access icon openaccess Fibre-tree network for water-surface ranging using an optical time-domain reflectometry technique

To monitor water level at long distance, a fibre-based time-domain reflectometry network is proposed. A collimator at each fibre end of a tree-type network retrieves 1.55 μm wavelength pulses that are reflected back from remote surfaces. Since this enables a power-supply-free sensor network with non-metal media, this system is expected to be less susceptible to lightning strikes and power cuts than conventional systems that use electrically powered sensors and metal cables. In the present Letter, a successful simultaneous monitoring experiment of two water levels in the laboratory, as well as a trial for detecting a disturbed surface by beam-expanding is reported.

Inspec keywords: water; level measurement; optical time-domain reflectometry

Other keywords: power-supply-free sensor network; collimator; beam-expanding; wavelength 1.55 mum; water levels; optical time-domain reflectometry technique; fibre-tree network; water-surface ranging

Subjects: Spatial variables measurement; Optical variables measurement; Optical refractometry and reflectometry; Level, flow and volume measurement

References

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      • 2. Kanbe, S., Kakizaki, J., Ono, M., Mizuma, Y., Sasaki, I.: ‘Fabrication of FBG-water level gauge with ring-formed mechanical convertor’. IEICE Technical Report, OFT2008-20(2008-08), August 2008, pp. 2328 (in Japanese).
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      • 4. Yoshii, T., Yamabayashi, Y.: ‘Ranging experiment for moving water-surface and its depth’, ‘Laser – from science to applications’ (PWC publishing, Hokkaido, Japan, 2014).
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      • 3. Chen, H., Leblanc, M.: ‘Reduction of the impairment of online OTDR monitoring by use of a narrow bandwidth OTDR and an optical bandpass filter’, J. Lightwave Technol., 2004, LT-16, pp. 21982200.
http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/joe.2014.0258
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