This thesis explores and evaluates the temperature measuring capabilities of a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (φ-OTDR), which exploits Rayleigh backscattering in normal single mode optical fibers. The device is constructed and its setup explained, and a protocol for making temperature measurements with it is developed. Performance tests are made and the device is shown to achieve fully distributed temperature measurements on fibers hundreds of meters in length with a spatial resolution of 1 m and a temperature resolution of 0.1 K. In addition, the capabilities of the device to measure normal strain in the measurement fiber are tested using the same approach, albeit with less success. The device is capable of very precise measurements, making it very sensitive to the environmental conditions around the measuring fiber but also susceptible to disturbances. Some discussion is had on how to avoid or deal with these disturbances. Furthermore, the technique is shown to be able to run in conjunction with other φ-OTDR measurement techniques from the same device simultaneously. / Det här examensarbetet utforskar och utvärderar förmågorna att mäta temperatur hos en fas-känslig optisk tidsdomän-reflektometer (φ-OTDR), som utnyttjar bakåtriktad Rayleigh-spridning i vanliga optiska singelmodfibrer. Anordningen konstrueras och dess komponentstruktur förklaras, och ett protokoll tas fram för att utföra mätningar med den. Prestandatester utförs och anordningen visas kapabel att göra fullt distribuerade temperaturmätningar längs hundratals meter långa fibrer, med en rymdsupplösning på 1 m och en temperaturupplösning på 0.1 K. Dessutom testas förmågan att mäta normaltöjning hos testfibern med samma metod, dock med mindre framgång. Anordningen är väldigt känslig för förhållandena i omgivningen runt mätningsfibern, vilket gör den kapabel till mätningar med mycket hög precision, men också mottaglig för störningar. Lite diskussion hålls kring hur dessa störningar kan undvikas eller hanteras. Vidare visas att mätningstekniken kan köras samtidigt som andra φ-OTDR-baserade tekniker från samma anordning.

[pt] As redes ópticas passivas de nova geração 2 (NG-PON2) estão estudando e considerando o WDM-PON (Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed Passive Optical Networks) como a nova arquitetura para as redes de acesso, é provável que esta arquitetura seja adotada num futuro como o padrão. No entanto, algumas instalações já foram realizadas em todo o mundo, a maior parte delas na Coréia do Sul. Com o objetivo de reduzir os custos de operação (OPEX) e garantir a qualidade do serviço (QoS) um sistema de supervisão e localização de falhas é necessário. Neste trabalho é proposto e demonstrado um OTDR sintonizável (Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer) para realizar o monitoramento de redes WDMPON em serviço. O método apresentado é provado para diferentes fontes laser sintonizáveis CW (Continuous Wave) e utiliza um amplificador óptico semicondutor (SOA) como comutador para o sinal de prova. O sistema de monitoramento é provado experimentalmente numa rede WDM-PON simulada no laboratório a qual utiliza um AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) como distribuidor. Os resultados foram melhorados utilizando diferentes métodos para mitigar os efeitos de interferência. / [en] The Next Generation Passive Optical Network 2 (NG-PON2) is considering and studying wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs) as the new architecture for access networks, this architecture is likely to be adopted in near future as standard. However some deployments have been achieved worldwide, most of them in South Korea. In order to lower the operational expenditure (OPEX) and guarantee quality-of-service (QoS) an in-service monitoring and fault localization system is required. We propose and demonstrate a tunable optical time-domain reflectometer (T-OTDR) for in-service monitoring of (WDM-PONs). The proposed method is proved for different continuous wave tunable laser sources (CW TLS), and uses semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) as a switch for the probe signal. This monitoring system is experimentally proved in a simulated WDMPON employing a cyclic AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) as wavelength distributor. We improve the results using different methods to mitigate the interference effects.

Optical fibre sensors are employed in the measurements of a number of different physical properties or for event detection in safety and security systems. In those environments which suffer from electromagnetic disturbance, in harsh environments where electronics cannot survive and in applications in favour of distributed detection, fibre-optic sensors have found natural areas of use. In some cases they have replaced conventional electronic sensors due to better performance and long-term reliability, but in others they have had less success mainly due to the higher costs which are often involved in fibre-optic sensor systems. Intensity modulated fibre-optic sensors normally require only low-cost monitoring systems principally based on light emitting diodes and photodiodes. The sensor principle itself is very elemental when based on coupling between fibres, and coupling based intensity modulated sensors have been utilised over a long period of time, mainly within displacement and vibration sensing. For distributed sensing based on intensity modulation, optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) systems with customised sensor cables have been used in the detection of heat, water leakage and hydrocarbon fluid spills. In this thesis, new concepts for intensity modulated fibre-optic sensors based on coupling between fibres are presented, analysed, simulated and experimentally verified. From a low-cost and standard component perspective, alternative designs are proposed and analysed using modulation function simulations and measurements, in order to find an improved performance. Further, the development and installation of a temperature sensor system for industrial process monitoring is presented, involving aspects with regards to design, calibration, multiplexing and fibre network installation. The OTDR is applied as an efficient technique for multiplexing several coupling based sensors, and sensor network installation with blown fibre in microducts is proposed as a flexible and cost-efficient alternative to traditional cabling. As a solution to alignment issues in coupling based sensors, a new displacement sensor configuration based on a fibre to a multicore fibre coupling and an image sensor readout system is proposed. With this concept a high-performance sensor setup with relaxed alignment demands and a large measurement range is realised. The sensor system performance is analysed theoretically with complete system simulations, and an experimental setup is made based on standard fibre and image acquisition components. Simulations of possible error contributions show that the experimental performance limitation is mainly related to differences between the modelled and the real coupled power distribution. An improved power model is suggested and evaluated experimentally, showing that the experimental performance can be improved down towards the theoretical limit of 1 μm. The potential of using filled side-hole fibres and polarisation analysis for point and distributed detection of temperature limits is investigated as a complement to existing fibre-optic heat detection systems. The behaviour and change in birefringence at the liquid/solid phase transition temperature for the filler substance is shown and experimentally determined for side-hole fibres filled with water solutions and a metal alloy, and the results are supported by simulations. A point sensor for on/off temperature detection based on this principle is suggested. Further the principles of distributed detection by measurements of the change in beat length are demonstrated using polarisation OTDR (POTDR) techniques. It is shown that high-resolution techniques are required for the fibres studied, and side-hole fibres designed with lower birefringence are suggested for future studies in relation to the distributed application. / Fiberoptiska sensorer används för mätning av ett antal olika fysikaliska parametrar eller för händelsedetektering i larm- och säkerhetssystem. I miljöer med elektromagnetiska störningar, i andra besvärliga miljöer där elektronik inte fungerar samt i tillämpningar där distribuerade sensorer är att föredra, har fiberoptiska lösningar funnit naturliga applikationer. I vissa fall har de ersatt konventionella elektroniska sensorer på grund av bättre prestanda och tillförlitlighet, medan de i andra sammanhang har haft mindre framgång huvudsakligen på grund av den i många fall högre kostnaden för fiberoptiska sensorsystem. Intensitetsmodulerade fiberoptiska sensorer kräver normalt endast billiga utläsningssystem huvudsakligen baserade på lysdioder och fotodioder. Principen för sådana sensorer baserade på koppling mellan fibrer är mycket enkel, och denna typ av sensorer har haft tillämpningar under en lång tid, främst inom mätning av positionsförändring och vibrationer. För distribuerade intensitetsmodulerade sensorer har system baserade på optisk tidsdomän-reflektometer (OTDR) och skräddarsydda sensorkablar funnit tillämpningar i detektion av värme/brand, vattenläckage och kolvätebaserade vätskor. I denna avhandling presenteras, simuleras, testas och utvärderas praktiskt några nya koncept för kopplingsbaserade intensitetsmodulerade fiberoptiska sensorer. Från ett lågkostnads- och standardkomponentperspektiv föreslås och analyseras alternativa lösningar för förbättrad prestanda. Utveckling och installation av en temperatursensor för en industriell tillämpning, innehållande aspekter på sensormultiplexering och nätverksbyggande, behandlas. OTDR-teknik används som en effektiv metod för multiplexering av flera kopplingsbaserade sensorer, och installation av sensornätverk genom användning av blåsfiberteknik och mikrodukter föreslås som ett flexibelt och kostnadseffektivt alternativ till traditionell kabelinstallation. Som en lösning på förekommande upplinjeringsproblem för kopplingsbaserade sensorer, föreslås en ny sensorkonfiguration baserad på koppling mellan en fiber och en multikärnefiber/fiberarray och med ett bildsensorsystem för detektering. Med detta koncept kan ett högpresterande, upplinjeringsfritt sensorsystem med ett stort mätområde åstadkommas. Sensorsystemets prestanda har analyserats teoretiskt med kompletta systemsimuleringar, och en experimentell uppställning baserad på standardfiber och en kamera av standardtyp har gjorts. Simuleringar av möjliga felbidrag visar att systemets experimentella prestanda främst begränsas av skillnader mellan den modellerade och den verkliga optiska effektfördelningen. En förbättrad modell för effektfördelningen föreslås och utvärderas experimentellt. Det visas att prestanda är möjlig att förbättra ner mot den teoretiska gräns på 1 μm som erhållits vid systemsimuleringar. Möjligheterna att använda fyllda hålfibrer och polarisationskänslig mätning för detektering av temperaturgränser studeras i syfte att komplettera befintliga fiberoptiska värmedetektorsystem. Förändringen i fiberns dubbelbrytning vid övergångstemperaturen mellan vätske- och fast fas för ämnet i hålen visas och bestäms experimentellt för hålfibrer fyllda med vattenlösningar respektive en metallegering, och resultaten understöds också av simuleringar. En punktsensor för temperaturdetektering baserad på denna princip föreslås. Vidare visas principerna för distribuerad detektering genom registrering av förändringen i dubbelbrytning med polarisations-OTDR (POTDR). Det visas att OTDR-teknik med hög spatial upplösning behövs för övervakning av de studerade fibrerna, och hålfibrer utformade med lägre dubbelbrytning föreslås för framtida studier av tillämpningen.

Abstract This thesis deals with the developing of fibre-optic instruments for monitoring the health of civil engineering and composite structures. A number of sensors have been tested for use with different road structures, concrete bridges, fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) containers and other composite specimens, the interrogation methods being mainly based on measuring optical power and time-of-flight (TOF). The main focus is on the development of a fibre-optic TOF measurement system and its applications, but different sensing needs and fibre-optic measurement systems are also reviewed, with the emphasis on commercial devices. Deformation in a road structure was studied with microbending sensors of gauge-length about 10 cm and a commercial optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) in a quasi-distributed fashion. The responses of the optical fibre sensors during the one-year measurement period were similar in shape to those obtained with commercial strain gauges but the absolute measurement values typically deviated by several tens of per cent. Low dynamic range, crosstalk and poor signal-to-noise ratio proved to be the main problem when measuring several successive sensors with an OTDR. In another road investigation, microbending and speckle sensors were found useful for providing on/off-type information for traffic control applications. FRP composite containers were investigated with the focus on developing a continuous monitoring system for improving yield and quality by evaluating the state of cure during the manufacturing process and for assessing damage, e.g. delaminations, during service life. Standard multi-mode and single mode fibres with a typical length of a few hundreds of metres were embedded inside the walls of containers during the normal manufacturing process, and the measurements were carried out using an optical through-power technique and an OTDR. This largely empirical investigation revealed that the coating material and its thickness have an effect on loading sensitivity and on the applicability of the method for cure monitoring. The measurement data also indicated that the end-of-curing process and the location of external damage can be determined with a distributed optical fibre sensor and an OTDR. Several versions of a pulsed time-of-flight measurement system were developed for interrogating sensor arrays consisting of multiple long gauge-length sensors. The early versions based on commercial electronics were capable of producing relevant measurement data with a reasonable precision, but they suffered especially from poor spatial resolution, low sampling rate and long-term drift. The high precision TOF system developed in this thesis is capable of measuring time delays between a number of wideband reflectors, such as connectors or fibre Bragg gratings (FBG), along a fibre path with a precision of about 280 fs (rms-value) and a spatial resolution of about 3 ns (0.30 m) in a measurement time of 25 milliseconds. By using a fibre loop sensor with a reference fibre, a strain precision below 1 με and a measurement frequency of 4 Hz can be achieved. The system has proved comparable in performance to a commercial FBG interrogation system in monitoring the behaviour of a bridge deck, while the fact that it allows static and dynamic measurements with a number of long gauge-length sensors, also embedded in FRP composite material, makes this TOF device unique relative to other measurement systems.

The aim of this thesis is to formulate the design of optical access network in designated area. The design is focused on the physical network layer and it covers optical fibers, cable protectors and links, optical hubs, racks and active components. The thesis also docu- ments network architecture, the configuration of active components and provides results from monitoring of selected network segments. The thesis consists of the theoretical part and practical part. In the theoretical part, there is an introduction to optical networks, their configurations (FTTH, FTTB, FTTC, FTTN), relevant networking standards and technologies. The practical part of the thesis covers design proposal of a network located in Slavičín. The design reuses infrastructure and technologies of existing network. The proposed design follows FTTH architecture which has benefits of low maintenance cost and it also fulfills GPON standard.

The wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) offers many advantages such as large bandwidth per user, easy management, high network security and low insertion loss enabling long-reach and/or high split-ratio. However, with the rapid development and growing interest for deployment of WDM-PON, the PON systems are becoming increasingly vulnerable to various failures. Therefore, network supervision becomes extremely important to guarantee an appropriate level of network reliability performance. The aim of PON supervision is to provide automated test and diagnostic capability without compromising the available bandwidth for services. An essential function is to detect any kind of deterioration in the network that can cause suspended services and to remotely localize these faults in order to avoid the high cost arising from troubleshooting. In this thesis, we evaluate several existing WDM PON supervision methods, based on which two simple and cost-effective new solutions are proposed to localize fiber failures in WDM PON systems. In the first solution, a conventional optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) and a switch unit are employed, while in the second method, a novel architecture based on N×N arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is proposed. Both methods are able to localize failures in feeder fiber and drop fibers without e.g. using expensive tunable OTDRs. A patent has been filed based on the second solution. The first proposed method is validated by simulations using VPI Transmission Maker. According to the results, this supervision method is able to give accurate measurement of many different types of failures that may happen in a fiber link. Furthermore, VPI is examined in terms of its future applicability in modeling complete PON supervision methods based on OTDR.

This work focuses on a search of available literature on the theory of transmission lines and verify the possibility of simulation processes on these lines using a suitable simulation program. Initially, for the introduction to the parameters and the phenomenon that characterize the line and are important for understanding the issue. These parameters are then measured and compared with traces from the simulation in program PSpice. In another part of the work, the reader is familiar with the basics of reflectometry and fault detection capabilities on transmission lines with the basic reflectometry methods TDR and FDR, as well as with other methods of OTDR, MSR, and PD-FDR. For the TDR, FDR and MSR methods were made experimental measurements with a view to determining the position of the various types of faults on the tested leadership.

Communication via fiber optical cable (links) is the latest advancement of the transmission media currently used for data transmission. Despite initial problems, using of this medium in recent years has greatly expanded due to their indisputable advantages. Optical cable is a great combination of reliability and security of data transfer. Its constantly improving transmission parameters contribute to the high speeds in the long-distance transmission of data. In the theoretical part of this work some kinds of optical cables are mentioned, also the most important parameters and the most widely used methods of measurement of these cables. Apart from that other methods of joining optical cables and the most used types of optical cables are also mentioned. The values of the decline and reflection, which are led into the device after connecting these parts into the optical lines. The device using the measuring method of the reverse reflection is also described in this thesis altogether with its most important parts and the way of the display of the measured track on the graphic image of the device. The problematics of identification and decline dead zone and the factors influencing the lenght of dead zone – the ability to identify two independent events on the link patchcord of the variable lenght, is also described in details in this thesis. In the practical part a series of measurements and evaluation (numerical and graphical) of the measured values of decline lenghts and identificating dead zones of the OTDR device will be carried out.

This diploma thesis solves possibilities of utilization optical fiber as sensor. At the beginning, basic division of this sensors is desribed, their principles and usage. Then the thesis is focused on distributed sensors based on the interference of the light, interferometers. This optic fiber interferometers are described, mainly their modifications for detection and localization of vibrations along optical fiber. Significant part of the thesis deals with dual Mach--Zehnder interferometer. This interferometer is theoreticaly desribed and simulated in Matlab. Further the thesis deals with development of two aplication in Matlab software. One application is for simulation and theoretical computation of dual Mach--Zehnder interferometer. Second application serves for signal processing of acquired data that are measured on this interferometer. At the end of the thesis, dual Mach--Zehnder interferometer is designed and build in laboratory enviroment and executed measurement and localization of vibrations using this interferometer.

First two chapters of this paper deals with the division of optical fiber sensors, digital signal processing and includes price comparison of four experimental sensors. In chapter three analysis, description and evaluation of measurment has been demonstrated on Mach - Zehnder interferometer. Last chapter is about application for signal analysis from vibration sensors. Description contains snippets from source code and graphical user interface. This paper includes three fields - fiber optics, digital signal processing and creation of application - and thanks to them it provides solid basis for study of optic fiber sensors.