Optical fiber sensing technology leads perimeter security innovation

In recent years, optical fiber sensing technology has developed rapidly. Different from the traditional technology, it has the characteristics of anti-interference, corrosion resistance, high sensitivity, high reliability, small size, etc. It is especially suitable for large-scale long-distance distributed measurement. It is the trend of future industrialization.

With the rapid economic development and increasingly complex security conditions, some major engineering projects and key protection areas, such as airports, railway stations, and military regions, have placed high demands on security. Optical fiber sensing perimeter security technology has also become a new research hotspot in the industry.

The traditional perimeter security systems mainly include infrared radiation, vibration cable alarm systems, and video surveillance systems (coaxial cables and optical cables). Traditional security technologies have the disadvantages of poor performance, high false alarm rate, vulnerability to lightning strikes, and the use of copper cables. The industry widely believes that the fiber perimeter protection system can effectively overcome the shortcomings of current perimeter security systems, and it also has a long monitoring distance. No electromagnetic radiation, strong anti-interference ability, high reliability, relatively simple construction and Other advantages, is currently the most advanced technology, but also the current mainstream of the development of the security market. Therefore, many people believe that the perimeter management system based on optical fiber vibration sensing technology will replace the traditional technology and become the mainstream technology in the future. It is reported that many domestic companies have already launched their own fiber-optic sensor security systems.

Dr. Wang Honghai, Technical Director of Wuhan Changyet Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., told the author that there are still many problems in fiber optic security and security technology that have not been solved, and the detection of optical characteristics (attenuation, phase, wavelength, polarization, mode field distribution, and propagation time) is not mature. , The same false alarm rate, high cost, etc., can not completely replace the traditional infrared and video surveillance and other security technologies. He said that currently operating fiber-optic sensor security systems are based on the combination of fiber-optic sensing, video surveillance, and infrared radiation. And this kind of hybrid network security technology will exist for quite some time.

It is understood that in the field of optical fiber sensing, although it is a relatively new market in terms of optical communication, many companies have already launched fierce competition. This includes companies that sense the direction and direction of optical communications. Dr. Wang said that the development of the optical fiber sensing industry and the optical communication industry complement each other, and can also promote the development of the optical communications industry and its penetration into more technological areas. For example, in digital substations, with the use of all-fiber current transformers, optical communication companies will also play an important role in the field of smart grids. Some manufacturers have begun to enter this field by providing special optical fiber cables and devices and system solutions. Some optical communication companies are also entering the optical fiber sensing field, and many are also believed to be considering entering. After all, FTTH fiber-to-the-home systems already have similar experience in fiber optic security. This is not a new direction for the optical communications industry with more intense competition and low profits.

Currently, products developed based on fiber-optic sensing technology include intelligent fiber intrusion alarm systems, communication cable safety monitoring systems, oil and gas pipeline safety monitoring systems, and fiber-optic voice collection systems, etc., which are mainly used for perimeter security in major sites and security along petroleum backbone lines. .