Es wird ein faseroptisches Messsystem vorgestellt, welches auf Basis der Rayleigh-Rückstreumessung eine ortsauflösende Detektion von signifikant großen Dehnungen bei Bauvorhaben im von Anwendern geforderten Größenordnungsbereich von 3 % bis 10 % ermöglicht. Mit dem Verfahren der digitalen inkohärenten optischen Frequenzbereichsreflektometrie (I-OFDR) werden materialspezifische Vorteile robuster perfluorierter polymeroptischer Fasern (PF-POF) erschlossen. Für den angestrebten industriellen Einsatz für die Zustandsüberwachung im Bereich des Tunnel- und Spezialtiefbaus soll die spezifische Rückstreuzunahme in der PF-POF hochauflösend gemessen werden. Diese Veröffentlichung zeigt in ersten Projektergebnissen die Eignung des digitalen I-OFDR für eine Dehnungsdetektion von bis zu 10%.
This chapter gives an overview about polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors with the focus on structural and civil engineering applications. POF properties such as the high-strain range, the low Young’s modulus, and specific scattering effects open new fields for fiber-optic sensing applications. POF properties, sensitivities, and cross-sensitivities that are relevant for sensing are introduced. Advantages and limitations are discussed. State-of-the-art POF sensors and application examples are presented in subsections with regard to their underlying measurement principles.
Sensitivity of two commercial perfluorinated (PF) polymer optical fibers (POFs) to gamma radiation was measured, compared and exploited for dosimetry purposes. Fiber radiation induced attenuation (RIA) was found to be highly wavelength dependent and pronounced towards the UV part of the spectrum. PF-POFs were shown to be highly radiation sensitive and RIA-based on-line radiation monitoring with sensitivity as high as 135 dBm-1/kGy was demonstrated at 460 nm with co-extruded PF-POF. In addition, thanks to low inherent attenuation in the near-infrared region, possibility of distributed radiation detection with PF-POFs was demonstrated for the first time, utilizing optical time domain reflectometry.
We present a demodulation method that partially compensates for the nonlinear and random transfer function of fiber-optic direct detection coherent Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometry (C-OTDR). Specifically, the proposed method is shown to improve the detection of small amplitude, high frequency dynamic optical fiber strain as it occurs in acoustic emission sensing. The method is applicable provided that the dynamic fiber strain to be sensed is known to affect a longer section of sensing fiber in a spatially homogeneous way. It is shown that this knowledge can be used to extract more quantitative information from the measured C-OTDR signal by averaging signal components from the affected fiber section in a suitable and efficient way. The theoretical basis of the method is developed and supporting experimental results are presented.
The sensitivity of low loss perfluorinated polymer optical fiber (PF-POF) to gamma radiation is investigated for on line radiation monitoring purposes. The radiation induced attenuation (RIA) of a commercial PF-POF based on Cytop material is measured in the visible spectral region. The fiber RIA shows strong wavelength dependence with rapid increase towards the blue side of the spectrum. The wide range of radiation sensitivities is available via careful selection of appropriate monitoring wavelength. The accessible sensitivities span from 1.99 ± 0.01 dBm⁻¹/kGy measured at 890 nm to 140.9 ± 0.6 dBm⁻¹/kGy measured at 460 nm. The fairly high radiation sensitivity as well as its wide tunability makes the fiber a promising candidate for a broad range of applications.
We propose a digital implementation of the incoherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (I-OFDR) technique for precise backscatter measurement and optical fiber sensing applications. Specific performance parameters of the I-OFDR are discussed and compared to an analog vector network analyzer-based I-OFDR system. Improved sensitivity, dynamic range and signal stability of the digital I-OFDR is presented and demonstrated by means of quasi-distributed length change measurement.
We propose to use focused femtosecond laser pulses to inscribe Scattering damage in the core of polymer optical fibers for interrogation as quasi-distributed sensor points by optical time domain reflectometry.
Fiber bend measurement is demonstrated on off-center inscribed sensor points and absolute temperature measurement is presented by evaluation of the constant backscatter intensities from the inscribed structures relative to temperature-dependent Rayleigh Scattering. Application possibilities and limitations of this new approach are discussed.
We propose to use focused femtosecond laser pulses to create scattering damage in standard singlemode optical fibres as reference points for quasi-distributed sensing applications. Such sensor fibres are interrogated with incoherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (I-OFDR) technique and optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR). A performance comparison of both techniques with the clear advantage of the I-OFDR is presented as well as a quasi-distributed length change measurement application. Also dynamic measurement based on the I-OFDR technique is demonstrated on a femtosecond laser-induced sensor chain.
Focused femtosecond laser pulses are used to create scattering damage in the core of polymer optical fibers (POF). The resulting structures are investigated regarding morphology by light microscopy and backscattered intensity using optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR). Quasi-distributed optical fiber sensing is proposed by evaluating backscatter changes at the inscribed scatter centers. Application examples for quasi-distributed measurement of fiber bends and temperature are demonstrated.
We propose focused femtosecond laser irradiation to create stable and permanent scattering damage in large-core polymer optical fibers. Possible sensing applications using optical time domain reflectometry are discussed and presented. Experiments show that quasi-distributed fiber bend sensors and absolute temperature sensors can be realized by evaluating backscatter intensities.