Moog Insensys Limited

Aston Photonic Technologies Limited

Glynn David Lloyd

Mark Volanthen

Philip Mark Rhead

Lorna Anne Everall

Martin Peter William Jones

A method of operating a spectrometer to determine the wavelength of an optical signal, in particular for determining the resonant wavelength of an optical fiber Bragg grating. The spectrometer comprises an array of photosensitive pixels each of which generates an output signal in response to the intensity of light incident on the pixel, and a refractive element arranged to direct light to a particular position in the array depending on the wavelength of the light. The method involves selecting a first group of pixels in the array by reference to an expected wavelength distribution of the optical signal and monitoring the output signals from the first group of pixels. On the basis of the output signals from the first group of pixels a second group of pixels is selected and the wavelength of the optical signal is determined from the output signals of the second group of pixels. The method has the advantage that the wavelength of the optical signal can be determined without scanning every pixel in the array individually.

Apparatus and method for operating a spectrometer

A system for the structural monitoring of bladeson a wind turbine. Each bladehas respective optical fiber bragg grating sensors. The system has a number of input connectors, which connect to the strain sensorsof respective blades. A single output connector connects to a data processing devicewhich processes signals from the strain sensors. The input connectors each have a signal path to the output connector that is different in length to the signal path from the other input connectors, such that signals from a given bladecan be identified at the data processing deviceby the time of arrival of the signals. The system has the advantage that the each of the blades, including the sensors attached to it or embedded within it can be identical and therefore interchangeable.

Structural monitoring of wind turbine with fibre bragg grating sensors in each blade

Apparatus for interrogating an optical fiber comprising a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings each having a resonant wavelength in a different discrete wavelength band. The apparatus comprises a delay arrangement interposed in use in an optical path for light supplied to and/or reflected from the fiber Bragg gratings. The delay arrangement is configured to apply a different time delay to light in each of the discrete wavelength bands, whereby the light reflected from each of the fiber Bragg gratings is received at an interrogator port of the apparatus in a different discrete time interval.

Apparatus for interrogating fibre Bragg gratings

An optical interrogation systemincludes optical amplifying and gating apparatus, in the form of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)and an optical sourceDrive apparatus(an electrical pulse generator driven by a variable frequency oscillator) is provided to generate electrical drive pulses (see inset (a)) which are applied to the SOA, to cause the SOAto switch on and off. The optical source comprises a super-luminescent diode (SLD), the CW output from which is gated into optical pulses by the SOA. The SOAis optically coupled to the waveguidecontaining an array of reflective optical elements (gratings G) to be interrogated. The interrogation system further includes an optical detector, optically coupled to the SOA, operable to evaluate the wavelength of a returned optical pulse transmitted by the SOA

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Southampton, United Kingdom

Glynn David Lloyd