The invention relates to installations for fibre optic monitoring of articles, and apparatus and methods for forming such installations, including a modular system and components for forming a fibre optic monitoring installation. Applications of the invention include the monitoring of vessels, chambers, and fluid conduits in industrial processing plants, and the invention has particular application to monitoring large vessels, for example temperature monitoring of vessels used in catalytic reforming processes. Convenient installation on or removal from the article being monitored is achieved by providing a support structure for the fibre optic length, which presents the fibre optic length in a preconfigured orientation suitable for monitoring the article. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the fibre optic length is disposed on a panel in a plurality of dense spiral patterns.

A method of detecting removal of a maintenance hatch includes transmitting an optical pulse along an optical fiber, wherein a first portion of the optical fiber is proximate to the maintenance hatch. The method further includes detecting backscatter light from the optical fiber using a sensor. The method further includes determining information related to the first portion of the optical fiber based on a comparison of the detected backscatter light and a trained model. The method further includes identifying whether the maintenance hatch has been removed based on the determined information.

Embodiments of the present invention include a system and method for detecting or sensing damage within a target material, as well as related devices. In some embodiments, a damage sensing system including a target material, an optical fiber embedded into the target material, where the optical fiber has an outer surface running the length of the optical fiber, a photosensitive receiver, and a triboluminescent coating coated on the optical fiber.

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.

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.

Assembly comprising: a set of strands that extends in a direction of tension in which the set of strands is intended to experience tensile stresses; at least one diagnostic fiber that is integrated into the set of strands and able to conduct light, the light propagating through the diagnostic fiber between an entrance end and an exit end, that extends in the direction of tension, and that has a mechanical tensile strength close to that of one of the strands; and a diagnostic device comprising a light source for sending a light beam into the diagnostic fiber via the entrance end, a first optical sensor for delivering a signal representative of the light intensity at the exit end of the diagnostic fiber, the light intensity at the exit end of the diagnostic fiber being correlated to the mechanical state of the diagnostic fiber.

A system that provides detection, annunciation, mitigation, and alleviation of stress attacks by executing algorithms based on measurement of intensity of light. The system determines to execute algorithms to take programmed action based on potential effects of a detected stress attack. The system can be used, for example, to determine the position of potential attacks to conduits that transport electricity, oil, gas, foodstuffs, water, people, and materials.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a bonded structure, a method for manufacturing the same, and a bonding state detection method which are capable of determining whether or not members are bonded together appropriately. A bonded structure 10 includes a laminated sheet 12A, a laminated sheet 12B, an adhesive 14 that bonds the laminated sheet 12A and the laminated sheet 12B together, and a distributed optical fiber 16 sandwiched between the laminated sheet 12A and the laminated sheet 12B. The cross-sectional shape of the distributed optical fiber 16 is deformed in accordance with the bonding state.

The present invention relates to a method for, and wearing parts to be used in a method for, condition based preventive maintenance (PM) or predictive maintenance (Pd M) based on detecting excessive wear of a wearing part which wearing part either consists primarily of, or is covered at least partially by a sliding layer consisting primarily of, a polymer material and which wearing part comprises one or more optical fibers which in the proximal end is connected to a proximal light detecting device and in the distal to a distal end light detecting device.

A machine arrangement, including at least one bearing ring, wherein a glass fiber is connected with the machine arrangement. To allow a proper measurement of stresses, even at curved surfaces of the machine arrangement as it is typical in the case of bearing rings, the connection between the glass fiber and the machine arrangement is established by a glass material. The glass material is connected by material bonding with the machine arrangement as well as with the glass fiber.