Relative acoustic sensitivity of standard telecom and specialty optical fiber cables for distributed sensing

Riley S. Freeland; Bruce Chow; John Williams; Alastair Godfrey

doi:10.1117/12.2263586

27 April 2017 Relative acoustic sensitivity of standard telecom and specialty optical fiber cables for distributed sensing

Riley S. Freeland, Bruce Chow, John Williams, Alastair Godfrey

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10208, Fiber Optic Sensors and Applications XIV; 102080M (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2263586
Event: SPIE Commercial + Scientific Sensing and Imaging, 2017, Anaheim, CA, United States

Abstract

Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distributed Strain Sensing (DSS) systems have widespread use for asset and security monitoring. The acoustic signal from such sources as intruders, vehicles, or gunfire must be coupled from the earth to an optical fiber which is then interrogated by DAS system technology. Because the optical fiber is the sensing element, and because the cable is required to mediate the interaction of the fiber and its environment, the selection of the optical fiber, cable design, and deployment conditions are critical to the performance of the system. Cable designs specifically created for sensing are shown to achieve 20 dB higher signal-to-noise than standard telecom designs, which correspond to an enhanced sensing range of more than 30 meters. In addition, directly burying the sensing cable in the ground leads to 15 dB higher sensitivity than installing it in a duct. In many cases, standard cables for telecommunications applications are designed to isolate and protect the fibers from the external environment; therefore a cable designed for sensing applications and deployed specifically with this in mind leads to the highest sensitivity with the largest sensing range.

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Riley S. Freeland, Bruce Chow, John Williams, and Alastair Godfrey "Relative acoustic sensitivity of standard telecom and specialty optical fiber cables for distributed sensing", Proc. SPIE 10208, Fiber Optic Sensors and Applications XIV, 102080M (27 April 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2263586

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