Experimental study on practical application of optical fiber sensor (OFS) for high-temperature system

Abstract

This study explores the application of Raman scattering-based optical fiber sensors (OFSs) in extreme environments, specifically focusing on a loop heater vessel with temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 680 °C. This condition generally covers the advanced reactor designs, such as Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor and High Temperature Reactor. Various optical fiber combinations were employed for temperature measurements, taking into consideration the operating temperature of the target equipment. Two types of OFSs, gold-coated and polyimide-coated, were utilized. Protective tubes made of stainless steel (STS) and carbon were introduced to ensure reliable temperature data collection in high-temperature settings. Results indicate that the STS tube with a gold-coated OFS exhibited the highest consistency and agreement with thermocouple measurements, making it suitable for extreme environments. The study emphasizes the applicability of this system in high-temperature environments, such as liquid metal reactors, high-temperature thermal energy storage system, and hydrogen production system, for environmental monitoring.

Keywords

• Optical fiber sensor (OFS)
• Raman scattering
• Distributed temperature sensing (DTS)
• High-temperature applications
• Sodium-cooled fast reactor