Comprehensive comparison of distributed and point fibre optic temperature sensors

Fibre optic sensors offer promising solutions for accurate and precise temperature monitoring across diverse application areas. This study experimentally evaluates the performance of several widely-used fibre optic temperature sensing technologies, including distributed fibre sensing systems based on Raman, Brillouin, and Rayleigh scattering effects, as well as point sensing based on fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs). Under identical thermal conditions, each sensor type is assessed in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, and uncertainty. Distributed measurements are obtained through using Raman optical time domain reflectometry, Brillouin optical time domain analysis, and optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). The results obtained show clear differences in the sensitivity and precision observed, with OFDR and FBGs demonstrating superior stability and repeatability. This comparative analysis, undertaken in this comprehensive way for the first time, offers industry a wealth of foundational data for selecting suitable fibre optic temperature sensors, which can be tailored to their application-specific requirements.