High sensitivity demodulation of a reflective interferometer-based optical current sensor using an optoelectronic...

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Optical Sensing
• Physics

Background:

• Fiber optical current sensors are crucial for electrical power systems.
• Existing sensors face challenges in sensitivity and response speed.
• The Faraday effect offers a non-contact method for current measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel interrogation scheme for fiber optical current sensors.
• To enhance sensor sensitivity and response speed using an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO).
• To utilize a reflective interferometer for improved optical signal processing.

Main Methods:

• An optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based interrogation scheme was developed.
• A reflective interferometer was employed to generate and analyze light waves.
• The Faraday effect was used to induce a magneto-optic phase shift proportional to the current.
• A Mach-Zehnder modulator converted the phase shift into a frequency shift within the OEO loop.

Main Results:

• The proposed scheme demonstrated high sensitivity for current measurement.
• A current sensitivity of 152.5 kHz/A was experimentally achieved.
• The sensor operated effectively within a 0-2.5 A range.
• High-speed response capabilities were inherent to the OEO-based system.

Conclusions:

• The novel OEO-based interrogation scheme offers a promising solution for high-performance fiber optical current sensing.
• The experimental results validate the high sensitivity and effectiveness of the proposed method.
• This technique has potential applications in electrical power monitoring and control systems.