I-Corps: Dynamic Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor System

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project on the new dynamic distributed fiber optic strain technology is that it could be applied within a field that requires or could benefit from a high density of data for strain or temperature detection. Infrastructure is a large part of a nation's assets and efficient management of these assets is vital to society. The lack of rich data on structural performance limits our understanding of infrastructure behavior. The new technology can provide a single distributed monitoring system for large infrastructure projects in civil engineering, such as bridges, tunnels, foundations, dams, levees, etc.; or in the oil and gas industry such as for methane hydrate excavation, deep wells, surface or buried pipelines, and shale gas excavation monitoring. Through the use of monitoring systems centered on this technology, clients would be provided quality control data to observe and validate the construction of their assets and their long-term performance, potentially over the entire asset lifespan. The produced monitoring data can be presented and shared within a network data map that can be adopted as part of the 'smart city' approach for both hazard prevention or future city management.This I-Corps project explores commercial opportunities for the new distributed fiber optic sensor system technology that reduces the reading time and provides the dynamic detection capability for strain or temperature sensing. The newly developed system provides very high density of data (every 2cm) over very long distance (10-50km), giving equivalent of thousands of conventional 'strain gauge', 'thermo-couple' or 'accelerometer' instruments through the use of a single low-cost fiber optic cable. Its dynamic performance opens a window of detection linear wave vibration along the fiber cable and detects the response of the infrastructural under external load or even seismic event. The I-Corps team will interview potential clients, stakeholders, and key business adopters to better understand the monitoring needs and current areas for improvement within the marketplace. This exercise will allow the team to determine the potential commercial viability of the technology, as well as help identify potential areas for further research as well as other markets for deployment that are not currently using distributed fiber optic sensing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.