Apparatus for monitoring the erosion of components of industrial plants comprising at least one optical fiber sensor (7′), the optical fibers (7′) not being provided with any Bragg grid, and an analysis unit, wherein the at least one optical fiber sensor (7′) is positioned inside a wall subjected to wear by erosion in such a way as to terminate immediately under the surface of the wall itself belonging to the components (10, 10′, 20, 20′) to be monitored, and the erosion depth is measured by using the light reflected from the eroded end of the optical fiber (7′) itself.

A subsurface impact protection system for protecting an underground asset is provided. The protection system includes a subsurface polymer layer provided above the asset to prevent impact forces from reaching the asset. A sensor network is embedded in the polymer layer. The sensor network comprises optical fibers each including one or more fiber optic sensors. The optical fibers receive an input signal from a source and transmit it through the fiber. At the output end of the fiber is an optical detector that measures light properties of the output optical signal indicative of environmental conditions near the polymer layer. The sensor network transmits a signal including measured light or environmental parameters to a monitoring computing system. In some embodiments, the polymer layer includes a protective mesh made up of a plurality of high density polyethylene strands in a woven pattern. A method of protecting an underground asset is also provided.

An intelligent skin based on a small-size distributed optical fiber sensing array. The intelligent skin includes an epidermis sensing array, an embedded optical fiber sensing array, a data collection system module, and a data processing mode recognition module. The body of the intelligent skin is made of a flexible material. The embedded optical fiber sensing array in an epidermis includes a plurality of all-fiber interferomatic sensing arrays. The data collection system module includes a broadband light source, an optical combiner/splitter, an optical path change-over switch, a signal detector and a computer. The data processing mode recognition module includes mode recognition and training of a neural network. The intelligent skin further includes an external display software used to perform intelligent sensing recognition for sense of touch, position, shape, and ingredient, temperature and vibration of an object and so on.

Provided are embodiments for method and system for performing an integrated ice protection with prognostics and health management using fiber optic sensors. Embodiments can include reading a signal from each sensor of an array of sensors installed on a surface of a structure or equipment, wherein each sensor is a fiber optic sensor, and generating a map based on reading the signal from each sensor, wherein the map monitors a condition of the surface detected by each sensor. Embodiments can also include determining at least one of an abnormal condition or a failure based at least in part on reading the signal from each sensor; and performing at least one of adjusting power control for the structure or equipment or communicating the abnormal condition or failure of the structure or equipment.

Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) and artificial intelligence (AI) systems and methods for performing utility pole hazardous event localization that advantageously identify a utility pole that has undergone a hazardous event such as being struck by an automobile or other detectable impact. Systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure employ machine learning methodologies to uniquely identify an affected utility pole from a plurality of poles. Our systems and methods collect data using DFOS techniques in telecommunication fiber optic cable and use an AI engine to analyze the data collected for the event identification. The AI engine recognizes different vibration patterns when an event happens and advantageously localizes the event to a specific pole and location on the pole with high accuracy. The AI engine enables analyses of events in real-time with greater than 90% accuracy.

Systems and methods for performing the dynamic anomaly localization of utility pole aerial/suspended/supported wires/cables by distributed fiber optic sensing. In sharp contrast to the prior art, our inventive systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure advantageously identify a “location region” on a utility pole supporting an affected wire/cable, thereby permitting the identification and reporting of service personnel that are uniquely responsible for responding to such anomalous condition(s).

This application describes a fibre optic cable structure which is advantageous for distributed fibre optic sensing, for example distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). The fibre optic cable structure includes an optical fibre for distributed fibre optic sensing and is configured to comprise at least one longitudinal section of a first type, which exhibits a change in effective optical path length of the optical fibre of one polarity in response to a given applied force, and which is adjacent to at least one longitudinal section of a second type, which exhibits a change in effective optical path length of the optical fibre of the opposite polarity in response to an equivalent applied force. When used for DAS, the response of a sensing portion that includes sections of both the first and second types, will include or exclude certain wavenumber by summation, which provides a directional sensitivity to incident waves.

According to examples, an optical fiber-based sensing membrane may include at least one optical fiber, and a substrate. The at least one optical fiber may be integrated in the substrate. The optical fiber-based sensing membrane may include, based on a specified geometric pattern of the at least one optical fiber, an optical fiber-based sensing membrane layout. The substrate may include a thickness and a material property that are specified to ascertain, via the at least one optical fiber and based on the optical fiber-based sensing membrane layout, a thermal and/or a mechanical property associated with a device, or a radiation level associated with a device environment.

An apparatus has a cassette configured to hold optical fiber comprising one or more optical sensors. The cassette has a spool configured to one or more of extract and retract the optical fiber from the cassette. A pre-strain mechanism is configured to apply a predetermined pre-strain to the one or more optical sensors. An optical fiber installation tool is configured to mount the optical fiber comprising the one or more pre-strained optical sensors to a surface.

An apparatus includes one or more stamps configured to install an optical fiber on a surface of a structure. Each stamp includes a backing. A first adhesive is disposed on one or more first regions of the backing and is configured to provide a temporary bond between the optical fiber and the surface. A second adhesive is disposed on at least a second region of the backing and is configured to provide a substantially permanent bond between the optical fiber and the surface. A liner is removably adhered to the first adhesive.