Fiber optic sensor solutions have created new opportunities in general industry applications. The fiber optic sensors (temperature, pressure, deformation, and displacement) are designed to deliver precise measurements in harsh environments and in the case of electromagnetic interference, magnetic resonance imaging, radiofrequency, microwave, and high voltage applications.
The greatest advantages of the fiber optic sensors are its inert material. It is also an optimum transducer for use in harsh environments, like in geotechnical applications.
Fiber optic sensors more and more are attracting attraction in the aerospace and defense due to resistance to chemical corrosion, high pressure, high voltage, and lighting environments. Its lightweight and small size permit weight reduction on different monitoring areas and the capacity of long-range operation still conserving high sensitivity and large bandwidth ensuring a long term reliable monitoring.
Chemistry and food are both often related to microwave radiation. Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor crystal is non-conductive, offers high temperature operating capability, they are suitable for microwave heated installations chemical digestion under pressure and temperature conditions. A fiber optic sensor can also be used in the food industry where microwaves are used in new product development to identify precise safe and effective cooking temperatures and time.
The inherent benefits of fiber optic point sensing technology for structural health monitoring applications. In addition, they are not affected by the external environment, large temperature variation, transversal strain, or lightning.
The renewable energy market is developing quite rapidly over the last years. With wind farms or hydrokinetic systems, there is a big need for low maintenance monitoring systems that are reliable and stable for a long period. With the property of being immune to EMI and insensitive to lightning strikes, it makes it a great fit for the growing renewable energy market.
The fiber optic sensing system is the ideal solution for monitoring well pressure and temperature in thermal recovery applications like steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) or cyclic steam stimulation (CSS). The FBG sensors can be used in coiled or production tubing in production and injection wells giving accurate properly measurements for reservoir surveillance, process optimization, or pump control.
In-situ and continuous monitoring of the pressure in the producing for the better understanding of the reservoir condition FBG sensors rapidly detect steam breakthrough and efficiently diagnose changes in the reservoir. Optimization of the production process forces the oil recovery rate and reduces the operating costs associated with steam injection and oil recovery. A fiber optic sensing solution is offered in both single and multiple-point configurations. Hence, it gives the operators a large choice of real-time monitoring from monitoring well pumps to profiling a producing well. The application “downhole pressure and temperature measurement solution” is only one example of what is possible with fiber optic technology. The fiber optic measurement solutions are custom made according to the requirements.