Comparative analysis of different fiber types for strain sensing application under simulated mine conditions

Abstract

The recent advances in technology have provided deeper insights into hazard detection for mine safety. This study proposes an optical fiber sensor for mining applications. The performance of four fiber types—G652 Corning, G655 OFS, G655 Corning, and PMF Corning—was evaluated when subjected to controlled strain, simulating potential failure conditions. Additionally, the effectiveness of three laser sources—DFB, MZM, and WDM—was assessed to determine the most suitable laser for strain sensing. Constant input powers were used for strain measurements (Fig. 2), with the power recovering to approximately the same values after unloading (Fig. 3), confirming that no permanent deformation occurred in the fibers. In contrast, a fixed input power of 0.49 dBm was maintained across each of the three laser sources during performance evaluation (Fig. 4to ensure consistency in the comparisons. The optimal combination of the MZM laser source and G655 OFS fiber was found to be the best for mining applications. A strain sensitivity of 0.0041 dB/N and an SOP speed of 5.125 ⁰/s is achieved. The data obtained from these experiments offer valuable insights into the behaviour of mine structures under stress and can contribute to the development of reliable early warning systems.