Improvements and applications of distributed optical fibre sensing

通信系统中使用的标准光纤也可用于传感光纤长度超过千米的温度和应变。通过将纤维附着在桥梁等结构上或将其埋在栅栏上，使用适当的仪器可以检测到桥梁上或在栅栏附近行走的人的变化压力。因此，就有了一种持续监测桥梁健康状况的手段，从而可以预防灾害。以类似的方式，埋在地下的纤维上产生的菌株可以被检测到，并被报告为安全区域的入侵者。这些都是这项新兴技术的传统应用，在这项拟议的研究中，我们将开发新的传感器和应用，提高仪器性能，并显著降低仪器成本，从而实现更小的应用。 具体的应用是开发一种长度可达许多公里的形状传感器，该传感器适用于检测地面沉降、检测入侵者或绘制定向钻孔或其他隧道的地图。我们将与工程和地质专家合作，对这些技术进行评估。将开发和测试湿度和腐蚀传感等二次应用，以解决数十亿美元的腐蚀损害问题。涂覆适当涂层的光纤可以检测石油泄漏，从而为大规模环境监测提供了一种手段。 十多年来，一个研究小组和装备精良的实验室一直活跃在UNB的这一分布式光纤传感器领域。科尔皮茨博士领导着这个研究小组，其中包括10名学生，一名曾经的学生，2008年NSERC博士奖获得者，我们在这一领域发表了大量的出版物和专利。我们的团队和设施处于有利地位，可以在未来五年应用和改进分布式光纤传感技术。

The standard optical fibre used in communications systems can also be used for sensing temperature and strain over kilometer lengths of the fibre. By attaching the fibre to structures such as bridges or burying it along fences, with suitable instruments the changing strain on the bridge or a person walking near the fence can be detected. Thus a means to continuously monitor the health of a bridge is available which can prevent disaster. In a similar fashion the strain created on a buried fibre can be detected and reported as an intruder in a secure area. These are traditional applications of this emerging technology and in this proposed research we will develop new sensors and applications, improve the instrument performance, and significantly reduce the instrument cost which will enable much smaller applications. Specific applications are the development of a shape sensor that can be many kilometers in length and suitable for the detection of ground subsidence, the detection of intruders, or the mapping of directionally drilled holes or other tunnels. In collaboration with engineering and geology experts we will evaluate these technologies. Secondary applications such as the sensing of moisture and corrosion will be developed and tested to address the multibillion dollar issue of corrosion damage. Suitably coated optical fibre can detect petroleum leaks thus offering a means of large scale environmental monitoring. A research group and well equipped laboratory have been active in this distributed fibre optic sensors field at UNB for more than a decade. Dr. Colpitts leads this research group including ten students, a former student the 2008 NSERC Doctoral Prize winner, and we have produced numerous publications and patents in this field. Our team and facilities are well positioned to apply and improve distributed fibre optic sensing technology over the next five years.