Distributed fibre optic sensing
First Claim
1. A distributed fibre optic sensor comprising an optical source configured to interrogate an optical fibre with optical radiation, a detector configured to detect optical radiation back-scattered from within the fibre and a processor configured to process the detected back-scatter radiation to provide a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of fibre wherein the optical source is configured to launch one or more pulses effecting a first spatial resolution into the optical fibre to perform one or more interrogations of the fibre and to launch one or more pulses effecting a second different spatial resolution into the fibre to perform one or more different interrogations of the fibre and wherein the processor is configured to process said detected backscatter radiation at the first spatial resolution and at the second, different spatial resolution.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a distributed fiber optic sensor (104, 106) having a first spatial resolution (301, 303) and a second, different, spatial resolution (302, 304). The sensor, which may be a distributed acoustic sensor, has an optical source (112) configured to interrogate an optical fiber (104) with optical radiation and a detector (116) configured to detected optical radiation back-scattered from within the fiber. A processor (108) is configured to process the detected back-scatter radiation to provide a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of fiber. The optical source and processor are adapted to provide the first and second spatial resolutions, for instance by changing the duration and/or separation of the optical pulses and analysis bins. The first and second spatial resolutions may be provided sequentially or simultaneously and the spatial resolution used may be varied as part of a default pattern or in response to a detection event.
38 Citations
26 Claims
- 1. A distributed fibre optic sensor comprising an optical source configured to interrogate an optical fibre with optical radiation, a detector configured to detect optical radiation back-scattered from within the fibre and a processor configured to process the detected back-scatter radiation to provide a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of fibre wherein the optical source is configured to launch one or more pulses effecting a first spatial resolution into the optical fibre to perform one or more interrogations of the fibre and to launch one or more pulses effecting a second different spatial resolution into the fibre to perform one or more different interrogations of the fibre and wherein the processor is configured to process said detected backscatter radiation at the first spatial resolution and at the second, different spatial resolution.
- 17. A method of distributed fibre optic sensing comprising the steps of interrogating an optical fibre with optical radiation, detecting optical radiation which is back-scattered from the optical fibre and processing data corresponding to said detected back-scattered radiation to provide a measurement signal from each of a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of said optical fibre wherein the method comprises launching one or more pulses of optical radiation effecting a first spatial resolution into the optical fibre to perform one or more interrogations of the fibre and launching one or more pulses of optical radiation effecting a second different spatial resolution into the fibre to perform one or more different interrogations and said processing step comprises processing data at the first spatial resolution or second spatial resolution respectively.
Specification