High speed and high spatial density parameter measurement using fiber optic sensing technology

US9664506B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Allen R. Parker, Jr. · Lancaster, US
• Hon Man Chan · Santa Clarita, US
• William Richards · Tucson, US
• Anthony Piazza · Palmdale, US
• Philip J Hamory · Lancaster, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 17, 2015
• Grant date: May 30, 2017
• Expiry date: Nov 17, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/0208
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention is an improved fiber optic sensing system (FOSS) having the ability to provide both high spatial resolution and high frequency strain measurements. The inventive hybrid FOSS fiber combines sensors from high acquisition speed and low spatial resolution Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) systems and from low acquisition speed and high spatial resolution Optical Frequency Domain Reflection (OFDR) systems. Two unique light sources utilizing different wavelengths are coupled with the hybrid FOSS fiber to generate reflected data from both the WDM sensors and OFDR sensors operating on a single fiber optic cable without incurring interference from one another. The two data sets are then de-multiplexed for analysis, optionally with conventionally-available WDM and OFDR system analyzers.