Patent ID: 6655188
Filing Date: 2003-12-02
Classification: G01D,G01R,G01V

Abstract:
Method of obtaining scale factor calibration of an electro-optic conversion unit in a fibre optic sensor head, the sensor comprisingin the conversion unit in the sensor head a conversion element and associated electrical conductors for creating electric or magnetic fields, an optical fibre being attached to the conversion element, an electro-optical interrogation and read-out device, the conversion element being at least partly made from material(s) which causes the shape or physical dimensions of the element to change when subjected to said fields thus straining the fibre and providing a phase and/or intensity modulation of an optical signal in the fiber, the optical signal being detectable in the electro-optical interrogation readout device, characterized inapplying electric signals produced in a sensing unit to the electrical conductors of the conversion unit, thus producing said electric and magnetic fields, applying a chosen electric reference or calibration signal to the electric conductors of the conversion element by means of an electric supply unit, also producing said electric and magnetic fields, using the resulting optical signals received by the interrogation and read-out device to calculate a calibration scale factor related with the conversion element.