Sadraj

Moderna fizika
i primjene u elektrotehnici

Uvod u svjetlovodne sustave

Nove vrste svjetlovoda
Optiki svjetlovodni senzori

Zvonimir ipu
ipu

Classical technology

Classical technology
Classical electrical sensors

How to monitor
a civil structure
like this bridge?

Classical monitoring
technology:
- electro-mechanical

sensors
- power lines and
consumption meter
- UTP lines

Problems:
- limited length
- noise

Fiber optic technology

Final goal - Remote sensor system

Fiber-optic monitoring
technology:

up to 20km

- long sensing distances

Embedded
computer

- no additional power
lines needed

Public
network
Monitoring
and
control

sensing optical fiber

Office in
Zagreb

Classical or fiber optic technology?

Introduction
Fiber optic sensor system:
Laser
source
Signal
processing
+ display
unit

Classical technology is mature and cheap.

New fiber optic technology is still more expensive
(the prices of optical components are constantly
falling down).
However, with fiber optic technology one can obtain
sensors sytems that are possible to built only with
optical technology.

Fiber

+
OS

Optical
sensor
+
OD
ESP.G&D

Detector

The same structure as for the optical communication system!

Basic principle of fiber sensors

Basic principle of fiber sensors

Extrinsic fiber sensor

Intrinsic fiber sensor

Environmental
signal
Optical fiber

Input fiber
Output
fiber

Optical sensor

Optical fiber carry a light beam to and from a black box.

The black box modulates the light beam in response to
an environment effect.

Distributed spatial distribution of the measurement locations:

optoelectronic
unit

V i (I)

optical channel & transducer

Quasi-distributed spatial distribution of the measurement

locations:
V o (n)

V i (n=0)

The light beam is modulated inside the fiber in response

to an environment effect.

Why fiber-optic sensors?

Basic principle of fiber sensors

V o (I)

Environmental
signal

V i (n=1)

optoelectronic
unit
V i (n=k)
optical channel & transducer

Advantages of fiber-optic technology:

Light weight and small size
Inherent immunity against electromagnetic fields and highvoltages
Safety & environmental benefits
No fero-resonances, no open secondary circuits, no distance
power supply
The distance to the measuring point can be great
(in kilometers).
A large number of sensors can be integrated using multiplexing
and interrogation techniques in the photonic domain.

High accuracy over wide dynamic range

Wide bandwidth from DC to THz

Development process
Which magnitude
to be measured?

Which technology
would be suitable?

Methodology for
denominating
optical sensors

Which modulation
technique?

How should the variable

be determined spatially?

What should the optical

transducer device be like?

Intensity Modulated Fiber Optic Sensors

Basic structures:
Reflection type

Example:
Intensity Modulated Fiber Optic Sensors

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Sensor with vibrating
fiber cantilever:

Pout

fiber

in
Source: broadband
Fiber: multimode is better
Pout is proportional to L
Used as distance, vibration or pressure sensors

VIBRATING FIBER
CANTILEVER

moving
mirror
L

PROTECTIVE
HOUSING

HOLDER

VIBRATING FIBER
CANTILEVER

Pout

Pin

Transmission type

Similar to a movable reflector

Used as strain,vibration or distance sensors

MIRROR

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Sensor response

=0

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Detector

Sensor with vibrating

fiber cantilever
(pictures taken with
microscope):

Measured
vibrations

= distance between fiber cantilever

mirrowed fiber cantilever
= 35m

PROTECTIVE
HOUSING

and

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Detection scheme:
System with referent DC signal.
Spectrum and amplitude of vibrations is determined using FFT

Laser diode 1550nm

Detector

Fiber cantilever
(GIF 625)

Isolator 1550nm

Low-noise
amplifier

Sensor
Coupler 1550nm

2.5 mm

Microcontroller Cortex M3 (LPC1769)

Band-pass
filter

A/D converter

Low-pass filter

A/D converter

Digital signal
processing

28 mm

Detector diode
1550nm

19

Optomehanical vibration sensor

Optomehanical vibration sensor

We are considering sensor realization as an integrated sensor:
Cantilever beam

Measurement of
sensor response:

Seismic mass

Optical sensor
Electromehancal sensor
Input waveguide

Output waveguide
Etched silicon

21

Polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors

The basic principle behind the active pedestrian protection
system is the cladding surface treatment of the fiber:

Polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors

Example: Active pedestrian protection system with lifting hood
(pedestrian protection has to be provided for every new car from 2007):

Macrobend&microbend fiber optic sensors

Measurement of the macrobend losses

Measurement setup:

Macrobending

Microbending

Macrobending - introducing losses since at some

point of the curvature the energy cannot travel at
higher speed than the speed of light in the medium
Microbending - coupling to higher order modes which
are highly attenuated by the optical fiber.

Microbend fiber optic sensors

Pressure-sensitive optical cable (Herga Ltd.)

Fiber optic intruder detector system

Measured macrobend losses:

(measurements: Niko Duki)

Microbend fiber optic sensors

Schematic of application of fiber optic intruder
detector system buried in ground.

Modes in the multimode fiber

Multimode fiber electromagnetic field is a superposition of field
distributions of all guided modes.
The result has a form of a speckle pattern:

Modes in the multimode fiber

Structural vibration sensor - measured results

(vibrations are present)
Nth time step

If the fiber is vibrating, the speckle pattern is changing:

Difference pattern

(N +1)th time step

Structural vibration sensor - measured results

(vibrations are not present)
Nth time step

Structural vibration sensor

Idea to measure vibrations one needs to measure
changes in the speckle pattern!

Difference pattern

n
SAMPLE
AND HOLD

n-1

SAMPLE
AND HOLD

SUBTRACTION
CCD CAMERA
SIGNAL
PROCESSING

(N +1)th time step

Periodical vibrations (3 Hz) measured results

Speckle pattern when periodical vibrations (3 Hz) are present:

Periodical vibrations (3 Hz) measured results

Iout - measured results:

I out =

I i
i

Periodical vibrations (3 Hz) measured results

Spectral analysis (FFT) of measured result Iout :

Example:
Wavelength Modulated Fiber Optic Sensors

Fiber Bragg Grating sensor (FBG)

Fiber Bragg Grating sensor (FBG)

All partially reflected signals are added in phase

if the distance between discontinuities is /2
there is a strong reflected signal.
/2
Light in
Light out
Fiber core

Higher index region

Lower index region
Variation of refraction index

Fiber Bragg Grating sensor (FBG)

Sensor system - the wavelength of the reflected wave
is measured at receiver.
The period of the Bragg grating depends on strain,
temperature, etc. Therefore, by measuring the
wavelength of reflected wave one can determine
the measurand.
FBG
BBS

spectrum
analyzer

physical
measurand

FBG as a strain and temperature sensor

FBG as a strain sensor

FBG as a strain sensor

For a longitudinal strain of , the corresponding

wavelength shift BS will be:

Measuring strain sensitivity

BS = B (1 )
where is the photoelastic coefficient of the fiber.
Strain sensitivities of FBG sensors (Rao et al.)
Wavelength
(m)

Strain
sensitivity
(pm -1)

0.83

0.64

1.3

1.55

1.2

FBG as a temperature sensor

FBG as a temperature sensor

For a temperature change of T, the corresponding

wavelength shift BT will be:

Measuring temperature sensitivity

BT = B (1 + )T
where is the thermo-optic coefficient.
Temperature sensitivities of FBG sensors (Rao et al.)
Wavelength
(m)

Temperature
sensitivity
(pm/C)

0.83

6.8

1.3

10

1.55

13

FBG as a strain and temperature sensor

Temperature only
Temperature & strain

Temperature
dependency

BS = B

[(1 ) + (1 + )T ]

Dependency on temperature
with applied strain 4 m/mm:

Strain and
temperature
dependency

Strain measurement in reinforced concrete structures

System for controling strain
of the steel rope:

Measurement of strain:

Implementation of FBG optical sensors

Implementation of FBG optical sensors

Implementation in
civil engineering:

Bridges
Tunnels
Roads
Dams
Harbor structures
Smart Buildings

Pont Canal, Belgium

SOFO sensors, EPFL (CH)

Implementation of FBG optical sensors

Traffic Monitoring:
Speed monitoring
Weight sensing
Future Vehicle classification,
weight in motion
Combined with video cameras
could allow specific
vehicle identification

Implementation of FBG optical sensors

Siemens optical dynamic strain sensors for power generators
(based on Bragg grating)

(Photos and graphs from Blue Road Research,

Traffic Monitoring Using Fiber Optic Grating Sensors
on the I84 Freeway & Future uses in WIM. www.bluerr.com

Implementation of FBG optical sensors

Siemens optical temperature sensors for power generators
and power lines (based on Bragg grating)

Question:
How to make an optical sensor system
with a reasonable price?

Example: FBG sensor system

Simple FBG sensor system

x

If the price is not important (the most expensive

component is the spectrum analyser):

BBS
FBG

Filter f()

FBG
BBS

Detector

Vsen()

physical
measurand

spectrum
analyzer

Problems: only one FBG sensor, limited accuracy.

FBG sensor system development at FER

Low-cost FBG sensor system

BBS
FBG1

FBG2

FBG3

FBG4

Tunable
filter

Advantages of digital electronics:

Simple way of generating arbitrary wave shape (for tunable filter)
Two step procedure for determining the Bragg wavelength
Simple way of noise reduction (based on digital signal processing).

BBS

Detector

FBG2

FBG1
LP filter

Signal processing

Dither

FBG4

FBG3

Tunable
filter
Detector

Microcontroller Cortex M3 (LPC1769)

Goals:
up to 16 sensors in one fiber
large accuracy
reasonable price.

FBG sensor system development at FER

Low-noise
amplifier
Operational
amplifier

A/D converter
Digital signal
processing
D/A converter

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Proof-of-concept prototype
developed by
Ana Pogajec
Marko prem
Alan Vovk
Ivan Drai-egrt
Marko Bosiljevac
Tin Komljenovi
Dubravko Babi
Zvonimir ipu

3.5
3

Napon [V]

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5

Duration of one measurement cycle: 10 ms.

0
0

500

1000

1500
2000
Vrijeme [uzorci]

2500

3000

3500

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Napon na filtru
Napon iz optikog
mjeraa snage

Maks. napon
Reetke 3

2.5
Napon (V)

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

2
Maks. napon
Reetke 1

1.5

Maks. napon
Reetke 2

1
0.5

1.366

1.368
1.37
Broj mjerenja

1.372

1.374
5

x 10

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Practical problems
Tunable filter is
extremely sensitive
on enviromental
changes!

Upravljaki napon na promjenjivom filtru [V]

2
1.8
FBG1
FBG2
FBG3

1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8

30

40

50

60
70
o
Temperatura [ C]

80

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

90

100

Difference between
FBG responses
is NOT sensitive
on enviromental
changes!

Razlika napona
napona na
na promjenjivom
promjenjivom filtru za dvije reetke [V]
Razlika

0
1.364

1
0.9
Razlika
Razlika tree
tree ii druge
drugereetke
reetke
Razlika
Razlika druge
druge ii prve
prvereetke
reetke
Razlika
Razlika tree
tree ii prve
prvereetke
reetke

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
30

40

50
50

60
70
60
70
oo
Temperatura
Temperatura [[ C]
C]

80
80

90
90

100
100

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Practical problems:
Due to presence of
noise there is an error
in determining the
Bragg wavelength.

70
Elektriki izmjereno
FBG3 je referentna
FBG1 je referentna

65

Temperatura [ C]

60

Practical problems
Due to presence of
noise there is an error
in determining the
Bragg wavelength.

55
50
45
40
35
30

50

100
Vrijeme [uzorci]

150

200

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Convolution method for noise reduction :

Convolution method for noise reduction :

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

FBG sensor system with tunable filter

Final testing
dynamic sensor response on change of temperature:

32
Optiki senzor - bez usrednjavanja
Optiki senzor - usrednjeno
Elektrini senzor

31
30

Temperatura [ C]

29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22

10

20
30
Vrijeme [uzorci]

40

50

Cyclic averaging of last N samples:

heating of sensor

Example monitoring of tunnels

Fire alarm systems in tunnels:

Monitoring

Example: Distributed Optical Sensors

sensing optical fiber

OTDR
- Instrument for monitoring fiber networks

OTDR - block diagram

optical pulse

OTDR - Optical Time Domain Reflectometer

In principle, OTDR is optical radar.
The test pulse is launched into the fiber, and the return
signal is due to

beam splitter
Rayleigh backscatter

laser

Rayleigh backscattering (scattering from microscopic

fluctuations in material density)
reflections

fiber

pulser
detector
trigger pulse

From pulse delay time one can determine the distance

of event.
oscilloscope

Raman scattering

Typical OTDR trace

When photons are scattered from an atom or molecule, most

photons are elastically scattered (Rayleigh scattering), and such
scattered photons have the same energy (frequency) as the
incident photons.
A small fraction of the scattered photons has different frequency,
usually lower than the incident photons:
virtual energy state(3)

h 32

h13

(2)
basic energy state (1)

76

Raman scattering

Raman OTDR
(3)

h13

h 32

(3)

(2)

h13

Raman OTDR
based on non-linear spontaneous Raman scattering.

h 32

The ratio of anti-Stokes intensity to Stokes intensity:

(2)

I a s a4 s
h
= 4 exp

Is
s
kT

(1)
(1)

Incident photons produce an oscillating polarization in the

molecules, exciting them to a virtual energy state. The
Raman interaction leads to two possible outcomes:
the material absorbs energy and the emitted photon has a
lower energy than the absorbed photon. This outcome is
labeled Stokes Raman scattering.
the material loses energy and the emitted photon has a
higher energy than the absorbed photon. This outcome is
labeled anti-Stokes Raman scattering.

Raman scattering spectrum:

Stokes

I
anti-Stokes

77

a-s

Raman OTDR

Raman OTDR

System diagram for Raman OTDR:

optical pulse

Typical temperature versus distance display:

wavelength
selective coupler
Raman backscatter

laser

fiber

pulser
trigger
pulse

detector
0-

detector
0+

oscilloscope

Final goal - Remote sensor system

bridges
Interrogation
unit

ic
bl rk
Pu two
ne

Interrogation
unit
Interrogation
unit

power
generators

power
lines