Gamma radiation resistant Fabry–Perot fiber optic sensors

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inHigh-resolution fiber optic temperature sensors using nonlinear spectral curve fitting technique Rev. Sci. Instrum. 84, 045002 (2013);A frequency division multiplexed low-finesse fiber optic Fabry-Perot sensor system for strain and displacement measurements Rev.Optical fiber temperature sensor using a gain-switched Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser self-seeded from a linearly chirped fiber Bragg gratingThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission ͑NRC͒ in 1998 completed a study of emerging technologies that could be applicable to measurement systems in nuclear power plants ͓H. M. Hashemian et al., ''Advanced Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies for Nuclear Power Plants,'' NUREG/ CR-5501 ͑1998͔͒. This study concluded that advanced fiber optic sensing technology is an emerging technology that should be investigated. It also indicated that there had been very little research related to performance evaluation of fiber optic sensors in nuclear plant harsh environments, although substantial research has been performed on nuclear radiation effects on optical fibers in the last two decades. A type of Fabry-Perot fiber optic temperature sensor, which is manufactured by Fiso Technologies in Canada, is qualified to be a candidate for potential applications in nuclear radiation environment due to its unique signal processing technique and its resistance to power loss. The gamma irradiation effects on this type of sensors are investigated in this article. Two sensors were irradiated in a gamma irradiation field and one of them was irradiated up to a total gamma dose of 133 Mrad. The sensor on-line performance was monitored during each gamma irradiation test. Furthermore, the sensor static and dynamic performance before and after each irradiation test were evaluated according to the Standard ISA-dS67.06.. Although several abnormal phenomena were observed, analysis shows that gamma irradiation is not accredited to the abnormal behavior, which implies that this type of sensor is suitable to a gamma irradiation environment with a high gamma dose.

Instrumentation to Enhance Advanced Test Reactor Irradiations

“…Furthermore, other radiationinduced effects have been reported, such as a shift in the wavelength of the reflection peak produced by exposure of typical Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) sensors to gamma radiation. 64 Nonetheless, as reported by Liu, et al, 65 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a study (NUREG/CR-5501) that concluded that fiber optic sensors have unique advantages in nuclear power plant monitoring and control applications, making this technology worthy of further examination. The same group later examined the survivability of Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer (EFPI)-type temperature sensors in a nuclear power plant environment, reporting linear operation with a partially-recoverable shift in temperature bias after exposure to levels of 1.09 × 10 6 Gy gamma and 2.6 × 10 16 cm -2 (E > 1 MeV).…”

POF sensors for gas monitoring in the presence of ionizing radiations

“…Different studies have been performed regarding the behavior of glass fibers in the presence of radiation [10], [11], [12], mainly from the point of view of their capability of transmitting data without errors, but results are not available regarding the plastic fibers. High energy radiations can easily induce fiber depolymerization and this in turns might reduce the fiber light transmission capability thus impairing the sensor performance.…”

Fabry‐Pérot Fiber‐Optic Sensors for Physical Parameters Measurement in Challenging Conditions

“…Same measurement problems occur if you were a chemist trying to control critical parameters such as pressure or temperature during a microwave chemistry process, an engineer supervising radio-frequency (RF) wood drying, a physician monitoring the temperature of a critical care patient undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, or even if you were a surgeon burning selected tissues with RF instrumented minimally invasive catheters: without an optical sensor you may face big difficulties. Even in extreme environments such as those encountered into nuclear reactors where strong radiations are present, the optical sensors could provide an attractive alternative solution [7,8].…”