Timing markers for fiber sensing systems

• Main Author: Miller, Mark Sherwood
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.04.2020
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; ALARM SYSTEMS; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER,MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORTING

A system configured to a plurality of zones of an aircraft includes first and second connectors are in optical communication, an optical fiber, a first interrogator, and a controller. The optical fiber extends between the first and second connectors and includes a first timing fiber Bragg grating disposed in the optical fiber at a reference location of the optical fiber. The first interrogator is connected to the optical fiber and is configured to provide a first optical signal to the optical fiber and to receive a first timing signal from the optical fiber. The first timing fiber Bragg grating is configured to provide the first timing signal with information related to the first timing fiber Bragg grating from the first interrogator. The controller is operatively connected to the first interrogator and is configured to determine the reference location of the optical fiber.