Keeping pace with the Internet of Things, fiber optic sensors have a wide range of applications

Optical fiber sensing can continuously absorb new technologies of optical fiber communication (such as new semiconductor light sources, new optical fibers), new devices, and various optical fiber sensors are expected to be widely used in the Internet of Things.

Speaking of IoT automation, then sensors have to focus on analysis. Small sensors are an important part of the rapid development of the Internet of Things. With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, sensors are also closely followed!

Sensors are developing in the direction of sensitivity, accuracy, adaptability, compactness and intelligence. In this process, the new member of the sensor family, the optical fiber sensor, has been favored.

Analysis of characteristics of optical fiber sensors

1. High sensitivity;

Second, the geometric shape has many aspects of adaptability, and can be made into an optical fiber sensor of any shape;

3. Can manufacture devices that sense various physical information (acoustic, magnetic, temperature, rotation, etc.);

4. Can be used in high voltage, electrical noise, high temperature, corrosion, or other harsh environments;

5. It also has inherent compatibility with optical fiber telemetry technology.

The application range of fiber optic sensors is very wide, mainly in the following aspects:

The application of interferometric gyroscopes and grating pressure sensors in bridges, dams, oil fields, etc. in urban construction. Fiber optic sensors can be pre-buried in concrete, carbon fiber reinforced plastics, and various composite materials to test stress relaxation, construction stress, and dynamic load stress to evaluate the structural performance of the bridge during the short-term construction phase and long-term operation.

In the power system, parameters such as temperature and current need to be measured, such as the detection of the temperature in the stator and rotor of high-voltage transformers and large motors. Because electrical sensors are susceptible to interference from electromagnetic fields, they cannot be used in such occasions and can only be used Fiber Optic Sensor. For example, the distributed optical fiber temperature sensor is a high-tech that has been developed in recent years to measure the spatial temperature distribution in real time.

Used for temperature measurement of the production process and equipment of flammable and explosive materials. The optical fiber sensor is essentially a fire and explosion-proof device. It does not require explosion-proof measures and is very safe and reliable. Compared with electrical sensors, it can both reduce costs and increase sensitivity.

In addition, it can also be used in railway monitoring, rocket propulsion systems, and oil well detection.

In short, the Internet of Things and optical fiber sensing have a complementary and mutually reinforcing role. Optical fiber also has the significant advantages of broadband, large capacity, long-distance transmission, and the realization of multi-parameter, distributed, and low energy consumption sensing. Optical fiber sensing can continuously absorb new technologies of optical fiber communication (such as new semiconductor light sources, new optical fibers), new devices, and various optical fiber sensors are expected to be widely used in the Internet of Things. Optical fiber technology has a very broad application prospect in the Internet of Things. The all-optical Internet of Things is expected to appear in the future and become a new form of Internet of Things.