Abstract: Sensing cables with strain free, loose-tube temperature sensing elements and simplex strain sensing elements are a widely deployed, current solution for direct burial pipeline monitoring applications. The use of these cables for monitoring of subsidence, overburden stability, and civil engineering structures deployment at greater burial depths and corresponding pressure has also been demonstrated. Often direct buried deployment is desired for these applications, so knowledge of trade-offs in sensing performance vs. outer jacket configuration is desired. Sensing cables with strain free, loose-tube temperature sensing elements and simplex strain sensing elements have been manufactured with different jacket configurations in order to examine the impact of jacket configuration on thermal response for Brillouin temperature and strain sensing. Additionally, a new signal processing algorithm has been demonstrated that can deconvolute the Brillouin strain and temperature response in optical fibers contained in such cables.
About the Presenter: Brian G. Risch is the Materials Technology Manager for Prysmian Telecom North America. He holds a B.A. degree in physics from Carleton College and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Brian has more than 30 years of experience in the study of structure property relationships in polymeric materials and materials reliability. Brian has over 20 years of experience in the fiber optic cable business. Prior to working for Prysmian, Brian worked for Alcatel and Draka specializing in cable materials and fundamental material reliability. Brian also has 6 years of experience at Hewlett Packard doing failure analysis engineering.
