Tag: Fiber Optics

FIBER OPTICS PREDICTING LANDSLIDES

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

Over the years, there have been a number of ways developed in an attempt to figure out how it might be possible to predict landslides. One of the more recent to appear happens to utilize fiber optic cables to create something like a nervous system, or more accurately a spider web that can be monitored for vibrations to determine if a landslide is going to occur. Of course, it may not seem like much to learn to predict landslides, but actually thousands die every year because of rock falls and landslides and this is just one of many technologies that can help assist people in avoiding those problems all together.
The device that is currently used to determine problems with landslides is called an electronic inclinometer and is placed on slopes that are considered a major risk, but only notifies us when the slope’s angle is changed from what it was originally. This gives us little more than minutes to do anything about it, and that means anyone already there has no warning or time to react. This is what led to new methods being sought out.
Instead, this new system would be implanting modules of fiber optic cables all around slopes that are problematic, then as any of the soil shifts or any pressure is built into tensile strain the modules will catch it and relay it back to someone, which can give upwards of a few hours or more for action to be taken. These fiber optic modules are also far sturdier than the inclinometer, which means less damage done to them as well when a slide occurs.
This version with fiber optics was also developed after an idea about using acoustic sensors in the mountains could help determine when I slide might occur. So far, the fiber cables seem to be more effective, but scientists are still doing their best to determine what other kinds of options they have with predicting landslides to save more people.

FIBER OPTICS HELPING WITH PREGNANCY TESTS

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

In an earlier post, we discussed the virtue of “going optic” and how America should be rewired, so to speak, with fiber optics – and while we focused primarily on Internet speeds, we would do you a grave disservice if we didn’t talk about all the other exciting developments going on in the world of fiber optics, most notably regarding pregnancy and ailments.
10769396_SAccording to this Medical Daily article, fiber optics might make it possible for smartphones to detect pregnancy and monitor diabetes. We have come a long, long way from the Stone Age – that’s for sure – like we’re riding a train made of fiber optics and bulleting into the future. You see, smartphones are on their way to reading biomolecular tests, such as pregnancy tests, thanks to developing research from Hanover Centre for Optical Technologies in Germany.
The brains behind this project, Kort Bremer and Bernhard Roth, say, “We have the potential to develop small and robust lab-on-a-chip devices for smartphones. So, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors could become ubiquitous now. SPR is what affords “real-time, label-free detection of biomolecular interactions…when polarized light strikes an electrically conducting surface at the interface between two media.”
In other words, they are developing a self-contained sensor that will be able to operate within an app. If development takes off, this sensor will assist app users with blood, urine, saliva, sweat, breath, and more. This seems straight out of science fiction, doesn’t it? It’s happening though, which shows just how powerful fiber optics can be.
We have cool developments with fiber optics in terms of the medical industry. This all might be speeded up if this fiber optic evolution completes its course. An engineering breakthrough by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, has the potential to double the speed of fiber optic networks.
PowerlinesAs reported in this CIO Today article, “The discovery at UC San Diego would potentially allow optical signals to be transmitted with far greater energy without suffering from the same level of distortion. That, in turn, would mean fewer signal repeaters would be required. The researchers were able to transmit a signal 12,000 kilometers without using repeaters and successfully decode it – a new record. “
At Connected Fiber, we are more than thrilled with this discovery as it could change the face of fiber optics as we know it, but also all the industries that depend on fiber optics. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

USING FIBER OPTICS TO COMMUNICATE IN OUTER SPACE

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

Whew…much of what we talk about this blog seems to be the stuff of sci-fi poetry. Underwater cables spider webbing the world, bringing together our various voices and helping us to communicate. Additionally, a lot of what we talk about seems to be the stuff of sci-fi espionage or cosmic noir. All up and down the California coast, shadowy criminals cutting cords in the middle of the night. That is all fascinating, but there’s one thing we’ve haven’t brought up and that’s how fiber optics will help humanity take that next great leap: space. Yes, we’re talking about space travel. There has been much momentum of late regarding the technological capabilities of manmade space travel with the help of fiber optics. Or, at the very least, can help humanity better shoot their message into space as discussed in this Live Science article.
Stephanie Pappas of Live Science talks with Doug Vakoch, a researcher at the SETI Institute in charge of interstellar message composition, which means an organization dedicated to trying to make contact with aliens. We know, we know – a little farfetched, but it’s interesting to see how fiber optics plays a role in this (almost) Holy Grail quest.
HE SAYS, “IF ANOTHER CIVILIZATION WANTS TO CONCEAL ITS IDENTITY, IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ENCRYPTION. IF YOU LOOK AT TELECOMMUNICATIONS AS IT IS DEVELOPING HERE ON EARTH, WE HAVE BEEN NOISY IN THE PAST. WE HAD A LOT OF TV AND RADIO GOING OUT INTO SPACE. NOW, AS WE SHIFT TO COMMUNICATION BY FIBER-OPTIC OR BY TELECOMMUNICATION SATELLITE, THERE IS LESS OF THIS LEAKAGE GOING OFF INTO SPACE.”
We understand what you must be thinking – That guy sounds crazy, and you might be right, but whether aliens exist or don’t exist isn’t really the point; what’s important to note is that more and more people see fiber optics as a way to branch off into space, into that great beyond. If we can spider web the world through undersea cables, wouldn’t it make sense if we can spider the skies above? It makes sense to us!

FIBER OPTICS WILL SOON CONNECT REMOTE ARCTIC COMMUNITIES

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

You might think your old DSL connection was slow, but it’s still probably a whole lot faster than the internet connections that reach many of the residents of the Alaskan North Slope and Bering Sea coastline. These folks are still stuck with near dial-up speeds from satellite providers that are prone to latency and connectivity issues. In recent years, this lack of reliable broadband access has hampered economic development, education and healthcare in the region.
Before too long, however, more than 26,500 Alaska residents will be connected to the rest of the world by a 1 Gbps fiber optic network. The project is called the “Quintillion Sub-Sea Cable System,” and it’s expected to reach 6 villages in Alaska by mid-2017.
The first phase of the project will focus on connecting northern Alaska with the country’s lower 48 states. Phase two and three will connect Japan and London to the network via 15,000 km of undersea cable. This will not only dramatically improve connectivity to the arctic, but also act as a backup connection to Europe and Asia in case undersea cables connected to the East Coast of North America are compromised.
The project has been delayed a number of times since it was first announced in 2013, but now it’s finally about to become a reality. Residents in Alaska are understandably excited about the new opportunities that will be afforded by Gigabit Internet speeds. Healthcare facilities in particular are looking forward to being able to communicate with doctors around the globe and provide improved care for patients.
Once this massive undertaking is complete, we’ll be one step closer to living in a connected, cooperative world.

How Fiber Optics Are Made?

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

Many people ask how fiber optics are made. You can’t just use “regular” glass. If you were to make optical fiber from ordinary window glass, the light that you shine through it would have a difficult time traveling more than a few kilometers, let alone the distances necessary for long distance transmission. That’s because ordinary glass contains distortions, discolorations and other impurities that would quickly absorb, reflect, or otherwise disperse light long before it could travel any great distance.

Read Corning’s Advantages of the Corning Process

In contrast, because optical fiber is actually made from very pure glass, the light traverses great distances largely unimpeded by impurities and distortions.

Fiber Optic Cable – Light How it Works

To transmit light effectively, fiber optic cable must contain glass of the highest purity. The process of making glass with this level of purity is very demanding, requiring careful control over the materials and processes involved. Yet, the fundamental concept is simple. Essentially, optical fiber is made from drawing molten fiber from a heated glass blank or “preform.” The following provides a more detailed explanation of the three basic steps involved in making optical fiber.

Step #1

Create the Fiber Optic Preform

A preform is a cylindrical glass blank that provides the source material from which the glass fiber will be drawn in a single, continuous strand.

Making a preform involves a chemical process known as Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD). This process involves bubbling oxygen through various chemical solutions including germanium chloride (GeC14) and silicon chloride (SiC14).

The bubbling chemicals produce gas that is directed into a hollow, rotating tube made of synthetic silica or quartz.  A torch is moved up and down the rotating tube, resulting in very high temperatures that cause the gas to react with oxygen to form silicon dioxide (Si02) and germanium dioxide (Ge02). These two chemicals adhere to the inside of the rotating tube where they fuse together to form extremely pure glass.

Creating the preform takes several hours, after which additional time is required for the glass blank to cool.  Once cooled, the glass is tested to ensure that it meets quality standards, especially in terms of index of refraction.

Step #2

Draw Optical Fiber from the Preform In this step, the finished glass preform is installed at the top of a tower which supports various devices used in the fiber drawing process.

The process begins by lowering one end of the preform into an in-line furnace that produces heat in a range of 3,400 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. As the lower end of the preform begins to melt, it forms a molten glob that is pulled downward by gravity.  Trailing behind the glob is a thin strand of glass that cools and solidifies quickly.

The equipment operator threads this glass strand through the remainder of the devices on the tower, which include a number of buffer coating applicators and ultraviolet curing ovens. Finally, the operator connects the fiber to a tractor mechanism.

The tractor device pulls the glass strand from the preform at a rate of 33 to 66 feet per second.  The actual speed at which the tractor pulls the strand is dependent upon the feedback information the device receives from a laser micrometer that continually measures the fiber’s diameter.

At the end of the run, the completed fiber is wound onto a spool.

Step # 3

Test the Fiber Optics

The completed optical fiber must undergo a number of tests to determine the quality of the finished product.  The following are a few of the assessments involved:

• Refractive index profile
• Fiber geometry inspection, including core, cladding and coating
• Tensile strength
• Bandwidth capacity
• Attenuation at different wavelengths
• Chromatic dispersion
• Operating temperature and humidity range

Quality Control in Optical Fiber Production

Various factors influence the quality and purity of the optical fiber produced.  These include:

Chemical Composition – Achieving optimal ratios of the various chemicals used to create the preform is important for achieving glass purity.  This mixture of chemicals also determines the optical properties of the fiber that will be produced from the preform, including coefficient of expansion, index of refraction, and so forth.

Gas Monitoring – It is crucial that the gas composition and rate of flow be monitored throughout the process of creating the preform.  It is also important that any valves, tubes and pipes that come into contact with the gas be made of corrosion-resistant materials.

Heat and Rotation – The hollow cylinder that is used to create the preform must be heated at the proper temperature and continually rotated to enable the chemicals to be deposited evenly.