IP Library Granted Patent US 10,775,246
Granted Patent B2
US 10,775,246 · App. 15/945,501 · Granted Sep 15, 2020

Single-band distributed temperature sensing

Inventor: Vincent Lecoeuche (Tarentaise, FR)
Assignee: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
G01K11/32G01K3/06G01K2011/324
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,775,246
App. No.
15/945,501
Granted
Sep 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some examples, a temperature distribution sensor may include a laser source to emit a laser beam that is tunable over a wavelength range. The wavelength range may be less than a Raman bandwidth in a device under test (DUT), or of-the-order-of the Raman bandwidth in the DUT. A pulsed source may apply a pulse drive signal to the laser beam or to a modulator to modulate the laser beam that is to be injected into the DUT. A bandpass filter may be operatively disposed between the laser source and the DUT, and may be configured to an anti-Stokes wavelength that is narrower than the Raman bandwidth. A photodiode may be operatively disposed between the bandpass filter and the DUT to acquire, from the DUT, anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for two preset wavelengths of the laser beam to determine a temperature distribution for the DUT.

Claims (67)

1. A temperature distribution sensor comprising:

a laser source to emit a laser beam that is tunable over a wavelength range, wherein the wavelength range is

less than a Raman bandwidth in a device under test (DUT), or of-the-order-of the Raman bandwidth in the DUT;

a pulsed source to apply a pulse drive signal to the laser beam or to a modulator to modulate the laser beam that is to be injected into the DUT;

a bandpass filter that is operatively disposed between the laser source and the DUT, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to an anti-Stokes wavelength that is narrower than the Raman bandwidth; and

a photodiode that is operatively disposed between the bandpass filter and the DUT to acquire, from the DUT, anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for two preset wavelengths of the laser beam to determine a temperature distribution for the DUT.

2. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the DUT includes an optical fiber.

3. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a fiber amplifier to amplify the pulse drive signal applied to the laser beam or to the modulator to modulate the laser beam that is to be injected into the DUT.

4. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine the temperature distribution for the DUT by determining a ratio of the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

5. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

correct, for the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam, a wavelength difference resulting from differing anti-Stokes spectral slices and a corresponding mean weighted average wavelength.

6. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the laser source is a narrow linewidth tunable laser, further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

operating, using the narrow linewidth tunable laser source, in a Rayleigh mode to record a distributed acoustic sensing signal over the DUT.

7. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a further photodiode operatively disposed between the laser source and the bandpass filter to acquire Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

8. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

correct a differential attenuation between the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam by determining a ratio of the Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

9. A temperature distribution sensor comprising:

a first laser source to emit a first laser beam;

a second laser source to emit a second laser beam, wherein the first and second laser beams include wavelengths that differ by a quantity that is

less than a Raman bandwidth in a device under test (DUT), or of-the-order-of the Raman bandwidth in the DUT;

a pulsed source to apply a pulse drive signal to the first and second laser beams or to a modulator to modulate the first and second laser beams that are to be injected into the DUT;

a bandpass filter that is operatively disposed between the first and second laser sources and the DUT, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to an anti-Stokes wavelength that is narrower than the Raman bandwidth; and

a photodiode that is operatively disposed between the bandpass filter and the DUT to acquire, from the DUT, anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams to determine a temperature distribution for the DUT.

10. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , wherein the DUT includes an optical fiber.

11. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a fiber amplifier to amplify the pulse drive signal applied to the first and second laser beams or to the modulator to modulate the first and second laser beams that are to be injected into the DUT.

12. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine the temperature distribution for the DUT by determining a ratio of the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams.

13. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

correct, for the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams, a wavelength difference resulting from differing anti-Stokes spectral slices and a corresponding mean weighted average wavelength.

14. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , wherein the first or second laser source is a narrow linewidth tunable laser, further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

operating, using the narrow linewidth tunable laser source, in a Rayleigh mode to record a distributed acoustic sensing signal over the DUT.

15. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a further photodiode operatively disposed between the first and second laser sources and the bandpass filter to acquire Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams.

16. The temperature distribution sensor according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

correct a differential attenuation between the two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams by determining a ratio of the Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the first and second laser beams.

17. A computer implemented method comprising:

emitting, from a laser source, a laser beam that is tunable over a wavelength range, wherein the wavelength range is

less than a Raman bandwidth in a device under test (DUT), or of-the-order-of the Raman bandwidth in the DUT;

applying a pulse drive signal to the laser beam or to a modulator to modulate the laser beam that is to be injected into the DUT;

configuring a bandpass filter that is operatively disposed between the laser source and the DUT to an anti-Stokes wavelength that is narrower than the Raman bandwidth; and

determining a temperature distribution for the DUT by acquiring, from the DUT, anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the DUT includes an optical fiber.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

acquiring Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam; and

correcting a differential attenuation between the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam by determining a ratio of the Rayleigh optical time-domain reflectometer traces at the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein determining the temperature distribution for the DUT by acquiring, from the DUT, the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam further comprises:

determining the temperature distribution for the DUT by determining a ratio of the anti-Stokes optical time-domain reflectometer traces for the two preset wavelengths of the laser beam.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 73189/0873 Recorded May 28, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 075642/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC; INERTIAL LABS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073571/0137 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2025
From: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 073189/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: LECOEUCHE, VINCENT
To: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 045508/0717 →
Continuity (1)
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