A fibre optic system for distributed temperature sensing based on raman scattering.

Abstract

This thesis is based on a research project to monitor the temperature profile along a power cable using the fibre optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology. Based on the temperature measured by a DTS system, real time condition monitoring of power cables can be achieved. In this thesis, there are three main research themes. 1. Develop a DTS system for industrial applications. The entire hardware system and measuring software are developed to be an industrial product. Multiple functions are provided for the convenience of users to conduct temperature monitoring, temperature history logging and off-line simulation. 2. Enhance the robustness of the DTS system. An algorithm for signal compensation is developed to eliminate the signal fluctuation due to disturbance from the hardware and its working environment. It ensures robustness of the system in industrial environments and applicability to different system configurations. 3. Improve the accuracy of the DTS system. A calibration algorithm based on cubic spline fitting is developed to cope with non-uniform fibre loss in the system, which greatly improved the accuracy of the temperature decoding in real applications with unavoidable nonlinear characteristics. The developed DTS system and the algorithms have been verified by continuous experiments for about one year and achieved a temperature resolution of 0.1 degree Celsius, a spatial resolution of 1 meter, and a maximum error of 2 degree Celsius in an optic fibre with the length of 2910 metres.