Smart Optical Monitoring for Condition Based maintenance

This project will be a testing ground for condition-based maintenance of underground infrastructure by means of smart optical monitoring are established. Within this testing ground, a consortium of SMEs and knowledge institutions participate with the aim of sharing knowledge and expertise in an open innovation setting to develop new condition-based and predictive maintenance technology, knowledge and services, especially for the utilities sector. The project involves an innovative fiber optic sensor technology, Smart Optical Monitoring, further developed and integrated into Condition Based Maintenance programs for underground gas and gas water supply network, but also installations with hazardous gases in the process industry and other applications. With this, the underground pipeline network can also be made suitable and safe for transport and the large-scale distribution of hydrogen. Furthermore, the optical technology offers enormous possibilities for this application in the next generation of telecom fiber optic networks.

Role of SMART Photonics
For SMART Photonics, this project means the opportunity, in collaboration with technology partners to develop a new solution for the optical reading of signals in fiber optic cables. To this end, we want to develop completely new technology around a polarization randomizer with which a lot optical signals can be read more reliably and at a much lower cost. This is eminent importance for the optical sensor technology from this project, but also has a very large potential other market: the application in the new generation of fiber optic networks for the telecom sector. The reading unit developed here will be several orders of magnitude more accurate and cheaper than any existing technology in this field.

For more information please visit this website or contact Ruud Vullers at ruud.vullers@smartphotonics.nl

This project was made possible by a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund as part of OP-Zuid as well as the Provincie Noord-Brabant’. For more information see EFRO.