Optically powered sensing system and method for hazardous environments

1. A sensing system including:

a sensor located in an external environment, the sensor including:

an electrically powered sensor element sensing an environment variable and converting the sensing to a corresponding analog electrical value measure;

an electrically powered sensor value conversion system connected to the electrically powered sensor and converting the analog electrical value measure to a corresponding digital measure, in addition to encoding the digital measure with sensor identification information, to produce sensed data information;

a transducer element for sending the sensed data information over an optical input/output conduit;

said optical input/output conduit for inputting an optical power signal and outputting optical sensed data information;

a coupler splitting a first portion of the optical power signal to an energy storage system; and

an energy storage system converting the first portion of the optical power signal into corresponding electrical energy and storing the electrical energy for on demand usage;

with said electrically powered sensor element, said electrically powered sensor value conversion system being supplied with electrical power from said energy storage system, and

wherein said corresponding electrical data is encoded and sent utilising a one-directional asynchronous communication protocol, and

wherein said sensor periodically enters a low power sleep state followed by a higher power active state where information is transmitted by the sensor.

2. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 further including:

an interrogation unit remotely attached to said optical input/output conduit, said interrogation unit including:

an optical source for providing said optical power signal to said input/output conduit;

an optical to electrical converter for converting received optical sensed data information into corresponding electrical data; and

processing means for receiving the electrical form of said optical sensed data information and for decoding the information into corresponding sensed data information.

3. A sensing system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said optical source is a broad band optical source.

4. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said corresponding electrical data includes an identifier number for the sensor and a data value.

5. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said corresponding electrical data is Manchester encoded for dispatch.

6. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein data is transmitted at regular periodic intervals.

7. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said optical input/output conduit includes a single mode fiber.

8. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupler splits about 90% of the energy of said light to an energy storage system.

9. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said energy storage system includes a plurality of conversion units for converting the first portion of the optical power signal into corresponding electrical energy.

10. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical power signal is less than 150 mW.

11. A sensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrically powered sensor element comprises an optically based voltage sensing device.