Sensor interrogator for process industry

Purpose and goal

We evaluated, tested and reported on a data-generating reading system for fiber sensors to be used in the process industry. A full-scale project should be run if the price can be kept below a reasonable limit. The activities carried out in the feasibility study were: 1- Building a digital data-generating interrogator for fiber sensors 2- Evaluating its performance according to the specifications of Proximion 3- Testing performance in the laboratory with a string of sensors, to achieve a TRL 4. 4- Discuss with Proximion about performance and limitations, to decide on a full-scale project

Expected results and effects

An electrically swept system for reading a chain of individual sensors along an optical fiber is useful for the process industry. This multi-point measuring capability is crucial in systems where one wants to monitor the temperature, for example along a high temperature furnace in the cement or metal industry. This feasibility study evaluated such a new and innovative system with an electrically tunable fiber laser. A new product can be motivated from a performance perspective. The feasibility study helped to make a decision to further develop the technology if the price can be limited.

Planned approach and implementation

In this prestudy, RISE och KTH were responsible for lab experiments to build and characterize the interrogator, while Proximion specified the required performance and evaluated results. Some of the experiments were carried out at Proximion, because the technique turned out to be sufficiently interesting. The results showed that the interrogator can have a performance that rivals or exceeds that of commercial instruments, where a piezoelectric tunable filter is replaced by an electronically addressed chirped fiber Bragg grating from Proximion, without moving parts.