SBIR Phase I: Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensor

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop a distributed acoustic emission monitoring technology. The new technology will provide real-time acoustic monitoring using a single fiber optic cable, distributed temperature information will also be generated simultaneously. The low physical profile renders it embeddable and minimally intrusive. The technology is designed to be low-cost, which ensures its wide-scale commercialization potential. In this Phase I research, a prototype sensor system will be built and applied to demonstrate highly sensitive acoustic detection. The focus will be on feasibility proof of the technology. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes the development of a sensor technology that is highly desired in multiple industrial sectors. The potentially low-cost technology will enable large-scale deployment of the sensor to revolutionize the sensing methodology used in a number of applications. Accurate locating and quantifying of acoustic signatures will directly benefit seismic oil & gas exploration. Distributed acoustic monitoring will seek immediate implementation in multi-zone production in gas wells, heavy oil steam-assisted gravity drainage operation surveillance and flowline hydrates, scale and corrosion monitoring. Long-span, real-time acoustic monitoring also provides a viable means for pipeline health monitoring. Another beneficiary of the technology will be distributed partial discharge (PD) detection within power transformers. It is hoped that the new sensing technology will dramatically improve the operation safety while reduce the overall cost of such industries. Successful demonstration of the proposed sensing principle will also shed light on a number of other sensing applications requiring high-speed, densely-multiplexed operations.