Tag: fiber optic sensing system

Fiber optic sensors for ammonia detection

FBG sensors for ammonia detection A team of scientists from Denmark in a collaboration with chemical engineers has presented novel accurate fiber optic sensors. They allow for significantly decreasing the level of air pollution. The operating principle of this fiber sensor is based on modern telecom technology. It helps to detect and measure ammonia in the atmosphere by the sensing system, a laser, and hollow-core optical fibers.

To be more precise, the fiber optic system provides continuous ammonia monitoring for agricultural application. Additionally, the fiber optic sensor can be created at a pretty low cost. The benefits of fiber sensors such as compact size, high reliability, and low cost meet the requirements of a portable system for detecting ammonia.

It should be noted that such a fiber optic technology is still under development. The thing is that the sensitivity of the fiber sensor requires improvements, which scientists try to perform. Even though the main purpose of the new sensing system is ammonia detection, it is possible to use fiber optic sensors for the detection of other gases, for instance, greenhouse gases.

Moreover, fiber optic technology operates as a part of one agricultural project. In this project, scientists develop new techniques and technology to measure and reduce air pollution from the agricultural sector. Nowadays the agricultural sector is considered to be the main contributor to air pollution (mainly caused by ammonia). Therefore, agricultural pollution is the biggest environmental issue that requires efficient fiber sensors.

The thing is that now ammonia emissions are challenging to measure at the farm level. Compared to novel fiber optic sensors, traditional systems for ammonia detection have a high cost. Fiber optic technology is very promising with great prospects for agriculture. “The ability to continuously and cost-effectively track the development in ammonia emissions from agriculture offers completely new opportunities for the industry to experiment on decreasing the emissions.”

Scientists claim that there are already established figures considering air pollution from agriculture. Nevertheless, the future potential of fiber optic sensors may greatly transform the detection way of ammonia caused by agricultural farms. The new fiber optic technology promotes farmers to control their emissions continuously.

Finally, precise monitoring of ammonia emissions provided by sensing systems makes streamline operations far better. Thus, fiber sensors lead to emissions-based regulations that help reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. The development of these fiber optic sensors will continue until the next year.

Optromix is a fast-growing vendor of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) product line such as fiber Bragg grating sensors, for example, fbg strain sensors, FBG interrogators and multiplexers, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems, Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems. The company creates and supplies a broad variety of fiber optic solutions for monitoring worldwide. If you are interested in structural health monitoring systems and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com

Fiber optic sensors for metal ions detection

FBG sensor for metal detection Fluorescent fiber optic sensors find their popularity in online and in-situ detection of metal ions. These fiber sensors allow for predicting and preventing the environmental problems caused by the ions. To be more precise, this type of sensor is different from refractometer-based ones. The fluorescent fiber optic sensors have a simple structure and their properties play a crucial role in sensing performance.

It should be noted that metal ions cause heavy metal pollution resulting in significant harm to the environment and people. Nowadays metal pollution is regarded as a serious worldwide problem. Therefore, the problem requires quick and effective sensing systems to determine the level of metal ions pollution. The use of fiber optic sensors is a perfect solution.

Some researchers propose the use of fluorescent materials in the new fiber sensors. They claim that fluorescent optical fibers enable them to transmit valuable data for real-time sensing process. Additionally, these fiber optic sensors offer such advantages as long-life span and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The is the main reason why fluorescence sensing systems are ideal in field and emergency analysis.

The design of the fluorescent fiber sensors includes “an excitation light source, an optical fiber with the sensor probe, a spectrometer, and a computer.” The operating principle is based on the excitation light that expands along the fiber and the fiber optic sensor to obtain a fluorescent response back. Moreover, the researchers confirm that some biomaterials can collect heavy metal ions.

Thus, it is possible to apply their derivatives as fluorescent sensing systems. Recently researchers have created several fiber sensors based on fluorescent materials to detect metal ions that include the following:

Protein labeled sensing systems

It is not a novel type of fiber optic sensor, it has appeared almost 20 years ago. Protein labeled sensors do not depend on the fluorescent membrane and only transmit the light.

Nucleic acid-based fiber sensors

These sensors provide a high level of sensitivity and specificity. Also, nucleic acid-based sensing systems are very promising for on-site environmental monitoring.

Luminescent nanomaterials-based fiber optic sensors

Even though they have more benefits than other types, these sensors demonstrate high selectivity at a minority of metal ions.

Finally, the mentioned above fiber optic solutions are very potential for the detection of metal ions, for example, in environmental water samples. Nevertheless, the sensing system is not ideal and has some problems to be overcome.

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Fiber Bragg grating sensors measure physical factors

FBG sensors for physical factors Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) has quickly become popular in fiber optics, and now it is impossible to imagine the absence of fiber optic sensing systems based on FBG technology. Researchers prefer to use fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensing because of its benefits, for instance, compact size, fast response, distributed sensing, and immunity to the electromagnetic field.

To be more precise, FBG technology finds its wide application in measurements of different physical factors (pressure, temperature, and strain for civil engineering, industrial engineering, military, maritime, and aerospace applications). Herewith, structural health monitoring of engineering and civil structures plays a crucial role now that can be easily carried out with fiber Bragg grating sensors.

It should be noted that the grating types of FBG include uniform, long, chirped, tilted, or phase-shifted (that has periodic perturbation of refractive index inside the core of the optical fiber). The development of fiber optic systems has greatly changed almost all areas of communication technology. Nowadays fiber optic sensors are widely used in the measurement of strain, refractive index, the vibration of structures and machines, electric current, voltage, impedance, temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.

Despite the crucial advancement in fiber optics, integration of optical mirrors, partial reflector, and wavelength filters provide numerous difficulties because of the complexity and high cost of fiber optic systems. Nonetheless, FBG technology allows overcoming all these challenges because fiber Bragg grating can offer the function of reflection, dispersion, and filtering required for sensing applications.

Ever since its development, fiber Bragg grating sensors have obtained much attention because they offer numerous benefits, for example, pretty low cost, compact size, real-time response, high precision, high sensitivity, and independence to electromagnetic interference. Moreover, FBG sensors are considered to be very promising in measuring physical parameters.

Modern applications of fiber Bragg grating sensors include such areas as “high-temperature sensors, health and biomedical devices, structural engineering, industries, biochemical applications, radioactive environment, aerospace, maritime and civil engineering, and many other fields.” Additionally, FBG sensors rapidly moved from research laboratories to actual installation in fiber optic systems.

Finally, it is very difficult to think of fiber optic sensors without employing fiber Bragg gratings due to its attractive parameters, which make them a highly advanced technology in the sensing field. The combination of FBG technology with other systems, in turn, will lead to the overall enhancement of sensor design in terms of sensitivity, performance, cost, and size.

Optromix is a fast-growing vendor of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) product line such as fiber Bragg grating sensors, FBG interrogators and multiplexers, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems, Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems. The company creates and supplies a broad variety of fiber optic solutions for monitoring worldwide. If you are interested in structural health monitoring systems and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com

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Fiber optic sensors began to be widely used in space

fiber optic sensors in space Members of NASA claim that they plan to test an enhanced fiber optic sensing system that allows performing thousands of measurements along the optical fiber about the thickness of a human hair for application in space. Herewith, such a promising fiber optic technology can control spacecraft systems during missions to the Moon and landings on Mars.

To be more precise, the system based on fiber optic sensors has been designed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to obtain strain and other measurement data for aircraft. The researchers adapted the fiber optic system for application in space, where its potential uses contain temperature and strain information essential for space flight safety.

It should be noted that four fiber optic sensing systems are planned to test in space during five months, herewith, such tests carried out will demonstrate whether space fiber optic sensors can pass the hard conditions of a rocket launch. The thing is that rockets and spacecraft are considered to be highly complex systems and they have a myriad of various factors to be measured that is why NASA plans to keep the first applications of space fiber optic systems simple.

The new fiber optic technology based on space-rated sensors enables us to measure distributed temperatures on the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test. The aim of the aeroshell of the fiber optic system is to slow down and protect heavy payloads from the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry. Additionally, the fiber optic sensors monitor temperatures on the backside of the inflatable decelerator, therefore, the researchers “are working on space optical fiber experiment that will travel as a self-contained experiment on a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program.”

The opportunities provided by fiber optic technology also include the decrease of the heat produced by the unit’s electronics and by way of conduction, or moving the heat away from the unit, because of a lack of air in space. The fiber optic system is regarded as self-contained and essentially ready for plug and play application. The thing is that the operating principle of the system is based on fiber optic sensors that can endure severe conditions to measure distributed temperatures in a cryogenic environment that play a crucial role.

NASA is also developing a compact, economically, and hardly fiber optic sensing system version. Thus, the new fiber optic technology based on a temperature-tuned laser is used to overcome the challenges. The researchers continue improving the production techniques of fiber optic sensors and discussing performing a potential test of the sensors at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California to support the study of the new fiber optic technology.

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The use of fiber optic sensing solutions on active warships

FBGs for active warships The researchers from NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center form a partnership with members of the Naval Surface Warfare Center to create fleet maintenance capabilities with the help of new fiber optic sensing systems. Thus, the development of novel highly promising fiber optic sensing solutions becomes possible.

The thing is that fiber optic technology is considered to be one of the most essential and promising techniques, and the cooperation of the mentioned above organizations may help to find the solution to all current challenges. Herewith, there was a project of Remote Environmental and Condition Monitoring Systems that could be restarted again with the help of new possibilities of optical fiber technology offered by companies.

The main function of fiber optic sensing systems is the record of every parameter. For example, today fiber optic sensors are applied for monitoring temperature, relative humidity, shock, and vibration. Future fiber optic applications include the monitoring of hypergolic propellant fuels, liquid detection, contamination, radiation, strain, and electric and magnetic fields.

Fiber optic sensing solutions allow fulfilling a need to control high valued assets applying fiber optic sensing technology that can be installed with live ordnance. Moreover, the fiber optic sensing system was tested on a self-defense test ship before its installation on real warships.

Such fiber optic technology enables us to increase confidence in real-time fiber optic applications on active warships and ensure sensing systems are ready before future improvements. This optical fiber sensing system contains as many fiber optic sensors as possible to develop a new project that allows demonstrating and detecting main challenges in a relatively short time.

The Office of Naval Research offers fiber optic sensing solutions that are able to monitor, identify, and forecast the health of most critical components, hot spots, fatigue, and damage-prone parts of weapon systems in a reliable and economical way.

Such fiber optic technology may enhance sensing systems while cutting the maintenance cost, current parts life, and new materials. The advantages of fiber optic sensing solutions are based on the application of lightweight, compact fiber optic sensors compared to traditional big, heavy, and hard resisting gages.

Finally, the researchers from NASA developed fiber Bragg Grating or FBG (a fiber optic sensor that reflects certain wavelength and sends all others), as well as two techniques they apply in their fiber optic sensing systems: conventional Wavelength Division Multiplexing and unique FBG Interrogation Technology called the Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry.

If you want to obtain a highly efficient 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 FBG sensors and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com

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NASA offers collaboration to companies providing fiber optic solutions

FBGs in fiber optic solutions The members of NASA company have decided to offer collaboration to companies providing fiber optic sensing solutions for monitoring of structures and asset management. The fact is fiber optic sensing technology unifies advanced optical fiber sensors and innovative algorithms that allow making precise and cost-efficient monitoring of numerous crucial parameters in real-time.

The mentioned abilities of fiber sensing solutions play a significant role in structural health monitoring and tank gauging applications. The following parameters are taken into consideration: position or deformation (2D and 3D displacement, twist, and rotation), the level of stiffness (bending, torsion, and vibration), operational loads (bending moments, shear loads, and torques), magnetic fields (different defects in safety-critical structures made from metal materials), and stress/strength parameters such as pressure or fatigue and breakage prediction.

Moreover, fiber optic sensing systems enable to provide not only the structural health monitoring of a tank but optical fiber technology is able to sense the inventory of the tank: for example, the level of the tank’s content, evaporation rate, temperature (that can varies from cryogenic up to 300 degrees Celsius), and stratification (oil vs. water, sediment vs. liquid, and thermal layers).

Fiber optic sensing solutions offer numerous advantages that include:

low cost opening new fields of application across industries;
low power consumption of fiber sensors due to highly efficient algorithms and high-speed processing platform enabling quick data processing and real-time analysis;
fast speed and high level of efficiency;
precise and adaptive fiber optic technology because of the ability of optical fiber sensors to automatically increase resolution where/when needed;
easy installation of fiber device;
high reliability of operation even in humid/liquid environments and harsh temperature conditions.

The numerous abilities of fiber optic sensing systems create a potential solution for a myriad range of monitoring applications. Structural health monitoring and integrity, tang gauging, active control, safety and protection area, non-destructive evaluation, and medical usage refer to potential optical fiber applications.

The principle of fiber sensor operation is based on the use of fiber Bragg grating sensors that are installed in an optical fiber at intervals as small as 0.25 inches (0.64 cm). Finally, such a fiber optic sensing system allows monitoring strain, stresses, structural instabilities, temperature distributions, and numerous other engineering parameters in real-time with a single instrumentation system which weight is less than 10 pounds (4.54 kg). Herewith, the fiber optic solution is able to differentiate between liquid and gas states in a tank or other container, offering precise measurements.

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