I-Corps: Dynamic Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor System

该I-Corps项目对新的动态分布式光纤应变技术的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于，它可以应用于需要或可以受益于高密度应变或温度检测数据的领域。基础设施是一个国家资产的很大一部分，有效管理这些资产对社会至关重要。缺乏丰富的结构性能数据限制了我们对基础设施行为的理解。 新技术可以为土木工程中的大型基础设施项目提供单一的分布式监测系统，如桥梁、隧道、地基、大坝、堤坝等;或在石油和天然气工业中，例如用于甲烷水合物挖掘、深井威尔斯、地面或地下管道以及页岩气挖掘监控。通过使用以该技术为中心的监测系统，客户将获得质量控制数据，以观察和验证其资产的建造及其长期性能，可能在整个资产寿命期间。所产生的监测数据可以在网络数据地图中呈现和共享，可以作为“智慧城市”方法的一部分，用于灾害预防或未来的城市管理。I-Corps项目为新型分布式光纤传感器系统技术探索了商业机会，该技术可以减少阅读时间，并提供应变或温度传感的动态检测能力。新开发的系统在很长的距离（10- 50公里）上提供非常高的数据密度（每2厘米），通过使用单一的低成本光纤电缆，相当于数千个传统的“应变计”，“热电偶”或“加速度计”仪器。它的动态性能打开了一个窗口，检测线性波振动沿着光纤电缆和检测基础设施的响应下，外部负载，甚至地震事件。 I-Corps团队将采访潜在客户、利益相关者和主要业务采用者，以更好地了解市场中的监测需求和当前需要改进的领域。这项工作将使该团队能够确定该技术的潜在商业可行性，并帮助确定进一步研究的潜在领域以及目前未使用分布式光纤传感的其他部署市场。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.