RDTS-Based Two-Dimensional Temperature Monitoring with High Positioning Accuracy Using Grid Distribution

A novel two-dimensional (2D) positioning method based on Raman distributed temperature sensing (RDTS) has been reported to dramatically improve positioning accuracy. Using a well-designed 2D distribution of optical fiber and corresponding algorithms, the heat source can be accurately located without crosstalk; however, there is a tradeoff between sensing distance and positioning accuracy. In our experiments, an RDTS system with a spatial resolution of 0.8 m along a 3 km multimode fiber (MMF) is used with specific 2D routing rules and corresponding algorithms. A positioning accuracy of about 0.1 m is obtained without hardware modification, which could be improved through the dense arrangement of fiber; however, this would sacrifice the sensing length. This solution can be used for both flat surfaces and curved surfaces such as pipes or tank surfaces. This scheme can also be extended to three-dimensional positioning using a delicate routing design of sensing fiber.