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In this thesis, an alternative approach to the well-known optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) technique is presented. A thorough analysis regarding distributed backscatter measurement in optical fibres is provided and its prospects for optical fibre sensing applications are demonstrated and discussed. The measurement approach is referred to as incoherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (I-OFDR): the frequency response of the fibre under test is measured and transferred into its time domain equivalent using inverse Fourier transform. This general technique has been studied and used for the measurement of nonlinear scattering effects in optical fibres. The requirements, limitations and prospects for general backscatter measurement, however, are different and have not been studied in detail prior to this work. Distributed sensing using Rayleigh scattering and reflective events in the fibre is first demonstrated using I-OFDR with remarkable measurement resolution. The incoherent detection technique allows for measuring singlemode fibres as well as multimode fibres. The first part of this work deals with the theoretical analysis and optimized implementation of the frequency domain approach. Necessary signal processing and its impact on the time domain response are presented. Sources of deviation from the linearity of the I-OFDR system are identified and an optimized laboratory setup is introduced; the crucial impact of the source coherence is thoroughly discussed. Suitable system parameters for the I-OFDR approach are defined: the system dynamic range and sensitivity are determined. A technique to suppress the dynamic range-limiting signal originating from strong reflections in the fibre is suggested. It is demonstrated that the I-OFDR technique has advantages over OTDR in terms of implementation for high-resolution measurement, measurement accuracy and signal stability. These advantages and measurement possibilities specific to the frequency domain approach are utilized for spatially resolved sensing applications in the second part of this work: A low optical loss polymer optical fibre (POF) is for the first time studied and analyzed for distributed strain sensing. The backscatter level dependence on strain in the fibre can be used to detect and locate strained fibre sections. Also, a correlation algorithm is proposed and demonstrated to measure length changes along the fibre with mm-resolution by correlating the typical backscatter signature of this fibre type. The fibre type is analyzed in detail regarding cross-sensitivities to temperature, relative humidity as well as mode propagation influences. The proposed sensing principles in combination with the highresolution I-OFDR allow for promising distributed sensing applications. Special interest is expressed by the structural health monitoring (SHM) sector since the fibre can measure strain values exceeding 100 %. Another sensing technique, specific to I-OFDR, is proposed for quasi-distributed and dynamic measurement of length changes and optical power changes at reflective events along the fibre. Precise calculation of the positions and reflected powers of multiple reflections can be conducted in parallel from the measurement of a few sampling points of the complex-valued frequency response. That allows for measuring with an increased repetition rate up to 2 kHz or at μm-scale length changes resolution at lower measurement frequencies. The approach is demonstrated in the laboratory and in a field application by measuring the deformation of a masonry building on a seismic shaking table. The I-OFDR exhibits competitive performance for general high-resolution backscatter measurement and the proposed optical fibre sensor principles may have promising prospects in the structural health monitoring (SHM) sector.
This thesis reports on the development of a system for distributed strain measurement in silica optical fibers. The system was developed to provide a solution for monitoring the structural health of river embankments with a measurement length > 5 km and a spatial resolution < 5 m. It is based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), a nonlinear optical effect which converts the mechanical strain of an optical fiber into a frequency shift of the backscattered light of an optical signal. The measurement technique that is employed and significantly advanced within this work is the Brillouin optical frequency domain analysis (BOFDA). Prior to this work, this technique had been presented as a laboratory setup providing its proof of concept; however, at this development stage, the technique had been limited in performance, theoretical foundation, integrability and robustness for real-life applications when compared to the state-of-the-art Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA). The thesis comprises the theoretical background of the measurement system, advancements regarding its implementation into a practically applicable device – including the proposal of techniques for performance enhancements in signal processing – as well as the evaluation of the system performance in experimental studies. First, the physical nature of SBS in optical fibers is analyzed. Here, special focus is set on the frequency domain properties of the interaction between the optical signals, which provides a deep understanding of the system behaviour in the special case of distributed measurements in the frequency domain. The BOFDA technique is then presented with a thorough analysis from a system point of view and considerations on its implementation in a practical setup. The laboratory setup is presented with all components and different aspects of advancement in accuracy and efficiency over the state of development prior to this work, along with representative measurement results. As the major advancement regarding the system implementation, a digital approach to frequency domain measurements is presented, with a system description, a demonstrator setup and measurement results. A detailed analysis of the physical occurrences within the system that lead to a limitation of its spatial resolution is given, founding on the description of SBS earlier in the thesis. It comprises a novel point of view on the measurement artifacts that degrade frequency domain measurements of SBS; a connection to corresponding studies that apply to the BOTDA technique is made. From here, a novel approach to overcome the limitations by means of signal correction in post-processing is presented. Finally, the application of the measurement system in dike monitoring is presented. A method for integrating optical fibers into geotextiles is introduced, together with considerations on the coating material and handling on construction sites. By presenting several experimental tests in the laboratory and the field, the feasibility of the system for monitoring of the structural health of river embankments is confirmed. With the advancements achieved within this work, the BOFDA technique meets the specifications in accuracy and resolution of state-of-the-art BOTDA devices, while offering new perspectives in terms of dynamic range, robustness and cost efficiency.