According to a recent study, the technology of distributed temperature sensing allows demonstrating the mechanical properties of fiber optics under harsh conditions. The fact is that numerous land and undersea oil procedures depend heavily on distributed temperature sensing for providing safety and functionality in severe environments.
Usually, the manufacturers use silica-based fiber optics for distributed temperature sensing and distributed acoustic sensing, where temperature and acoustic signals are transmitted and recorded continuously along the length of fiber sensor cable. Such fiber optic solution for FBG interrogator of 15 km length enables well and pipeline operators to apply fiber-based distributed sensing technology to measure the whole wellbore or pipeline span with a resolution of 1 m or less virtually in real-time.
For example, the technology of distributed temperature sensing with fiber optics is used in the operation of steam-assisted gravity drainage or SAGD technique, in which the main goal is the production of heavy crude oil and bitumen materials. Nevertheless, it is only one example, while distributed temperature sensing has numerous fiber optic applications.
It should be noted that the distributed temperature sensing system monitors the following extreme environments while optical fiber operation: high temperatures and pressures, ionizing radiation, and aggressive chemicals in the environment. However, in order to be applied in such severe conditions, fiber optics have to be highly reliable, while transmitting optical power with a minimum of added signal loss.
Most of the fiber sensor cables used in fiber optic applications contain a silica-based core and cladding because of the silica benefits that include high optical fiber transmission, superior thermal stability, and mechanical reliability. Herewith, the use of a polymer coating in fiber cables provides the mechanical protection of fiber optics and minimization of bend-induced optical attenuation.
The technology of distributed temperature sensing also enables to detect the factors limiting the performance of fiber optic cables at elevated temperatures and/or in aggressive conditions. The most frequent failures for fiber optics are related to added attenuation or loss of mechanical strength. Herewith, failure criteria differ from each other and depend on the type of fiber optic application.
If you want to obtain a highly efficient distributed temperature sensing system, you should choose the Optromix company. Optromix is a manufacturer of innovative fiber optic products for the global market. The company provides the most technologically advanced fiber optic solutions for monitoring worldwide. Optromix is a fast-growing vendor of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) products line such as fiber Bragg grating sensors, FBG interrogators and multiplexers, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems, distributed temperature sensing (DTS) systems. If you are interested in DTS systems and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com