Neutron radiation effects on Fabry–Perot fiber optic sensors

Nuclear Power Plant operators and Generation IV plant designers are considering advanced data transmission and measurement systems to improve system economics and safety, while concurrently addressing the issue of obsolescence of instrumentation and control systems. Fiber optic sensors have advantages over traditional sensors such as immunity to electromagnetic interference or radio frequency interference, higher sensitivity and accuracy, smaller size and less weight, higher bandwidth and multiplexing capability. A Fabry–Perot fiber optic sensor utilizes a unique interferometric mechanism and data processing technique, and has potential applications in nuclear radiation environments. sensors with different gamma irradiation history were irradiated in a mixed neutron/gamma irradiation field, in which the total neutron fluence was 2.6×1016 neutrons/cm2 and the total gamma dose was 1.09 MGy. All of them experienced a temperature shift of about 34°F but responded linearly to temperature changes. An annealing phenomenon was observed as the environmental temperature increased, which reduced the offset by approximately 63%.