic sensors are promising technique for measuring strain, temperature and vibration over tens of kilometres by utilizing the backscattered Rayleigh, Raman and Brillouin signals. Recently, the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) has been adopted into the distributed fiber sensors for advanced data analytics, fast data processing time, high sensing accuracy and event classification. In this paper, the recent developments of ANN-based distributed fiber sensors and their operating principles are reviewed. Moreover, the performance of ANN is compared with the conventional signal processing algorithms. The future perspective view that can be extended further research development has also been discussed

Contributions to the development of distributed sensors based on stimulated Brillouin scattering

RESUMEN: El objetivo principal de esta tesis es contribuir al desarrollo y la mejora del rendimiento de los sensores distribuidos basados en la dispersión Brillouin. Durante el desarrollo de este trabajo se han considerado diferentes áreas de mejora. En primer lugar, se han propuesto diversas configuraciones experimentales para superar algunas de las limitaciones típicas que tienen estos sensores, como son los efectos no locales en los sensores BOTDA o la aparición de sub-picos en el espectro de ganancia de Brillouin en sistemas basados en el dominio de frecuencia. Otro objetivo principal de este trabajo es aplicar diferentes enfoques de procesado para resolver problemáticas aún no resueltas, como la discriminación entre las medidas de temperatura y las de deformación obtenidas con los sensores Brillouin. Además, también se han estudiado algunos métodos alternativos al método tradicional basado en la aplicación de ajustes Lorentzianos para estimar el cambio de la frecuencia Brillouin. Finalmente, este trabajo también ha tratado de contribuir a la validación de los conocimientos adquiridos mediante la validación en escenarios reales, como aplicaciones de alta temperatura o detección de fugas en tuberías.ABSTRACT: The main objective of this thesis dissertation is to contribute to the development and improvement in the performance of distributed sensors based on Brillouin scattering. Different areas of improvement have been considered during the development of this work. First of all, various different experimental configurations have been proposed to overcome some traditional limitations of these sensors, such as non-local effects on Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) sensors or appearance of sub-peaks on the Brillouin gain measured with systems based on the frequency domain. Another main objective of this work is applying different processing approaches in an attempt to solve open problems such as the discrimination between temperature and strain measurements obtained with Brillouin sensors. Additionally, it would be interesting to provide some faster and alternative methods to estimate the Brillouin shift in comparison to traditional method based on applying Lorentzian fittings. Finally, this work has also tried to contribute to the validation of the acquired knowledge by performing validations in real scenarios, such as high-temperature applications or leakage detection in pipelines.This work has been supported by the funding of the following entities and actions: • Universidad de Cantabria through the research grant Programa de Personal Investigador en Formación Predoctoral and research stays grants in Pamplona, Spain and in Aversa, Italy. • Agencia Estatal de Investigación through research project Sensores fotónicos para seguirdad y protección (TEC2016-76021-C2-2-R). • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad through research project Sensores de fibra óptica para seguirdad y protección (TEC2013-47264-C2-1-R). • Gobierno de Cantabria through research project Detección de fugas en autovías del agua mediante sensores ópticos (FASO). • Fundación TTI through a research grant Patrocinio de actividades formativas en investigación científica y técnica. • Cost action td1001: Novel and reliable optical fibre sensor systems for future security and safety applications (OFSESA) through a research grant for a short term scientific mission to Aversa, Italy and through two grants for summer schools

Brillouin distributed fiber sensors: an overview and applications

A review focused on real world applications of Brillouin distributed fiber sensors is presented in this paper. After a brief overview of the theoretical principles, some works to face the two main technical challenges (large dynamic range and higher spatial resolution) are commented. Then an overview of some real and on-field applications is done.This work has been supported by the Spanish TEC2010-20224-C02-02 Project

Enabling Technology in Optical Fiber Communications: From Device, System to Networking

This book explores the enabling technology in optical fiber communications. It focuses on the state-of-the-art advances from fundamental theories, devices, and subsystems to networking applications as well as future perspectives of optical fiber communications. The topics cover include integrated photonics, fiber optics, fiber and free-space optical communications, and optical networking

Novel Specialty Optical Fibers and Applications

Novel Specialty Optical Fibers and Applications focuses on the latest developments in specialty fiber technology and its applications. The aim of this reprint is to provide an overview of specialty optical fibers in terms of their technological developments and applications. Contributions include:1. Specialty fibers composed of special materials for new functionalities and applications in new spectral windows.2. Hollow-core fiber-based applications.3. Functionalized fibers.4. Structurally engineered fibers.5. Specialty fibers for distributed fiber sensors.6. Specialty fibers for communications

Optical Fiber Based Sensors for Harsh Environments

The primary objective of this study is to develop optical fiber-based sensors that are capable of operating in extreme conditions. Silica-based optical fibers are well known for their resilience to harsh environments. Whether they are integrated into distributed sensing schemes or as point sensors, optical fibers offer low-costs, highly accurate sensing platforms for various physical quantities. In this dissertation, state-of–the-art Al-doped radiation sensitive optical fibers for distributed ionizing radiation measurements are presented for the first time. This optical fiber sensor, coupled with a Rayleigh scattering-based optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) scheme, was used to monitor and quantitate ionizing gamma radiation from a 60Co radioactive isotope. An alternative multi-core optical fiber was deployed to simultaneously monitor two different parameters. The dual-core fiber has been fabricated with two distinct optical cores to allow for differences between the cores’ temperature and strain coefficients. With such differences, temperature and strain changes were discriminated using a Brillouin scattering time domain analyzer (B-OTDA). Ultrafast lasers are commonly used to inscribe thermally stable nanostructures on optical fibers’ cores. IR laser-induced structures inscribed on low-loss, radiation-hard silica fibers were used to develop point and distributed sensors for in-pile nuclear reactor measurements. The sensors were subjected to, arguably the most challenging of artificial environments, with temperatures above 600°C, and high neutron fluxes at levels above 1.2×1014 n/s/cm2. The sensors were also used to monitor the temperature distribution inside of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The information obtained from the operational SOFC can be used to prolong its lifetime and increase its efficiency. Lastly, additive manufacturing embedding of optical fibers into metallic parts were attempted. A nickel-iron alloy, Invar-36, was investigated as a coating material for silica. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Invar-36 can be carefully engineered to be close to that of silica. With a reduced CTE mismatch at the glass-metal interface, problems of adhesion and delamination can be deterred to extreme conditions. The proposed sensor designs and implementations would allow monitoring complex structures, and harsh environments like in SOFCs, gas turbines, robotics, or in high performance machinery, with minimal invasiveness

Roadmap on measurement technologies for next generation structural health monitoring systems

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is the automation of the condition assessment process of an engineered system. When applied to geometrically large components or structures, such as those found in civil and aerospace infrastructure and systems, a critical challenge is in designing the sensing solution that could yield actionable information. This is a difficult task to conduct cost-effectively, because of the large surfaces under consideration and the localized nature of typical defects and damages. There have been significant research efforts in empowering conventional measurement technologies for applications to SHM in order to improve performance of the condition assessment process. Yet, the field implementation of these SHM solutions is still in its infancy, attributable to various economic and technical challenges. The objective of this Roadmap publication is to discuss modern measurement technologies that were developed for SHM purposes, along with their associated challenges and opportunities, and to provide a path to research and development efforts that could yield impactful field applications. The Roadmap is organized into four sections: distributed embedded sensing systems, distributed surface sensing systems, multifunctional materials, and remote sensing. Recognizing that many measurement technologies may overlap between sections, we define distributed sensing solutions as those that involve or imply the utilization of numbers of sensors geometrically organized within (embedded) or over (surface) the monitored component or system. Multi-functional materials are sensing solutions that combine multiple capabilities, for example those also serving structural functions. Remote sensing are solutions that are contactless, for example cell phones, drones, and satellites. It also includes the notion of remotely controlled robots

Using global existing fiber networks for environmental sensing

We review recent advances in distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) and their applications. The scattering mechanisms in glass, which are exploited for reflectometry-based DFOS, are Rayleigh, Brillouin, and Raman scatterings. These are sensitive to either strain and/or temperature, allowing optical fiber cables to monitor their ambient environment in addition to their conventional role as a medium for telecommunications. Recently, DFOS leveraged technologies developed for telecommunications, such as coherent detection, digital signal processing, coding, and spatial/frequency diversity, to achieve improved performance in terms of measurand resolution, reach, spatial resolution, and bandwidth. We review the theory and architecture of commonly used DFOS methods. We provide recent experimental and field trial results where DFOS was used in wide-ranging applications, such as geohazard monitoring, seismic monitoring, traffic monitoring, and infrastructure health monitoring. Events of interest often have unique signatures either in the spatial, temporal, frequency, or wavenumber domains. Based on the temperature and strain raw data obtained from DFOS, downstream postprocessing allows the detection, classification, and localization of events. Combining DFOS with machine learning methods, it is possible to realize complete sensor systems that are compact, low cost, and can operate in harsh environments and difficult-to-access locations, facilitating increased public safety and smarter cities

Contribution to the development of new photonic systems for fiber optic sensing applications

En este trabajo de doctorado se presentan nuevos sistemas y subsistemas de sensores de fibra óptica. Así, se proponen y desarrollan nuevas técnicas, componentes y tecnologías basadas en láseres de fibra con espejos distribuidos (random), fibras de cristal fotónico, estructuras de luz lenta, multiplexores de inserción y extracción (add and drop), conmutadores tele-alimentados por luz, reflectometría óptica tanto en el dominio del tiempo como de la frecuencia o filtros ópticos reconfigurables. También se han demostrado nuevas aplicaciones para estructuras de sensores tradicionales y técnicas de medida ya conocidas. Todas ellas dirigidas a la mejora del funcionamiento de los actuales transductores, redes de sensores y aplicaciones de monitorización de salud estructural. De este modo, y en primer lugar, se han desarrollado nuevos transductores puntuales. En concreto, dos sensores interferométricos basados en fibras de cristal fotónico y otro basado en una estructura resonante en anillo. También se han realizado diferentes redes de sensores utilizando OTDRs comerciales. Por un lado, se han multiplexado diferentes sensores utilizando una red en forma de bus y, por el otro, se ha interrogado de manera remota un sensor FLM/LPG a una distancia de 253 km sin necesidad de amplificación. Se han estudiado láseres basados en efecto de realimentación distribuida random (RDFB) para su uso en interrogación de sensores. Para ello, se han demostrado dos nuevos láseres multi-longitud de onda y también, por primera vez, se ha modulado un laser random. Después, se han demostrado experimentalmente varias redes de sensores de fibra óptica teniendo en cuenta los principales desafíos que estas presentan: multiplexar varios sensores en una misma red y permitir su monitorización de manera remota. En primer lugar, se han multiplexado sensores basados en la modulación de la intensidad óptica utilizando técnicas de multiplexación en dominio del tiempo. En segundo lugar, se han multiplexado sensores basados en fibras de cristal fotónico. En tercer lugar, se presentan tres nuevos métodos para la medida remota de sensores. Por último, se incluye la demostración de un conmutador de fibra óptica tele-alimentado a través de luz. Éste se utiliza en tres redes diferentes para añadir robustez e incrementar la versatilidad en la multiplexación. Finalmente, se han realizado tres pruebas de campo para aplicaciones de monitorización de salud estructural.In this PhD work, different new photonic systems and subsystems for fiber optic sensing are presented. The aim of this thesis has been to contribute to the fiber optic sensors field using modern techniques, components and technologies such as random fiber lasers, photonic crystal fibers, slow light structures, add and drop multiplexers, powered by light switches, optical frequency and time domain reflectometry or reconfigurable optical filters, among others. New applications of traditional sensing structures or techniques have been also demonstrated. All of them focused on improving the performance of current sensors transducers, multiplexing networks and structural health monitoring applications. Thus, new point transducers have been developed: two of them are interferometric sensors based on photonic crystal fibers; and another one is based on a fiber ring resonator structure. Fiber optic sensor networks using commercial OTDRs have been also explored. On the one hand, different sensors have been successfully multiplexed in the same bus network. And, on the other hand, a FLM/LPG sensor was remotely interrogated at a distance of 253 km without using amplification. Random distributed feedback (RDFB) lasers have been explored for sensors interrogation. Two multi-wavelength Raman fiber lasers suitable for sensors interrogation have been demonstrated. Also, a random fiber laser has been internally modulated for the first time. Then, some experimental demonstrations of fiber optic sensors networks have been carried out taking into account the principal challenges they pose: multiplexing a number of optical sensors in a single networks, and enabling the possibility of remote sensing. Firstly, intensity sensors using TDM technology have been multiplexed. Secondly, PCF sensors have been successfully multiplexed. Thirdly, three new approaches to enable remote sensing are presented. Finally, a remote powered by light fiber optic switch have been included in three networks in order to add robustness and multiplexing versatility.Este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo gracias a las aportaciones económicas recibidas de los siguientes organismos, entre otros: - Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España a través del programa de Formación del Personal Investigador y asociado al proyecto de investigación TEC2010-20224-C02-01. - Universidad Pública de Navarra mediante las ayudas a tesis doctorares. - Acción Europea COST- TD1001: Novel and Reliable Optical Fibre Sensor Systems for Future Security and Safety Applications (OFSeSa) - También se ha recibido financiación del Proyecto de Investigación de la Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España TEC2013-47264-C2-2-R, de Innocampus, del Proyecto Europeo SUDOE-ECOAL-Intereg Project ECOAL-MGT y de los Fondos FEDER.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Tecnologías de las Comunicaciones (RD 1393/2007)Komunikazioen Teknologietako Doktoretza Programa Ofiziala (ED 1393/2007