US 2018/0230049 A1 · DOWNHOLE OPTICAL FIBER WITH ARRAY OF FIBER BRAGG GRATINGS AND CARBON-COATING

Abstract

A method for producing a protected optical fiber with distributed sensors includes heating an optical fiber preform and drawing the heated optical fiber preform to form a drawn optical fiber. The method also includes coating the drawn optical fiber with a carbon coating after the optical fiber is drawn to provide a carbon coated optical fiber and then writing a series of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) into the carbon coated optical fiber to provide a carbon coated optical fiber with FBGs. The method further includes coating the carbon coated optical fiber with FBGs with one or more layers of a polymer to provide the protected optical fiber with distributed sensors, wherein the heating, drawing, carbon coating the drawn optical fiber, writing, coating the carbon coated optical fiber are performed in that sequence while the protected optical fiber is being produced.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for producing a protected optical fiber with distributed sensors, the method comprising:

heating an optical fiber preform;
drawing the heated optical fiber preform to form a drawn optical fiber;
coating the drawn optical fiber with a carbon coating after the optical fiber is drawn to provide a carbon coated optical fiber;
writing a series of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) into the carbon coated optical fiber to provide a carbon coated optical fiber with FBGs;
and
coating the carbon coated optical fiber with FBGs with one or more layers of a polymer to provide the protected optical fiber with distributed sensors;
wherein the heating, drawing, carbon coating the drawn optical fiber, writing, coating the carbon coated optical fiber are performed in that sequence while the protected optical fiber is being produced.

4 more elements

A system to produce a protected optical fiber with distributed sensors, the system comprising:

a draw furnace configured to heat an optical fiber preform so that an optical fiber can be drawn;
a drawing device configured to draw an optical fiber from the optical fiber preform and wind the protected optical fiber with distributed sensors on a capstan;
a carbon coating applicator configured to coat the drawn optical fiber with carbon to provide a carbon coated optical fiber;
a fiber Bragg grating writing apparatus configured to write a series of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in the carbon coated optical fiber to provide a carbon coated optical fiber with FBGs;
a polymer coating applicator configured to coat the carbon coated fiber with FBGs with one or more layers of a polymer to provide the protected optical fiber with distributed sensors;
wherein the carbon coating applicator, fiber Bragg grating writing apparatus, and polymer coating applicator are configured to process the drawn optical fiber in that sequence before the protected optical fiber with distributed sensors is wound on the capstan of the drawing device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Downhole optical fiber with array of fiber bragg gratings and carbon-coating

Life of this patent

Downhole optical fiber with array of fiber bragg gratings and carbon-coating

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19