Thermal control system design of the demodulator for fiber optic sensors

The fiber optic sensors have been widely used in the aircraft industry for the structural testing and health monitoring. The demodulator is an important part of optical fiber sensing system, and it is sensitive to the extreme temperatures which are very common in aerospace field. In this paper, a new design for the thermal control system of demodulators is presented based on the study of the inner structure and the heat source distribution of the demodulation system. The design extends the working temperature range of the demodulator to −40°C to 70°C by the proper use of natural cooling method and accurate heating control system. Compared with the traditional design, the demodulator is smaller in size and has less energy consuming. The environment tests in different temperatures are performed and the results validate the efficiency of the design.