Method and apparatus for distributed sensing utilizing optical scattering in optical waveguides
US8203707B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jun 19, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 16, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F23/22
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributed sensing utilizing optical scattering in optical waveguides and reveals two types of the invention. One type of the invention is to characterize optical scattering while actively controlling the temperature of the optical waveguide. The other type of the invention is to characterize optical scattering while strain/stress is induced into the optical waveguide through interaction of the jackets or coatings of the optical waveguide with objects under test. In one embodiment of the invention, the optical scattering based method and apparatus can sense liquid level, liquid distribution, and temperature gradient on ground and in low gravity. Other embodiments of the invention can detect location and concentration of liquid spill and gas leak along pipelines, or measure liquid or gas flow rates. Moreover, the method and apparatus described in the invention have capabilities of sensing multiple physical and chemical parameters using one sensing optical waveguide.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.