West Asia Dual-Core Temperature Measuring Optical Cable Splicing Project

The project involves deploying dual-core optical fibers for high-precision temperature measurement using fusion splicing and distributed sensing technologies.

Dual-Core Fiber Technology

Dual-core optical fibers are designed to simultaneously measure temperature and strain along the fiber length. They leverage Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA) or interferometric methods to detect changes in optical path length caused by temperature variations or mechanical strain, enabling distributed sensing over long distances . These fibers can be spliced to standard single-mode fibers, forming a robust sensing network suitable for industrial or harsh environments .

Fusion Splicing and Temperature Measurement

Fusion splicing is the process of joining two optical fibers by melting their ends together, creating a low-loss, permanent connection. During splicing, the fiber temperature can be monitored using interferometric techniques, which measure changes in optical path length due to thermal effects . This ensures precise control of the splicing process and maintains the integrity of the dual-core fiber for accurate temperature sensing.

Sensor Packaging and Environmental Protection

For deployment in West Asia or other challenging environments, dual-core fibers are often packaged with ceramic and metallic tubes to provide rigidity, impact resistance, and protection against dust or moisture . This packaging allows the sensors to operate reliably across wide temperature ranges, from ambient conditions up to several hundred degrees Celsius, depending on the fiber type.

Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS)

Modern fiber optic temperature sensors can provide high-definition distributed measurements with sub-millimeter spatial resolution. Systems based on Rayleigh backscatter or fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) allow continuous monitoring along the fiber, enabling early detection of thermal anomalies and precise mapping of temperature profiles over distances up to 100 km per channel . These systems are compact, passive, and immune to electromagnetic interference, making them ideal for industrial and infrastructure applications.

Practical Applications

• Industrial monitoring: furnaces, pipelines, and chemical plants
• Infrastructure safety: power cables, bridges, and tunnels
• Research and development: high-precision thermal experiments and material testing By combining dual-core fiber technology, precise fusion splicing, and robust packaging, the project can achieve highly sensitive, distributed temperature measurements suitable for demanding environments in West Asia .