Fiber-Optic Sensor Interrogation Based on a Widely Tunable Monolithic Laser Diode

An efficient fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor integration system, which utilizes a small number of standard Telecom opto-electronics components, is presented in this paper. Wavelength-swept optical pulses were generated by driving a standard telecom DFB laser diode by high amplitude (>3 A) and short duration (300 ns) current pulses. A total laser diode's wavelength sweep in excess of 10 nm was achieved, which allows for simultaneous interrogation of several FBGs within similar wavelengths. The application of short duration wavelength-swept optical pulses also allows for time division multiplexing of small FBG arrays containing FBGs with overlapping characteristic wavelengths. When a short, wavelength-swept optical pulse is launched into the fiber containing single or multiple FBGs along its length, fractions of the launched pulse are back-reflected towards the detector. Since the launched pulse wavelength changes over the time, the reflections from the FBGs occur in the time moments that depend on the FBGs' characteristic wavelengths. Measurement of the time delay among back-reflected optical pulses is then used to determine the FBGs characteristic wavelengths. The experimental system demonstrated FBG wavelength readout resolution, which exceeded 3 pm at 1 KHz sampling rate, maximum sampling rate of over 40 KHz, and capability to readout/demultiplex over 30 FBGs located down a single optical fiber.

In the field of fiber-optic sensing, effectively reducing the noise of sensing spectra and achieving a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has consistently been a focal point of research. This study proposes a deep-learning-based denoising method for fiber-optic sensors, which involves pre-processing the sensor spectrum into a 2D image and training with a cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (Cycle-GAN) model. The pre-trained algorithm demonstrates the ability to effectively denoise various spectrum types and noise profiles. This study evaluates the denoising performance of simulated spectra obtained from four different types of fiber-optic sensors: fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI), regular fiber Bragg grating (FBG), chirped FBG, and FBG pair. Compared to traditional denoising algorithms such as wavelet transform (WT) and empirical mode decomposition (EMD), the proposed method achieves an SNR improvement of up to 13.71 dB, an RMSE that is up to three times smaller, and a minimum correlation coefficient (R2) of no less than 99.70% with the original high-SNR signals. Additionally, the proposed algorithm was tested for multimode noise reduction, demonstrating an excellent linearity in temperature response with a R2 of 99.95% for its linear fitting and 99.74% for the temperature response obtained from single-mode fiber sensors. The proposed denoising approach effectively reduces the impact of various noises from the sensing system, enhancing the practicality of fiber-optic sensing, especially for specialized fiber applications in research and industrial domains.

In the last decades, Fiber Optic (FO) sensor has gained increasing acceptance. Among the different FO sensor types, Fiber Bragg Grating is most widely used due to its commercial availability and the unique multiplexing potential. The latter feature enables the development of large sensor array and/or sensor network for multi-parameter sensing to measure temperature, strain, pressure, vibration, flow, ... . Other advantages of FO sensors are intrinsically safe, unsusceptible to EMI, potentially lightweight, small dimensions and can be embedded and integrated in composite material. The main application of FBG sensor is Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of civil engineering constructions. FBG sensor systems for other applications such as medical, oil & gas, public transport, aerospace, defense and nuclear fusion are also presented or under development. For special applications, corresponding interrogation systems with dedicated features (detection bandwidth >;MHz, wavelength noise <;fm/√(Hz), ... ) are developed.

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors were used to measure the torsional strain distribution in a second-generation (rare-earth) Ba2Cu3Oy high-temperature superconducting sample tape (SST) at 77 K. Two SST samples were prepared. A slit was fabricated in each sample to allow an optical fiber to be embedded. In the first sample, a 10-mm-long single grating element was inserted into the slit. In the second sample, three grating elements of 10-mm length each were put into the slit. These grating elements were fabricated along a single-mode fiber and could be addressed individually using the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique. Finally, the samples were recoated with a primary and secondary coating to form an embedded sensing system. When the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape is subjected to torsion, there is a strain induced in the FBG sensor, which varies the grating period accordingly. It was interrogated using a tunable laser in a WDM scheme. Based on the wavelength shift and the photoelastic properties of the FBG sensor embedded to the HTS tape, the torsional deformation of the HTS tape can be obtained. In this paper, the design and technology requirements to embed the single and WDM FBG sensors into the coated conductors are presented. Initial experiments to measure the torsional strain distribution at 77 K are reported.

We demonstrate diagnosis of several machine-condition failures using wide-frequency-band interrogation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. In collaboration with Israel's national water company Mekorot Ltd., a scaled-down version of a semi-submerged pumping system was constructed. By monitoring broadband signals from DC to ultrasound (>M H z), at different points of the engine and the submersed pump, the system was able to diagnose incipient cavitation, faulty bearings, and submerged dynamic water-level measurements. In addition, a metal embedded FBG sensor was investigated, revealing the potential of using FBGs in applications where bonding is problematic such as bearing housing. These results prove that wideband data acquisition, together with advanced analytics, could open a variety of new applications in the fields of structural health and machine-condition monitoring.

The purpose of this paper is to review the application of various fiber-optic and optical sensor technologies in structural health monitoring (SHM) for detecting and measuring mechanical strains and stresses. As is known, fiber optic sensors have low operating costs and small dimensions compared with traditional sensors based on electrical and thermal effects, therefore, they are gradually becoming one of the most promising areas of development of sensor technologies for monitoring structural systems. This paper presents the basic operating principles of several widely used fiber optic sensor types (e.g., based on the Fabry-Perot interferometer, Bragg diffraction, reflectometry, etc.), and describes the experience of using fiber optic sensors in monitoring various physical parameters and demonstrates the possibilities of using fiber optic sensors in structural systems such as bridges, overpasses, tunnels, buildings, etc. It is shown that two types of sensors have found the greatest application for measuring and detecting mechanical deformations in building structures: sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings, as well as optical reflectometry methods (primarily Brillouin reflectometry). Thus, the specified types of sensors are the most promising and effective in the context of SHM technologies.

Fiber optic sensors (FOS) in long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) have drawn significant attention due to their pivotal role in detecting defects and measuring structural performance in diverse infrastructures. While using FOS, temperature variation due to environmental factors is still considered one of the major challenges to isolating sensing parameters. To address this issue, we reported a machine learning (ML)-augmented multi-parameter sensing system that enables simultaneous detection of strain and temperature effects based on one single fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) sensor for SHM. The initial phase entailed designing, fabricating, and characterizing a novel FBG sensor in the laboratory, incorporating a set of four FBGs, each distinguished by distinct Bragg wavelengths. In the next phase, ML algorithms are employed to separate temperature effects from strain variations. As a proof of concept, mechanical loading tests are conducted on the sensor, exposing the FBG portion to various temperature conditions. In the final phase, data collected from a post-tensioned concrete bridge embedded with both strain and temperature FBG sensors are utilized, and the developed ML models are applied to observe real-environment outcomes. Despite the limited feature points of collected FBG spectrums, the developed ML models effectively address cross-sensitivity issues induced by temperature perturbations. The long-term benefit of using FOS is that it will enable a better understanding and utilization of aging infrastructure. This will potentially reduce embodied carbon of infrastructure in the future and assist in the global efforts to achieve Net-Zero.

Railway tracks are the direct supporting structures of the trains, which are vulnerable to produce large deformation under the temperature stress or subgrade settlement. The health status of track is critical, and the track should be routinely monitored to improve safety, lower the risk of excess deformation and provide reliable maintenance strategy. In this paper, the distributed optical fiber sensor was proposed to monitor the continuous deformation of the track. In order to validate the feasibility of the monitoring method, two deformation monitoring tests on one steel rail model in laboratory and on one real railway tack in outdoor were conducted respectively. In the model test, the working conditions of simply supported beam and continuous beam in the rail model under several concentrated loads were set to simulate different stress conditions of the real rail, respectively. In order to evaluate the monitoring accuracy, one distributed optical fiber sensor and one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor were installed on the lower surface of the rail model, the strain measured by FBG sensor and the strain calculated from FEA were taken as measurement references. The model test results show that the strain measured by distributed optical fiber sensor has a good agreement with those measured by FBG sensor and FEA. In the outdoor test, the real track suffered from displacement and temperature loads. The distributed optical fiber sensor installed on the rail can monitor the corresponding strain and temperature with a good accuracy.

We report on the use of a frequency-rnodulated continuous wave (FMCW) technique for multiplexing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. This technique is based on the modulation of light intensity from a broadband source by a linear swept-frequency RF carrier. Signals from the FBG sensors located at different positions in an array are separated in frequency-domainand demodulated using a tunable optical filter. The potential and limitation of the technique are discussed. A 3-sensor FMCWmultiplexed FBG array of parallel topology and a 6-sensor hybrid FMCWIWDM system were experimentally demonstratedwith -30 dB crosstalk between sensors and 2 tc resolution in terms ofroot-mean-square strain value.Keywords: optical fiber sensors, fiber Bragg grating sensors, frequency-modulated continuous wave, strain measurements. 1. Introduction Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) have been identified as an enabling technology for a variety of applications from aerospace, marine, to civil engineering structural monitoring, from medical, nuclear power industry, to electrical power industry[1]. In many applications such as condition monitoring of civil structures such as highways, bridges and buildings. FBG sensorsneed to be multiplexed in order to achieve quasi-distributed measurement and to reduce cost per sensing point to compete withconventional electrical or optical sensors.The most popular technique for multiplexing FBG sensors is the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique[2,3]. The maximum sensor number that can be multiplexed using the WDM technique is determined by the ratio ofthe sourcespectral width over the spacing between the Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs. For applications requiring a larger multiplexinggain, a combination ofthe WDM and time-division multiplexing (TDM) techniques [3] may be used.A TDM system employs a pulsed or gated CW source to illuminate gratings in sequence as the pulse travels along thefiber, the reflected signals from the gratings are separated in time domain [4]. The physical separation between the gratings isdetermined by the input pulse width. A fast time-gated photodetector can be used to select the signal from an individual grating

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) immune and light-weight, fiber-optic sensor based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) will find increasing application in aerospace structures ranging from aircraft wings to jet engine vanes. Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) has been developing multi-functional fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor systems including parallel processing FBG interrogators combined with advanced signal processing for SHM, structural state sensing and load monitoring applications. This paper reports work with Auburn University on embedding and testing FBG sensor arrays in a quarter scale model of a T38 composite wing. The wing was designed and manufactured using fabric reinforced polymer matrix composites. FBG sensors were embedded under the top layer of the composite. Their positions were chosen based on strain maps determined by finite element analysis. Static and dynamic testing confirmed expected response from the FBGs. The demonstrated technology has the potential to be further developed into an autonomous onboard system to perform load monitoring, SHM and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of composite aerospace structures (wings and rotorcraft blades). This platform technology could also be applied to flight testing of morphing and aero-elastic control surfaces.

An interrogation scheme based on wavelength-to-time mapping to achieve ultrafast, high-precision, and large dynamic range interrogation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The wavelength-to-time mapping, also called temporal self-imaging effect, is realized in the optical domain, using a dispersive element that has a large group velocity dispersion. For a practical dispersive element, higher order dispersions exist, which makes the wavelength-to-time mapping nonlinear. Thus, an interrogation system based on wavelength-to-time mapping without considering the high-order dispersion would reduce the interrogation accuracy. In this paper, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a mathematical model that incorporates higher order dispersion to achieve an accurate wavelength-to-time mapping is developed, which is then verified by a numerical simulation. An FBG-based strain sensor interrogated based on the developed wavelength-to-time mapping scheme is experimentally investigated. The system has a sampling speed of 48.6 MHz, a dynamic range as large as 20 nm, and a sensing accuracy as high as 0.87 ?? for a single-shot measurement.

The objective of this research is the construction of a structural health monitoring system that uses fiber Bragg grating (FBG) to determine the health of structures. We develop fast FBG interrogator for real-time measurement of the reflected wavelength of a multipoint FBG to monitor the broadband vibration of a structure. This FBG interrogator, which combines a wavelength-swept laser and a real-time measurement system is capable of measuring wavelength within a standard deviation of 2×10 -3 nm or less. We have demonstrated that the FBG interrogator is able to measure vibration that has a resonance frequency of 440 Hz at intervals of 0.1 ms with a multipoint FBG.

A review of our recent work on ultrahigh resolution optical fiber sensors in the quasi-static region is presented, and their applications in crustal deformation measurement are introduced. Geophysical research such as studies on earthquake and volcano requires monitoring the earth’s crustal deformation continuously with a strain resolution on the order of nano-strains (nɛ) in static to low frequency region. Optical fiber sensors are very attractive due to their unique advantages such as low cost, small size, and easy deployment. However, the resolution of conventional optical fiber strain sensors is far from satisfactory in the quasi-static domain. In this paper, several types of recently developed fiber-optic sensors with ultrahigh resolution in the quasi-static domain are introduced, including a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogated with a narrow linewidth tunable laser, an FBG based fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) sensor by using a phase modulation technique, and an FFPI sensor with a sideband interrogation technique. Quantificational analyses and field experimental results demonstrated that the FBG sensor can provide nano-order strain resolution. The sub-nano strain resolution was also achieved by the FFPI sensors in laboratory. Above achievements provide the basis to develop powerful fiber-optic tools for geophysical research on crustal deformation monitoring.

Fiber optic sensors based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology have been successfully adopted for sensor measurements for almost two decades. The advantages offered by FBG sensors, such as Electro-Magnetic Interference immunity and inherent intrinsic safety, provide motivation for the development of a commercial measurement platform. With the development of an FBG Fabry-Perot cavity, a sensor with sub-picometer spectral width allows for a factor of 1000 times improvement in strain measurement. This thesis presents the development of a highly-accurate optical measurement platform based on the FBG Fabry-Perot cavity and Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) laser locking technique that is demonstrated through the development of an optical torque sensor. With the fiber optic sensor designed as per the PDH requirements, the platform achieved a measurement accuracy of +/-0.015% of the full-scale torque value of 188N∙m. With the platform at ~$2,000, a successful demonstration of the platform and a fiber optic torque sensor is presented.

Recently, it has become necessary to develop a monitoring technology that combines an FBG (fiber Bragg grating) sensor as a means for continuously monitoring whether the reinforcing effect of an FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) is maintained on FRP-reinforced structural members. However, most existing research focuses on the insertion of FBG sensors into bar-shaped FRPs, and there is a lack of studies that analyze the details for an FRP strip combined with FBG sensors. In this regard, this paper seeks to develop a reinforcement for an NSM (near-surface-mounted) retrofit in which an optical fiber with an FBG sensor is combined with FRP strips. For this, a series of experiments were performed to find the adhesive strength of optical fiber-epoxy-FRP interfaces, the tensile strength of the FBG sensor part of optical fiber with a reflection lattice, and the sensing performance depending on the adhesion length between the optical fiber and the FRP strips. As a result of the study, the adhesion length not less than 20 mm in one direction from the center, with a total adhesion length of 40 mm, needs to be secured when the optical fiber with an FBG is attached and fixed between the two FRP strips with epoxy. In addition, it is expected that the proposed model can be used to properly predict the strain transfer of an FRP strip with a fiber optic sensor and can also be utilized when determining optimum dimensions.