POLYMER COATED OPTICAL FIBER

• US 20190317273A1
• Filed: 06/21/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonoro, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sonoro, LLC
• Inventors: Racosky, Michael, Briggs, William, Demetz, Fred, Hull, John, Jalilian, Seyed Ehsan
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/106 Single coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/1065 Multiple coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/18 Extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/26 Macromolecular compounds or prepolymers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/285 Acrylic resins
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/323 Polyesters, e.g. alkyd resins
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/326 Polyureas; Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/004 using fibre optic sensors light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/048 characterised by the cladding material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02033 Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material G02B1/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02076 Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02395 Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture G02B6/02052, G02B6/02057, G02B6/024, G02B6/032, G02B6/105, G02B6/14 take precedence; coating on fibre gratings G02B6/02104; multilayer core or cladding G02B6/036; reinforcing splice joints G02B6/2558; optical cables, i.e. comprising protective structures external to the protective coating such as a jacket or plural coated optical fibres G02B6/44; coating of glass to obtain optical fibres C03C25/104

Abstract

Coated optical fibers and uses of such fibers as sensors in high temperature and/or high pressure environments. The coated optical fiber has improved sensing properties at elevated pressure and/or temperature, such as enhanced acoustic sensitivity and/or a reduced loss in acoustic sensitivity. The use of the coated optical fibers in various sensing applications that require operation under elevated pressure and/or temperature, such as, acoustic sensors for various geological, security, military, aerospace, marine, and oil and gas applications are also provided.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising:

a coated optical fiber, wherein the coated optical fiber comprises an optical fiber having a polymeric coating, the polymeric coating comprising a thermoset, thermoplastic or UV cured elastomer having a Poisson'"'"'s Ratio of between about 0.350 and about 0.4995, and a shear modulus of between about 20 psi and about 2900 psi;

a light source;

a detector; and

a signal processor.

2. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the thermoset, thermoplastic or UV cured elastomer has a Shore A hardness of between about 20 and about 95.

3. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the Poisson'"'"'s Ratio is less than about 0.490.

4. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a thermoset elastomer that is stable at operating temperatures up to about 300°

C.

5. The sensor system according to claim 4, wherein the thermoset elastomer is a silicone.

6. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a thermoplastic or UV cured elastomer that is stable at operating temperatures up to about 150°

C.

7. The sensor system according to claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a polyester-polyether copolymer.

8. The sensor system according to claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is Hytrel®

3078.

9. The sensor system according to claim 6, wherein the UV cured elastomer is an aliphatic urethane acrylate, aromatic urethane acrylate, an epoxy acrylate, an acrylic acrylate, or a combination thereof.

10. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the coated fiber shows an increased Sensitivity Scale Factor of between about 5 dB and about 60 dB over bare fiber.

11. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in detecting acoustic changes in a channel.

12. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in geological exploration.

13. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in seismic monitoring.

14. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in security monitoring.

15. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in nuclear explosion monitoring or leak detection.

16. The sensor system according to claim 1, for use in temperature measurement.

17. A method of producing a coated optical fiber having an increased Sensitivity Scale Factor of between about 5 dB and about 60 dB over bare fiber, the method comprising coating an optical fiber with a thermoset, thermoplastic or UV cured elastomer, the elastomer having a Poisson'"'"'s Ratio of between about 0.350 and about 0.4995, and a shear modulus of between about 20 psi and about 2900 psi.

18. A system for detecting acoustic changes in a channel, the system comprising:

at least one coated optical fiber;

an interrogator optically coupled to the coated optical fiber; and

a signal processing device in communication with the interrogator,

wherein the coated optical fiber comprises an optical fiber having a polymeric coating, the polymeric coating comprising a thermoset, thermoplastic or UV cured elastomer having a Poisson'"'"'s Ratio of between about 0.350 and about 0.4995, and a shear modulus of between about 20 psi and about 2900 psi.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the channel is a pipeline or a well-bore casing.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the acoustic changes are indicative of a leak in the pipeline or the well-bore casing.