Abstract:
An arrangement for monitoring a submarine reservoir comprises a number of sensor units located in an array (1) on the seabed, and an interrogator unit for obtaining data on the reservoir from the sensor units. The interrogator unit comprises a transmitter unit (20) for sending optical signals to the sensor array and a receiver unit for receiving modulated optical signals from the array. Optical radiation from an optical source (22) is transmitted along an uplink optical fibre which is split in a number of positions 36, 38 to form the array. The receiver unit comprises optical - to - electrical converters (54) for converting the optical signals to electrical signals, a phase demodulator (58), a multiplexer (60) for multiplexing signals from the phase demodulator, a signal processor (68) and recording unit (70). The interrogator unit is divided into a concentrator that includes one or more of the splitters and optical - to - electrical converter, phase demodulator etc, and an interrogator hub that includes the optical source.
Abstract:
A fibre-optic package comprises at least two fibre optic devices or components (102, 104, 106, 118, 120, 122, 124) coupled together by fused-fibre coupling. The package typically comprises two or more fibre optic accelerometers, and may be of reduced size compared to fibre-optics packages of the prior art, due to the reduced length of optical fibre required to connect the devices or components.
Abstract:
Demodulation apparatus (150) for demodulating phase-modulated signals comprises a quadrature signal generator (QSG) (157) for generating in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) signals in response to an unmodulated input signal. The QSG provides fast frequency tracking of the input signal and excludes any high-frequency content the input signal.
Abstract:
A vibration sensor for monitoring movement of a surface being a high responsivity accelerometer utilising optical fibre, or some other strain sensing method, mounted on a flexural casing (12), connected to a mass (23) within the casing, which is formed into an elliptically tapered concave cylinder, with a mass (23) depending from one end of it. The movement monitoring area is located by the other end of the device from the mass end. The invention can use optical fibre coils (11) wound around the structure at the mid point of the cylinder in a plane normal to the axis of the cylinder. The device can be used to detect seismic applications.
Abstract:
An optical sensor assembly comprising a plurality of optical fibre sensor coils optically coupled by optical fibre; and an elongate support element, on which said plurality of optical fibre sensor coils and optically coupling optical fibre are mounted is disclosed. The support element has an elastic limit such that when said support element is bent away from the elongate axis, the optical fibre fracture limit is reached before the elastic limit is reached. An array of these optical sensor assemblies, the mandrel on which the sensing coils are mounted and their method of manufacture are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A traffic monitoring system comprises at least one sensor station (2) and an interferometric interrogation system (9); wherein the at least one sensor station (2) comprises at least one optical fibre sensor (5) deployed in a highway (1); and wherein the interferometric interrogation system (9) is adapted to respond to an optical phase shift produced in the at least one optical fibre sensor (5) due to a force applied by a vehicle passing the at least one sensor station (2).
Abstract:
A vibration sensing device, package and system and a method of manufacturing a vibration sensing device are disclosed. The vibration sensing device comprises a body (11) whose geometry is such that it exhibits flextensional properties.
Abstract:
An optical sensor assembly comprising a plurality of optical fibre sensor coils optically coupled by optical fibre; and an elongate support element, on which said plurality of optical fibre sensor coils and optically coupling optical fibre are mounted is disclosed. The support element has an elastic limit such that when said support element is bent away from the elongate axis, the optical fibre fracture limit is reached before the elastic limit is reached. An array of these optical sensor assemblies, the mandrel on which the sensing coils are mounted and their method of manufacture are also disclosed.
Abstract:
The present invention provides an attitude sensing device and method for determining an attitude of a reference axis of a package (50) containing a fibre optic sensor (200). The attitude sensing device comprises an electro-mechanical attitude sensor (210, 215) for generating an electrical signal indicative of the attitude of that attitude sensor, and converter logic for converting the electrical signal into a stimulus signal. A local power source is preferably provided for the electro-mechanical attitude sensor (200, 215) in the converter logic. The stimulus signal is such that the fibre optic sensor (200) is responsive to the stimulus signal to cause a variation in at least one predetermined property of an optical signal transmitted through the fibre optic sensor (200), the attitude of the reference axis being determinable from the variation of the predetermined property. By this approach, it is possible to use the existing fibre optic sensor (200) within the package (50), along with the corresponding existing telemetry and multiplexing system, to recover the information from the electro-mechanical attitude sensor (210, 215).
Abstract:
A traffic monitoring system comprises at least one sensor station (2) and an interferometric interrogation system (9); wherein the at least one sensor station (2) comprises at least one optical fibre sensor (5) deployed in a highway (1); wherein the at least one optical fibre sensor (5) comprises a former (14), an optical fibre (13) wound on the former, a casing (15) and a compliant material (16) provided between the casing and the former; such that the compliant material reduces the sensitivity of the sensor (5); and wherein the interferometric interrogation system (9) is adapted to respond to an optical phase shift produced in the at least one optical fibre sensor due to a force applied by a vehicle passing the at least one sensor station (2).