Nov 28 2014
The distributed fiber optic sensor market stood at $585 million in 2013. The market is projected to be $1.458 billion in 2018 with 70% associated with the oil and gas segments, according to a recent market survey report conducted by the Photonic Sensor Consortium and published by Information Gatekeepers.
The Photonics Sensor Consortium in conjunction with Light Wave Venture was started in 2003 as an independent organization to assist in the market development and commercialization of photonic sensor technology. The primary focus has been on distributed fiber optic sensors. Over the last 11years, the Consortium has tracked the market and provided overall projections and market analysis for active participants. This report is the first to be available to the general photonics industry.
Why is there such a strong interest in this technology? Fiber optic sensors represent a technology base that can be applied to a multitude of sensing applications. There are several characteristic advantages of fiber optics that make their use especially attractive for sensors:
Nonelectrical
Explosion-proof
Small size and weight
Allow access into normally inaccessible areas and harsh environments
Immune to radio frequency interference (RFI) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI)
Solid-state reliability
High accuracy
Can facilitate distributed sensing
Most physical properties can be sensed optically with fibers. Light intensity, displacement (position), temperature, pressure, rotation, sound, strain, magnetic field, electric field, radiation, flow, liquid level, chemical analysis, and vibration are just some of the phenomena that can be sensed.