Over the past decades, optical fiber, which is a commodity for the telecommunication industry, has opened its way into the sensing industry. In the early days, the fiber optic sensor technology was only adopted by a limited number of industry sectors, due to the relatively high cost of the technology. However, thanks to the new advancements in the development of low-cost opto-electronic systems, the technology is finding niche markets in other industry sectors.

The focus of this presentation is on the applications of fiber optic sensors for subsurface monitoring and distributed hydrocarbon leak detection. The reviewed case studies will include the deployment of multi-point fiber optic sensors for real-time monitoring of sub-surface temperature and groundwater level in In-situ Thermal Remediation (ISTR) of contaminated lands and monitoring of pipeline leaks using a direct hydrocarbon detection technique.

The adoption of fiber optic sensors, especially in harsh and heavy industrial applications, stems from unique features and technical capabilities unmatched by electronic sensors; these features include low-loss remote sensing, the ability to work in harsh environments, immunity to electromagnetic interference, small size, and capability of integrated and distributed sensing.

Primary Author / Conference Presenter:
Hamid Alemohammed
CEO
AOMS Technologies, Inc.
Toronto, Canada

Co-Authors:
Amir Azhru, AOMS Technologies, Toronto, Canada
Richard Liang, AOMS Technologies, Toronto, Canada