Aircraft Detection Using Phase-Sensitive Optical-Fiber OTDR

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Aviation Safety
• Sensing Technology

Background:

• Aircraft detection is crucial for aviation safety and management.
• Phase-Sensitive Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) is a versatile sensing technology.
• Existing detection methods have limitations in cost, distance, and environmental resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel aircraft detection system utilizing Φ-OTDR technology.
• To analyze the seismic vibration signals generated by aircraft.
• To explore an alternative to traditional runway or airborne detection methods.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a Φ-OTDR based seismic vibration detection system.
• Application of Chebyshev filtering to mitigate noise in vibration signals.
• Utilizing short-time Fourier transform for time-frequency analysis of acoustic signals.

Main Results:

• Aircraft-induced seismic vibrations are predominantly low-frequency (< 5 Hz).
• The system successfully recorded time delays of vibration signals along the optic fiber.
• Time-domain analysis demonstrated the Doppler effect, indicating aircraft approach and departure.

Conclusions:

• Φ-OTDR offers a cost-effective and robust solution for long-distance aircraft detection via seismic vibrations.
• The characterized low-frequency seismic signals and Doppler effect provide valuable data for aircraft monitoring.
• This method presents a unique approach to aviation surveillance by analyzing ground-level vibrations.