Sensing apparatus and method for detecting strain between fiber bragg grating sensors inscribed into an optical fiber
First Claim
1. A sensing apparatus comprising:
- a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and
a strain detection unit detecting the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor;
wherein the strain detection unit detects the strain on the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the strain on the second fiber Bragg grating sensor in addition to the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensing apparatus and related method for sensing strain between fiber Bragg grating sensors inscribed in an optical fiber. The fiber is inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor. A strain detection unit detects strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor based on the optical propagation time of light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the optical propagation time of light projected into the fiber and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor. More specifically, light projected into the fiber is modulated with an RF signal. A phase change of the RF signal is determined from the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and from the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor. The phase change of the RF signal is related to the optical propagation time of light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first and second fiber Bragg grating sensors. The strain between the first and second fiber Bragg grating sensors is then determined from the detected phase changes.
73 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A sensing apparatus comprising:
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a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and a strain detection unit detecting the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; wherein the strain detection unit detects the strain on the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the strain on the second fiber Bragg grating sensor in addition to the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor.
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2. A sensing apparatus comprising:
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a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and a strain detection unit detecting the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; wherein the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor each have a corresponding Bragg wavelength and reflect light which is at approximately the corresponding Bragg wavelength, the strain detection unit adapted for; projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the first fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the second fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the second fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor, and determining the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor based on the optical propagation time of the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the optical propagation time of the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A sensing apparatus comprising:
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a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and a strain detection unit detecting the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; wherein the fiber is inscribed with a plurality of sequentially arranged fiber Bragg grating sensors and the strain detection unit detects the strain between respective adjacent fiber Bragg grating sensors of the plurality of sequentially arranged fiber Bragg grating sensors.
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8. A sensing apparatus comprising:
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a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor having a corresponding Bragg wavelength and which is effective to reflect light at approximately the corresponding Bragg wavelength, and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor having a corresponding Bragg wavelength and which is effective to reflect light at approximately the corresponding Bragg wavelength; a light source adapted for projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the first fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, and projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the second fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the second fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; a modulator modulating the light projected into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the light projected into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the second fiber Bragg grating sensor, with an RF signal; a phase detector receiving the RF signal as a reference signal and adapted for detecting, with respect to the reference signal, the phase of the RF signal modulated on the light projected into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, and detecting, with respect to the reference signal, the phase of the RF signal modulated on the light projected into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the second fiber Bragg grating sensor and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and a strain computation unit computing the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor from the detected phase of the RF signal modulated on the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the detected phase of the RF signal modulated on the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor.
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9. A method for sensing strain on a fiber, comprising:
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providing a fiber inscribed with a first fiber Bragg grating sensor and a second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and detecting the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; wherein the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor each have a corresponding Bragg wavelength and reflect light which is at approximately the corresponding Bragg wavelength, the method further comprising; projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the first fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the first fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor; projecting light into the fiber at approximately the Bragg wavelength corresponding to the second fiber Bragg grating sensor, effective to cause the light at approximately the Bragg wavelength of the second fiber Bragg grating sensor to be reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor; and determining the strain between the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the second fiber Bragg grating sensor based on the optical propagation time of the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the first fiber Bragg grating sensor and the optical propagation time of the light projected into the fiber and reflected by the second fiber Bragg grating sensor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification