Strain event detection using a double-pulse technique of a Brillouin scattering-based distributed optical fiber...

Area of Science:

• Fiber optic sensing
• Distributed strain and temperature measurement
• Nonlinear optics

Background:

• Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) enables distributed strain/temperature sensing in optical fibers.
• Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) is a prevalent SBS-based sensing technique.
• Improving spatial resolution in BOTDA typically requires shorter pulses, which reduces signal power and dynamic range.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel double-pulse technique for enhancing BOTDA spatial resolution.
• To investigate the impact of the double-pulse method on measurement accuracy and dynamic range.
• To demonstrate improved event resolution capabilities in distributed fiber optic sensing.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a double-pulsed pump light configuration in BOTDA.
• Experimental validation of the double-pulse technique's performance.
• Comparative analysis of event resolution and dynamic range with conventional single-pulse methods.

Main Results:

• The double-pulse technique successfully enhanced spatial resolution by approximately twofold.
• The improved resolution allowed for better discrimination of closely spaced events.
• No degradation in the dynamic range was observed when using the double-pulsed pump light.

Conclusions:

• The proposed double-pulse technique offers a significant advancement for BOTDA systems.
• This method effectively addresses the trade-off between spatial resolution and dynamic range.
• Enhanced resolution in BOTDA is achievable without compromising overall sensing performance.