Schemes of a fiber-optic multiplexing sensor array based on a 3 X 3 star coupler

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics and Photonics
• Fiber Optic Sensing Technology
• Interferometry

Background:

• Quasi-distributed sensing systems are crucial for structural health monitoring.
• Traditional methods may lack precision in absolute length measurement for complex sensor networks.
• Fiber-optic sensors offer advantages in harsh environments and for remote sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel Michelson-based fiber-optic low-coherence interferometric sensing system.
• To enable absolute length measurement within a quasi-distributed sensor array.
• To demonstrate the system's utility for strain distribution and deformation sensing.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a Michelson interferometer configuration with a fiber-optic 3x3 star coupler.
• Implementing a low-coherence interferometric approach for signal discrimination.
• Configuring the fiber-optic sensors in various architectures (linear, twin, loop arrays).

Main Results:

• Experimental demonstration of a six-sensor array.
• Successful absolute length measurement capability within the sensor array.
• Validation of the system for strain distribution measurement.

Conclusions:

• The proposed fiber-optic sensing system effectively achieves absolute length measurement in quasi-distributed sensor arrays.
• This technology is highly suitable for strain distribution and deformation sensing in smart structures.
• The system's flexible architecture supports diverse sensor array configurations.