Transforming Structural Monitoring with Advanced DFOS Technology

Temperature and strain monitoring in buildings are crucial to guarantee safety and performance. Distributed fiber optic sensing, or DFOS, is transforming how data is gathered by engineers. Unlike point sensors, DFOS provides real-time data across the whole fiber length. This enables precise measurement and better understanding of how structures respond. Engineers are now able to detect problems before they become major ones and optimize maintenance procedures. DFOS is viable, solid, and cost-effective for most industries.

Why are engineers switching from point sensors to distributed fiber optic sensing DFOS systems?

Continuous Data Collection

• DFOS provides data from the full length of the fiber, rather than at discrete points. It allows engineers to see the complete picture of temperature or strain.

• Continuous data can show trends and anomalies that point sensors will miss.
  
  

Reduced Installation Effort

• Multiple point sensors take time and effort to install.

• DFOS requires only one fiber to monitor lengths up to 13 meters. Installation effort and labor cost are minimized while overall coverage remains complete.
  
  

Early Problem Detection

• DFOS has the potential to pick up on small issues early before they become full-blown failures. Engineers can act quickly and prevent costly failures.

• Point sensors often produce data too late to prevent problems.
  
  

Cost Efficiency

• Using a single fiber instead of an array of discrete sensors lowers total cost. DFOS reduces the equipment needed and installation time.

• Distributed sensing is now affordable even for mass-scale monitoring tasks.
  
  

Resistant to Harsh Environments

• DFOS is immune to electromagnetic interference. It is able to give accurate information where point sensors cannot.

• This is why DFOS is suited best for critical industrial and engineering applications.
  
  

Streamlined Data Management

• DFOS continuous data is easier to analyze and interpret. There is potential that engineers can track change over time without having to combine different streams of data.

• Point sensors provide disjointed data, which is harder to manage.
  
  

Support for Non-Destructive Testing

• DFOS allows for structural inspection without altering the structures. It offers accurate strain data for testing and inspections.

• Point sensors often fail to offer the requisite coverage for full non-destructive testing.
  
  

Improved Design Validation

• DFOS allows engineers to validate structural designs with precise, ongoing data.

• By monitoring strain and temperature across the entire structure, it ensures that models closely mirror behavior in the real world, leading to safer, more efficient designs.
  
  

Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring

• DFOS can provide real-time tracking through the life of a structure.

• Its continuous accumulation of information enables tracking of changes over time, monitoring for slowly changing issues, and maintenance planning more easily, all to help prolong the life of valuable assets.
  
  

DFOS transforms structural monitoring through continuous, real-time data throughout the length of a fiber. It elevates levels of safety, saves maintenance costs, and enables preventative maintenance planning. Improved design data, problem detection in early stages, and optimal long-term monitoring of structural behavior are valued by the automotive, aerospace, energy, and civil engineering industries.