TDM array of optical non-acoustic pressure sensors

摘要

A pressure measuring device which utilizes an array of optical, non-acoustic pressure sensors with a laser light source which generates a pulsed light signal into a light transmitting cable, wherein the pulsed light signal propagates along the light transmitting cable through the array of optical pressure sensors. A plurality of optical couplers are attached to the light transmitting cable at multiple locations spaced apart from one another in order to branch off at least a portion of the pulsed light each location. Each of the plurality of optical couplers includes a respective optical pressure sensor and a pressure insensitive reflector, wherein the branched off portion of the pulsed light signal is transmitted into to both the optical pressure sensor and the reflector. Each optical pressure sensor reflects a pressure indicating signal back into the optical coupler, while the pressure insensitive reflector reflects a reference signal back into the optical coupler. The pressure indicating signal and the reference signal are reflected through the optical coupler into the light transmitting cable as a pair of non-overlapping pulsed signals, which are then retrieved from the light transmitting cable by a signal detector. The retrieved pressure indicating signal is compared with the retrieved reference signal to determine the pressure acting upon the optical pressure sensor.