Fiber optic equipment operation monitoring

Abstract

A monitoring device may receive sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high power fiber laser from a set of sensors associated with the optical device. The monitoring device may determine a set of operational attributes of the optical device based on the sensor information. The set of operational attributes may include a health attribute describing a health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation attribute describing a degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environment attribute describing an environment of the optical device, or a process attribute relating to a process in which the optical device is being used. The monitoring device may identify whether an operational attribute of the set of operational attributes satisfies a condition, and may selectively perform a monitoring action based on whether the operational attribute satisfies the condition.

Description

[0001] Divisional Application Instructions

[0002] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of February 21, 2019, the Chinese national application number 201910128766.0, and the invention name “Optical Fiber Equipment Operation Monitoring”. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to high power fiber lasers, and more particularly, to operational monitoring of optical devices included in high power fiber lasers. Background Art

[0004] A high power fiber laser is a fiber laser capable of delivering a relatively high output power. For example, the output power of a high power fiber laser can range from tens of watts to several kilowatts. A high power fiber laser includes one or more optical devices that enable the high power fiber laser to deliver such a relatively high output power. For example, a high power fiber laser can include a fiber optic beam combiner that receives multiple optical inputs from multiple laser modules (e.g., via corresponding input fibers) and combines the multiple optical inputs to form an optical output in a single output fiber (e.g., such that the optical power from the multiple optical inputs is combined in the optical output). Summary of the invention

[0005] According to some embodiments, a method may include: receiving, by a monitoring device, sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high power fiber laser, wherein the sensor information is received from a set of sensors associated with the optical device; determining, by the monitoring device and based on the sensor information, a set of operational properties of the optical device, wherein the set of operational properties includes at least one of: a health property describing the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation property describing degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property describing an environment of the optical device, or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used; identifying, by the monitoring device, whether an operational property in the set of operational properties satisfies a condition; and selectively performing a monitoring action, by the monitoring device, based on whether the operational property satisfies the condition.

[0006] According to some embodiments, a monitoring device may include one or more processors for: receiving sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high power fiber laser, wherein the sensor information is received from a set of sensors associated with the optical device; determining a set of operational properties of the optical device based on the sensor information, wherein the set of operational properties includes at least one of: a health property describing the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation property describing degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property describing an environment of the optical device, or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used; identifying whether an operational property in the set of operational properties satisfies a condition; and selectively performing a monitoring action based on whether the operational property satisfies the condition.

[0007] According to some possible embodiments, a method may include: identifying, by a monitoring device, a set of monitoring functions from a plurality of monitoring functions to be performed by the monitoring device in association with monitoring an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, wherein the set of monitoring functions includes at least one of: a health monitoring function associated with monitoring the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation monitoring function associated with monitoring the degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental monitoring function associated with monitoring the environment of the optical device, or a process monitoring function associated with monitoring a process in which the optical device is operating; determining, by the monitoring device, at least one set of operational attributes of the optical device, each operational attribute in the at least one set of operational attributes being associated with a corresponding one of the identified set of monitoring functions; wherein the at least one set of operational attributes is determined based on sensor information associated with the optical device and received from a set of sensors during operation of the optical device; and selectively performing, by the monitoring device, a monitoring action based on the at least one set of operational attributes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a diagram of an exemplary operations monitor for performing operational monitoring of an optical device included in a high power fiber laser as described herein.

[0009] Figure 2A-2D This is a diagram showing an example associated with operation monitoring when the optical device included in the high-power fiber laser is a fiber combiner.

[0010] Figure 3 is a diagram of exemplary components of an operations monitor described herein.

[0011] Figure 4 and Figure 5is a flow chart of an exemplary process described herein for performing operational monitoring of an optical device included in a high power fiber laser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0013] The high power fiber laser may include one or more optical devices that enable the high power fiber laser to provide a relatively high output power (e.g., at least 10 watts (W)) from a single optical fiber. For example, as described above, the high power fiber laser may include a fiber combiner that receives multiple optical inputs from multiple laser modules (e.g., via respective input fibers) and combines these multiple optical inputs to form an optical output in a single output fiber.

[0014] Due to the high optical power of high-power fiber lasers, the possibility of catastrophic failure of optical devices included in high-power fiber lasers (e.g., failure of one or more components of a fiber combiner) is an important issue in the design of high-power fiber lasers. As a result, monitoring the optical devices of high-power fiber lasers in order to detect and / or prevent catastrophic failures is important to ensure safe and reliable operation of high-power fiber lasers. In addition, applications in which high-power fiber lasers are used may cause problems for high-power fiber lasers. For example, back reflections are an important issue in high-power fiber laser applications, such as cutting, welding, or material deposition (e.g., because high-power back reflections can cause significant damage to components of high-power fiber lasers). It is worth noting that in lower power applications such as telecommunications applications, back reflections are not as important an issue.

[0015] Some embodiments described herein provide an operations monitor capable of performing one or more monitoring functions associated with monitoring an optical device included in a high power fiber laser. In some embodiments, the one or more monitoring functions may include: a health monitoring function associated with monitoring the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation monitoring function associated with monitoring degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental monitoring function associated with monitoring the environment of the optical device, and / or a process monitoring function associated with monitoring a process in which the optical device is operating.

[0016] In some embodiments, when performing a given monitoring function, the operation monitor can determine a set of operational properties of the optical device based on sensor information received from the set of sensors during operation of the optical device. In some embodiments, a given sensor in the set of sensors is positioned at a specific location, where the specific location depends on the monitoring function that the given sensor is to be used for. Here, by positioning the given sensor at a specific location, the accuracy and reliability of the operation monitor can be achieved (i.e., the specific location can be an optimal or near-optimal location for collecting sensor information to be used for the associated monitoring function). Additional details regarding sensor positioning are described below.

[0017] Figure 1A and Figure 1B 1 is a diagram of an exemplary operation monitor 100 for performing operation monitoring of an optical device 160 included in a high power fiber laser 150. As shown, the operation monitor 100 may be configured with a collection of monitoring functions, including, for example, a health monitor 110, a degradation monitor 120, an environmental monitor 130, and / or a process monitor 140. As further shown, the high power fiber laser 150 includes an optical device 160, which includes a collection of optical components 170 and a collection of sensor components 180. The following provides information about Figure 1A Details of the devices shown in FIG. 1 are described below, followed by a description of an exemplary process of operation monitoring performed by the operation monitor 100 .

[0018] The operation monitor 100 includes a device capable of performing operation monitoring of an optical device 160 included in the high power fiber laser 150. In some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 may include a server, a group of servers, a user device (e.g., a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, etc.), and / or another type of computing and communication device. In some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 includes a communication interface that allows the operation monitor 100 to receive information from and / or send information to other devices associated with the high power fiber laser 150, such as a collection of sensor components 180, a controller (not shown) associated with the high power fiber laser 150, and the like.

[0019] In some implementations, performing operations monitoring may include executing one or more monitoring functions configured on operations monitor 100. Figure 1A As shown, the monitoring functions configured on the operation monitor 100 may include, for example, a health monitor 110, a degradation monitor 120, an environmental monitor 130, and / or a process monitor 140. Figure 1B Provides additional details about these monitoring functions.

[0020] The high power fiber laser 150 comprises a fiber laser capable of delivering a relatively high output power (e.g., at least 10 watts). As shown, the high power fiber laser 150 comprises an optical device 160 that enables the high power fiber laser 150 to provide such a relatively high output power. For example, the optical device 160 may comprise a fiber combiner or another device included in the high power fiber laser 150.

[0021] The set of optical components 170 includes one or more optical components of the optical device 160. For example, when the optical device 160 is a fiber combiner, the set of optical components 170 may include a set of input optical fibers, input optical fiber attachment components (e.g., glue, epoxy, etc.), tapered waveguides, output optical fiber attachment components (e.g., glue, epoxy, etc.), output optical fibers, a housing, etc. Figure 2A and Figure 2B A specific example of the optical component 170 is described when the optical device 160 is a fiber combiner.

[0022] The set of sensor components 180 includes one or more sensors that can collect sensor information associated with the optical device 160 and provide the sensor information to the operation monitor 100 (e.g., for use in performing operation monitoring). For example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more temperature sensors to measure the temperature at or near a specific location in the optical device 160 (e.g., at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170, within the housing of the optical device 160, etc.). As another example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more power monitors to measure the optical power associated with the optical device 160. As another example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more photodiodes to measure the optical power at a specific location in the optical device 160 (e.g., scattered light at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170, back-reflected light propagating through the optical device 160, etc.). As another example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more stress sensors to measure stress at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170. As another example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more cameras arranged to detect hot spots at or near one or more of the set of optical components 170. As another example, the set of sensor components 180 may include one or more humidity sensors arranged to measure humidity at a particular location in the optical device 160 (e.g., at or near one or more of the set of optical components 170, within a housing of the optical device 160, etc.).

[0023] In some embodiments, a given sensor in the set of sensor components 180 can be positioned at a specific location, where the specific location depends on the monitoring function that the given sensor is to be used for. In some embodiments, the specific location is selected so that the performance of the associated monitoring function is improved due to the positioning of the sensor at the specific location. In other words, one or more components in the set of sensor components 180 can be positioned in an optimal or near-optimal location to achieve reliable and accurate operational monitoring (e.g., compared to arbitrary positioning of the sensors). Figure 2A and Figure 2B An illustrative example of positioning of a collection of sensor components 180 is described where optical device 160 is a fiber combiner.

[0024] In operation, such as Figure 1A As shown beginning at reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 , the operation monitor 100 may receive sensor information associated with the optical device 160 from one or more of a set of sensor components 180. The sensor information includes information associated with measurements performed by one or more sensor components 180. The sensor information may include, for example, information identifying a temperature at or near a particular location in the optical device 160 (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a temperature sensor), information identifying an optical power associated with the optical device 160 (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a power monitor), information identifying an optical power at or near a particular location in the optical device 160 (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a photodiode), information identifying an intensity of stress at a particular location (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a stress sensor), information indicating a hot spot at a particular location (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a camera), information identifying a relative humidity at a particular location in the optical device 160 (when the set of sensor components 180 includes a humidity sensor), and the like.

[0025] In some embodiments, the operations monitor 100 may receive the sensor information based on requesting the sensor information from the one or more sensor components 180. Additionally or alternatively, the operations monitor 100 may receive the sensor information based on the sensor information being automatically provided by the one or more sensor components 180 (e.g., when the one or more sensor components 180 are configured to provide the sensor information on a periodic basis, at a specific time, based on a measurement threshold, etc.).

[0026] In some embodiments, the sensor information may include information provided by each component in the set of sensor components 180 (e.g., when the operations monitor 100 requests sensor information from each component in the set of sensor components 180, when each component in the set of sensors 180 is configured to provide sensor information at a specific time, etc.). Alternatively, the sensor information may include information provided by a subset of the set of sensor components 180. For example, when the operations monitor 100 is to perform a specific monitoring function, the operations monitor 100 may request sensor information from a subset of the set of sensors 180 that provides the sensor information required to perform the specific monitoring function.

[0027] The operation monitor 100 may perform operation monitoring of the optical device 160 based on the sensor information. For example, the operation monitor 100 may perform one or more of the monitoring functions configured on the operation monitor 100.

[0028] In some implementations, the operations monitor 100 may identify a set of monitoring functions to be performed by the operations monitor 100 from a set of monitoring functions configured on the operations monitor 100. As an illustrative example, Figure 1A As shown, the operation monitor 100 can be configured with four different monitoring functions. In one example, the operation monitor 100 identifies three of the four monitoring functions (e.g., health monitoring, degradation monitoring, and process monitoring) for execution, which means that the operation monitor 100 can execute each of the three identified monitoring functions (e.g., using the health monitor 110, the degradation monitor 120, and the process monitor 140, respectively). The operation monitor 100 then executes the three identified monitoring functions in association with the monitoring optical device 160.

[0029] In some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 can identify a set of monitoring functions based on a configuration of the operation monitor 100. For example, the operation monitor 100 can receive configuration information (e.g., from a user device, from a controller, etc.) that identifies a set of monitoring functions to be performed by the operation monitor 100. In some embodiments, such configuration information can be updated (e.g., so that the set of monitoring functions can be modified based on further configuration). In some embodiments, the configuration information can be determined by the controller (e.g., when the controller is configured to identify the set of monitoring functions and provide information associated with the configuration to the operation monitor 100). As another example, the operation monitor 100 can receive configuration information as a result of user input to the high power fiber laser system (e.g., via a user device).

[0030] In some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 may identify a set of monitoring functions based on the results of a previous execution of one or more monitoring functions. For example, the operation monitor 100 may identify a first set of monitoring functions for execution, and may execute the first set of monitoring functions, including determining whether one or more operational attributes satisfy corresponding relevant conditions, as described below. Here, if one or more operational attributes satisfy corresponding relevant conditions, the operation monitor 100 may be configured to identify a second set of monitoring functions for execution. In other words, upon reaching a specific result associated with the identified first set of monitoring functions, the operation monitor 100 may be configured to identify a second set of monitoring functions for the next iteration of operational monitoring of the optical device 160. In this way, the identification of a set of monitoring functions may be dynamically updated in response to the results of previous operational monitoring.

[0031] As another example, the operation monitor 100 may identify a first set of monitoring functions for execution, and may execute the first set of monitoring functions, as described below. Here, after the execution of the first set of monitoring functions, the operation monitor 100 may be configured to identify a second set of monitoring functions for execution. In other words, after the execution of the first set of monitoring functions, the operation monitor 100 may be configured to identify a second set of monitoring functions for the next iteration of the operation monitoring of the optical device 160. In this way, the identification of the set of monitoring functions may be automatically cycled among the monitoring functions, which increases the diversity of the operation monitoring of the optical device 160.

[0032] In some embodiments, when performing a set of monitoring functions, the operation monitor 100 may first determine a set of operational properties associated with the optical device 160, as shown at 12. The operational properties include information indicating properties of the optical device 160 during operation of the high power fiber laser 150. In some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 may determine the set of operational properties based on sensor information.

[0033] In some embodiments, the operational attributes may include health attributes including information indicating the health of one or more components in the set of optical components 170 of the optical device 160. Additionally or alternatively, the operational attributes may include degradation attributes including information indicating degradation of one or more components in the set of optical components 170 of the optical device 160. Additionally or alternatively, the operational attributes may include environmental attributes including information indicating the environment of the optical device 160. Additionally or alternatively, the operational attributes may include process attributes associated with the process in which the high power fiber laser 150 is being used. Illustrative examples of these operational attributes in the context of a fiber combiner are described below.

[0034] like Figure 1A As shown, and with reference to reference numeral 14, the operation monitor 100 can identify whether an operation attribute included in a set of operation attributes satisfies a corresponding condition. In some embodiments, a given condition is associated with a given monitoring function. The condition may include, for example, a threshold value for a particular operation attribute, a threshold range for a particular operation attribute, a binary flag (e.g., true / false, yes / no, positive / negative) associated with a particular operation attribute, and the like.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in reference numeral 16, the operation monitor 100 may selectively perform a monitoring action based on whether the operation attribute satisfies a condition. For example, when the operation attribute satisfies the condition, the operation monitor 100 may perform a monitoring action. On the contrary, when the operation attribute does not satisfy the condition, the operation monitor 100 may not perform a monitoring action.

[0036] As an illustrative example, in the case of process monitoring, the condition may be a threshold power of back-reflected light at a specific optical component 170 of the optical device 160 (e.g., at an input fiber attachment component of a fiber combiner). Here, if the process attribute associated with the specific optical component 170 indicates that the intensity of the back-reflected light at the specific optical component 170 satisfies the threshold power, the operation monitor 100 may perform the associated monitoring action. Conversely, if the process attribute associated with the specific optical component 170 indicates that the intensity of the back-reflected light at the specific optical component 170 does not satisfy the threshold power, the operation monitor 100 may not perform the associated monitoring action. Figure 2A and Figure 2B Additional illustrative examples of the performance of monitoring functions in the context of a fiber combiner are described.

[0037] In some embodiments, the monitoring action may include providing (e.g., to a user device and / or a controller associated with the high power fiber laser 150) an error code indicating that the operational attribute meets the condition (e.g., so that the operation can be notified of the operational condition). Additionally or alternatively, the monitoring action may include causing another optical device (e.g., one or more laser modules included in the high power fiber laser 150, etc.) to be powered off, causing the power level of another optical device to be adjusted (e.g., increased or decreased), and / or another type of action.

[0038] In some embodiments, the monitoring action may be an action associated with adjusting or optimizing the performance of the high power fiber laser 150. As an illustrative example, in the case of environmental monitoring, the condition may be a threshold temperature at a particular optical component 170 of the optical device 160 (e.g., on or within the housing of the optical device 160). Here, if the environmental attribute associated with the particular optical component 170 indicates that the temperature meets the threshold temperature, the operation monitor 100 may perform an associated monitoring action, such as lowering the cooler temperature. As another example, in the case of environmental monitoring, the condition may be a threshold humidity at a particular optical component 170 of the optical device 160 (e.g., on or within the housing of the optical device 160). Here, if the environmental attribute associated with the particular optical component 170 indicates that the humidity meets the threshold humidity, the operation monitor 100 may perform an associated monitoring action, such as energizing a dehumidifier of the high power fiber laser 150.

[0039] Generally, sensor information collected by the collection of sensor components 180 can be utilized by the operations monitor 100 in a closed-loop control system that allows for adjustment and / or optimization of the performance of the high power fiber laser 150. In this manner, the operations monitor 100 enables the high power fiber laser 150 to be intelligent.

[0040] Figure 1B Is to show about Figure 1A FIG. 1 is a diagram of details of monitoring functions configured on the operation monitor 100 in FIG. As described above, in some embodiments, the operation monitor 100 may be configured with a health monitor 110 , a degradation monitor 120 , an environment monitor 130 , and / or a process monitor 140 .

[0041] The health monitor 110 includes one or more components capable of monitoring the health of one or more components in the set of optical components 170. In some embodiments, the health of the optical component 170 can be described by a health attribute in the form of a thermal slope linearity associated with the optical component 170. In general, the higher the optical power in a given optical component 170, the more light will leak (e.g., from the core to the cladding), which increases the heat in and around the optical component 170. In a healthy optical component 170, the relationship between temperature and optical power is approximately linear (e.g., such that as the optical power increases, the temperature increases approximately linearly). However, in a relatively unhealthy optical component 170, the temperature increases nonlinearly (e.g., quadratically, parabolically, exponentially, etc.) with the optical power. In some embodiments, the nonlinearity can be caused, for example, by contamination, the presence of OH ions, color centers, etc. Here, the nonlinearity can be indicative of an unhealthy optical component 170.

[0042] In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 can determine thermal slope linearity (i.e., whether the temperature-optical power relationship is approximately linear) based on sensor information including information identifying the temperature at or near the optical component 170 (e.g., provided by a temperature sensor) and information identifying the optical power at the optical component 170 (e.g., provided by a power monitor). In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 can determine the thermal slope linearity during a calibration process performed when the high power fiber laser 150 is powered on. In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 can determine the thermal slope linearity of one or more components in the set of optical components 170.

[0043] In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 may identify whether the determined thermal slope linearity satisfies a linearity condition (e.g., whether the thermal slope linearity indicates that the temperature-optical power relationship satisfies a linearity threshold), and may selectively perform monitoring actions accordingly. Figure 2C A specific example of thermal slope linear based health monitoring of the health monitor 110 is described.

[0044] In some embodiments, the health of the optical component 170 can be described by a health attribute in the form of a fiber damage / fuse attribute associated with the optical component 170. The fiber damage / fuse attribute is an attribute that indicates the extent of fiber damage and / or the extent of fiber melting experienced by the optical component 170 (e.g., an input fiber or an output fiber). In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 can determine the fiber damage / fuse attribute based on sensor information that includes information indicating the intensity of scattered light at or near the optical component 170 (e.g., sensor information provided by a photodiode). For example, microcracks caused by fiber damage can cause scattered light at or near the damaged fiber, and this scattered light can be detected by the photodiode. In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 can determine the fiber damage / fuse attribute of one or more components in the set of optical components 170.

[0045] In some embodiments, the health monitor 110 may identify whether the determined fiber damage / melt properties satisfy a damage / melt condition (eg, whether the intensity of scattered light satisfies a threshold), and may selectively perform monitoring actions accordingly.

[0046] The degradation monitor 120 includes one or more components capable of monitoring degradation of one or more components in the set of optical components 170. In some embodiments, degradation of the optical component 170 can be described by a degradation attribute in the form of a hot spot (e.g., an area of ​​relatively high temperature) associated with the optical component 170. A hot spot is an example of an attribute that indicates degradation experienced by the optical component 170 (e.g., caused by wear, increased contamination, etc.). In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can identify the hot spot based on sensor information that includes information indicating a temperature at or near the optical component 170 (e.g., sensor information provided by a temperature sensor or a thermal imager). In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can be configured to identify a hot spot at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170.

[0047] In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can identify whether a hotspot exists based on determining whether the temperature at or near a given location satisfies a temperature condition (e.g., whether the temperature at or near a given location satisfies a threshold), and optionally identifies whether the size of the hotspot satisfies a size condition (e.g., whether the size of the hotspot satisfies a threshold), and can selectively perform monitoring actions accordingly.

[0048] In some embodiments, degradation of the optical component 170 can be described by a degradation property in the form of the intensity of scattered light at or near the optical component 170. Scattered light is another example of a property indicative of degradation experienced by the optical component 170. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can determine the intensity of the scattered light based on sensor information provided by a photodiode disposed at or near the optical component 170. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can be configured to determine the intensity of scattered light at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170.

[0049] In some implementations, the degradation monitor 120 may identify whether the intensity of the scattered light satisfies a scattered light condition (eg, whether the intensity of the scattered light satisfies a threshold), and may selectively perform a monitoring action accordingly.

[0050] In some embodiments, degradation of the optical component 170 can be described by a degradation attribute in the form of an intensity of stress at or near the optical component 170. Stress is another example of an attribute that indicates degradation experienced by the optical component 170. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can determine the intensity of the stress based on sensor information provided by a stress sensor disposed at or near the optical component 170. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can be configured to determine the intensity of the stress at or near one or more components in the set of optical components 170. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can use polarimeter technology to determine the intensity of the stress. In some embodiments, the degradation monitor 120 can use optical fiber or other strain sensors to determine the intensity of the stress.

[0051] In some implementations, the degradation monitor 120 may identify whether the intensity of the stress satisfies a stress condition (eg, whether the intensity of the stress satisfies a threshold), and may selectively perform a monitoring action accordingly.

[0052] The environmental monitor 130 includes one or more components capable of monitoring the environment of the optical device 160. In some embodiments, the environment of the optical device 160 can be described by an environmental attribute in the form of temperature. In some embodiments, the environmental monitor 130 can determine the temperature (e.g., the temperature at, near, or inside the optical device 160) based on sensor information provided by a temperature sensor disposed at or near the optical device 160. In some embodiments, the environmental monitor 130 can identify whether the temperature satisfies a temperature condition (e.g., whether the temperature satisfies a threshold value), and can selectively perform a monitoring action accordingly.

[0053] In some embodiments, the environment of the optical device 160 can be described by an environmental attribute in the form of relative humidity. In some embodiments, the environmental monitor 130 can determine the relative humidity (e.g., the relative humidity at, near, or inside the optical device 160) based on sensor information provided by a humidity sensor disposed at or near the optical device 160. In some embodiments, the environmental monitor 130 can identify whether the amount of humidity satisfies a humidity condition (e.g., whether the relative humidity satisfies a threshold value), and can selectively perform a monitoring action accordingly.

[0054] The process monitor 140 is capable of monitoring a process in which the high power fiber laser 150 is being used. In some embodiments, the process associated with the high power fiber laser 150 can be monitored based on a process attribute in the form of the intensity of the back-reflected light. In some embodiments, the process monitor 140 can determine the intensity of the back-reflected light (e.g., the optical power of the back-reflected light at the optical component 170) based on sensor information provided by a photodiode disposed at or near a particular optical component 170. In some embodiments, the process monitor 140 can identify whether the intensity of the back-reflected light satisfies a back-reflection condition (e.g., whether the optical power of the back-reflected light is less than or equal to a threshold value), and can selectively perform monitoring actions accordingly.

[0055] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The number and arrangement of components shown and described in the foregoing are provided as examples. In practice, the operation monitor 100, the high power fiber laser 150, and / or the optical device 160 may include additional components, different components, differently arranged components, etc. in addition to those shown and described above. Additionally or alternatively, a collection of components (e.g., one or more components) of the operation monitor 100, the high power fiber laser 150, and / or the optical device 160 may respectively perform one or more functions described as being performed by another collection of components of the operation monitor 100, the high power fiber laser 150, and / or the optical device 160.

[0056] Figure 2A-2D 2 is a diagram showing an example of operation monitoring when the optical device 160 is a fiber combiner 200. Figure 2A As shown, the fiber combiner 200 may include a collection of optical components 170, which includes a set of input optical fibers 210, an input fiber attachment component 220 (e.g., glue, epoxy resin, etc.), a tapered waveguide 230, a splice 240, an output fiber attachment component 250 (e.g., glue, epoxy resin, etc.), an output optical fiber 260 and a housing 270.

[0057] As noted above, in some embodiments, one or more components in the set of sensor components 180 may be positioned in an optimal or near-optimal position to enable reliable and accurate operational monitoring. Figure 2A and Figure 2B This positioning is shown for the fiber combiner 200. More specifically, Figure 2A The approximate area (identified by the dashed line) in which the sensor component 180 may be positioned is shown, and Figure 2B The association between these areas and the monitoring functions that can be configured on the operation monitor 100 is shown. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The associated examples illustrate that one or more sensors of a particular type may be positioned in a particular location to facilitate performance of a particular operations monitoring function.

[0058] For example, in association with thermal slope linearity-based health monitoring of the tapered waveguide 230, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a temperature sensor and a power monitor) may be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 232. As another example, in association with thermal slope linearity-based health monitoring of the joint 240, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a temperature sensor and a power monitor) may be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 242.

[0059] Figure 2C is a graphical representation of an exemplary thermal slope linearity property of the fiber combiner 200 on three different dates (e.g., date 1, date 2, and date 3). This example is provided to illustrate thermal slope linearity-based health monitoring of the fiber combiner 200 by the health monitor 110 in the manner described above. Figure 2C As shown in , the health monitor 110 may determine that a particular optical component 170 (e.g., tapered waveguide 230, joint 240) is healthy on a first date (e.g., the temperature-optical power relationship is approximately linear on date 1). However, as further shown, the health monitor 110 may determine that the particular optical component 170 is unhealthy on a subsequent date (e.g., the temperature-optical power relationship is non-linear on date 2 and date 3). In this example, the operations monitor 100 may not perform a monitoring action on the first date, but may perform a monitoring action on a second and / or third date.

[0060] Return to Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs another example, in association with monitoring the health of the set of input optical fibers 210, one or more sensor components 180 (e.g., one or more photodiodes) can be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 212. As another example, in association with monitoring the health of the output optical fibers 260, the sensor components 180 (e.g., photodiodes) can be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 262.

[0061] As another example, in association with hotspot-based degradation monitoring of the tapered waveguide 230, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a camera) can be positioned to capture images in or near the area identified by reference numeral 232. As another example, in association with hotspot-based degradation monitoring of the joint 240, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a camera) can be positioned to capture images in or near the area identified by reference numeral 242. As another example, in association with hotspot-based degradation monitoring of the output fiber attachment component 250, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a camera) can be positioned to capture images in or near the area identified by reference numeral 252.

[0062] As another example, in association with scattered light-based degradation monitoring of the tapered waveguide 230, the sensor component 180 (e.g., a photodiode) can be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 252 (e.g., at or near the output fiber attachment component 250). In some embodiments, arranging the photodiode in or near the region 252 allows for improved degradation monitoring of the optical device 160. Figure 2D 2 is a graphical representation showing pre- and post-degradation power measurements at region 242 (eg, at or near splice 240) and region 252 (eg, at or near output fiber attachment component 250). Figure 2D As shown, degradation of the optical device 160 may be more easily detected in or near the region 252 (eg, because the change in power from before degradation to after degradation is significant).

[0063] Return to Figure 2A and Figure 2B As another example, in association with stress-based degradation monitoring at the output fiber attachment component 250 , the sensor component 180 (eg, a stress sensor) may be positioned in or near the area identified by reference numeral 252 .

[0064] As another example, in association with environmental monitoring of the fiber combiner 200, one or more sensor components 180 (e.g., a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, etc.) can be positioned in or near the area identified by reference numeral 272 (e.g., within the housing 270, on a wall of the housing 270, etc.).

[0065] As another example, in association with process monitoring associated with a high power fiber laser 150 including a fiber combiner 200, a sensor component 180 (e.g., a photodiode) may be positioned in or near the region identified by reference numeral 222. In this example, positioning of the photodiode in or near region 222 allows the photodiode to measure back reflections occurring at the input fiber attachment component 220 during performance of a process using the high power fiber laser 150.

[0066] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The number and arrangement of components shown and described in are provided as examples. In practice, optical device 160 may include additional components, different components, differently arranged components, differently sized components, components of different relative sizes, etc., in addition to those shown and described above. Additionally or alternatively, a collection of components of optical device 160 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another collection of components of optical device 160. Furthermore, Figure 2A The regions identified in are provided as examples for illustration purposes and in practice may have Figure 1A In addition, Figure 2C The graphical representations in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are provided as examples only. Other examples may differ from those described with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 .

[0067] Figure 3 300. Device 300 may correspond to operations monitor 100. In some implementations, operations monitor 100 may include one or more devices 300 and / or one or more components of device 300. Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 may include a bus 310 , a processor 320 , a memory 330 , a storage component 340 , an input component 350 , an output component 360 , and a communication interface 370 .

[0068] The bus 310 includes components that allow communication between multiple components of the device 300. The processor 320 is implemented in hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The processor 320 is a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. In some embodiments, the processor 320 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions. The memory 330 includes a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions for use by the processor 320.

[0069] Storage component 340 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 300. For example, storage component 340 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and / or a magneto-optical disk), a solid-state drive (SSD), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, and a corresponding drive.

[0070] Input components 350 include components that allow device 300 to receive information, for example, via user input (e.g., a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone). Additionally or alternatively, input components 350 may include components for determining location (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) component) and / or sensors (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an actuator, another type of positioning or environmental sensor, etc.). Output components 360 include components that provide output information from device 300 (e.g., via a display, a speaker, a tactile feedback component, an audio or visual indicator, etc.).

[0071] The communication interface 370 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., transceivers, separate receivers, separate transmitters, etc.) that enable the device 300 to communicate with other devices, for example, via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 370 can allow the device 300 to receive information from another device and / or provide information to another device. For example, the communication interface 370 can include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, and the like.

[0072] Device 300 may perform one or more of the processes described herein. Device 300 may perform these processes based on processor 320 executing software instructions stored by a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as memory 330 and / or storage component 340. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to a non-transitory memory device. A memory device includes memory space within a single physical storage device or memory space across multiple physical storage devices.

[0073] The software instructions may be read into the memory 330 and / or storage component 340 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via the communication interface 370. The software instructions stored in the memory 330 and / or storage component 340, when executed, may cause the processor 320 to perform one or more processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, hardware circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. Therefore, the implementations described herein are not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0074] Figure 3 The number and arrangement of components shown in the figure are provided as examples. Figure 3 Device 300 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components compared to the components shown in . Additionally or alternatively, a collection of components of device 300 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another collection of components of device 300.

[0075] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary process 400 for performing operational monitoring of an optical device included in a high power fiber laser. In some embodiments, Figure 4 One or more processing blocks of may be performed by a monitoring device (eg, operations monitor 100).

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, process 400 may include receiving sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high power fiber laser (block 410). For example, as described herein, a monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, input component 350, communication interface 370, etc.) may receive sensor information associated with an optical device (e.g., optical device 160) included in a high power fiber laser. In some embodiments, the sensor information is received from a collection of sensors associated with the optical device (e.g., sensor component 180), as described herein.

[0077] like Figure 4As further shown in FIG. 4 , process 400 may include determining a set of operational properties of the optical device based on the sensor information (block 420). For example, as described herein, the monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, etc.) may determine a set of operational properties of the optical device based on the sensor information. In some embodiments, the set of operational properties includes at least one of: a health property describing the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation property describing degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property describing an environment of the optical device, and / or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used, as described herein.

[0078] like Figure 4 As further shown in FIG. 4 , process 400 may include identifying whether an operational attribute in a set of operational attributes satisfies a condition (block 430). For example, a monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, etc.) may identify whether an operational attribute in a set of operational attributes satisfies a condition, as described herein.

[0079] like Figure 4 As further shown in FIG. 4 , process 400 may include selectively performing a monitoring action based on whether the operational attribute satisfies a condition (block 440). For example, a monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, output component 360, communication interface 370, etc.) may selectively perform a monitoring action based on whether the operational attribute satisfies a condition, as described herein.

[0080] Process 400 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or in combination with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0081] In some implementations, when the operational attribute satisfies the condition, selectively performing the monitoring action includes providing an error code indicating that the operational attribute satisfies the condition.

[0082] In some implementations, when the operational attribute satisfies a condition, selectively performing the monitoring action includes powering off another optical device in which the optical device is included.

[0083] In some embodiments, the optical device is a fiber combiner.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the set of operational properties includes health properties, the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature at or near one or more components of the optical device, a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with the optical device, and / or a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near one or more components of the optical device.

[0085] In some embodiments, when the set of operational properties includes degradation properties, the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor for measuring temperature at or near one or more components of the optical device, a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near one or more components of the optical device, a stress sensor arranged to measure stress at or near one or more components of the optical device, and / or a camera arranged to identify hot spots at or near one or more components of the optical device.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the set of operational properties includes environmental properties, the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature at or near one or more components of the optical device, and / or a humidity sensor arranged to measure the humidity at or near one or more components of the optical device.

[0087] In some embodiments, when the set of operational properties includes process properties, the set of sensors includes a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device, wherein the photodiode is positioned at an attachment feature of an output optical fiber of the optical device.

[0088] In some embodiments, the monitoring device may identify a set of monitoring functions to be performed by the monitoring device among the plurality of monitoring functions. Here, when determining a set of operational attributes of the optical device, the monitoring device may determine the set of operational attributes based on the identified set of monitoring functions.

[0089] although Figure 4 Example blocks of process 400 are shown, but in some implementations, process 400 may include Figure 4 Additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in process 400. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 400 may be executed in parallel.

[0090] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary process 500 for performing operational monitoring of an optical device included in a high power fiber laser. In some embodiments, Figure 5 One or more processing blocks of may be performed by a monitoring device (eg, operations monitor 100).

[0091] like Figure 5As shown, process 500 may include identifying a set of monitoring functions from among a plurality of monitoring functions to be performed by a monitoring device in association with monitoring an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser (block 510). For example, a monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, input component 350, communication interface 370, etc.) may identify a set of monitoring functions from among a plurality of monitoring functions to be performed by the monitoring device in association with monitoring an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser (e.g., optical device 160), as described herein.

[0092] In some embodiments, the set of monitoring functions includes at least one of: a health monitoring function associated with monitoring the health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation monitoring function associated with monitoring degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental monitoring function associated with monitoring the environment of the optical device, or a process monitoring function associated with monitoring a process in which the optical device is operating.

[0093] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include determining at least one set of operational attributes of the optical device, each operational attribute in the at least one set of operational attributes being associated with a corresponding one of the identified set of monitoring functions (block 520). For example, the monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, etc.) may determine at least one set of operational attributes of the optical device, each operational attribute in the at least one set of operational attributes being associated with a corresponding one of the identified set of monitoring functions, as described herein.

[0094] In some implementations, at least one set of operational properties is determined based on sensor information associated with the optical device received from a set of sensors (eg, sensor component 180) during operation of the optical device.

[0095] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include selectively performing a monitoring action based on at least one set of operational attributes (block 530). For example, a monitoring device (e.g., using processor 320, memory 330, storage component 340, output component 360, communication interface 370, etc.) may selectively perform a monitoring action based on at least one set of operational attributes, as described herein.

[0096] Process 500 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or in combination with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0097] In some embodiments, the monitoring action includes at least one of providing an error code associated with at least one monitoring function in the identified set of monitoring functions, or powering off another optical device in which the optical device is included.

[0098] In some embodiments, the optical device is a fiber combiner.

[0099] In some embodiments, the collection of sensors includes: a temperature sensor for measuring temperature at or near one or more components of the optical device; a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with the optical device; a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near one or more components of the optical device; a stress sensor arranged to measure stress at or near one or more components of the optical device; a camera arranged to identify hot spots at or near one or more components of the optical device; a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near one or more components of the optical device; or a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device.

[0100] In some embodiments, the set of sensors includes a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device, wherein the photodiode is positioned at an attachment feature of an output optical fiber of the optical device.

[0101] although Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of process 500 is shown, but in some implementations, process 500 may include Figure 5 Additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in process 500. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 500 may be executed in parallel.

[0102] Some embodiments described herein provide an operations monitor 100 capable of performing one or more monitoring functions associated with monitoring an optical device 160 included in a high power fiber laser 150. In some embodiments, the one or more monitoring functions may include: a health monitoring function performed by a health monitor 110, a degradation monitoring function performed by a degradation monitor 120, an environmental monitoring function performed by an environmental monitor 130, and / or a process monitoring function performed by a process monitor 140, as described above.

[0103] The above disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive of implementations or to limit them to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made based on the above disclosure, or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0104] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software.

[0105] Some implementations are described herein in conjunction with thresholds. As used herein, depending on the context, satisfying a threshold may refer to a value being greater than a threshold, more than a threshold, above a threshold, greater than or equal to a threshold, less than a threshold, less than a threshold, below a threshold, less than or equal to a threshold, equal to a threshold, etc.

[0106] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in various forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not a limitation of the implementation. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are not described herein with reference to specific software code - it is understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0107] Although particular combinations of features are set forth in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the various implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically set forth in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each of the dependent claims listed below may be directly dependent on only one claim, the disclosure of the various implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.

[0108] Unless explicitly described as such, the elements, actions or instructions used herein should not be interpreted as critical or essential. In addition, as used herein, the articles "one" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related items and unrelated items, etc.), and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In the case of only one item being meant, the phrase "only one" or similar language is used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "has", "have", "having" and the like are intended to be open terms. In addition, unless otherwise expressly stated, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on".

Claims

1. An optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, the optical device comprising: Multiple optical components, including: A set of input optical fibers, tapered waveguide, joints, an output fiber attachment component, and output optical fiber; and A collection of sensor components, the collection of sensor components comprising: At least one degradation sensor associated with the degradation attribute, the at least one degradation sensor comprising: a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the output fiber attachment component; a strain sensor arranged to measure strain at or near the output optical fiber attachment member; or a camera arranged to identify a hot spot at or near at least one of: the tapered waveguide, the junction, or the output fiber attachment feature; and At least one health sensor associated with a health attribute, the at least one health sensor comprising: a temperature sensor and a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with at least one of: the tapered waveguide, or the junction; or a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near at least one of: the set of input optical fibers, or the output optical fiber; and Wherein at least one sensor component in the set of sensor components is configured to provide a sensor output to an operations monitor associated with the optical device.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the optical device is a fiber combiner.

3. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical device is configured to power off at least one of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

4. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical device is configured to adjust a power level of at least one optical component of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

5. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one health sensor is positioned at the tapered waveguide.

6. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one health sensor is positioned at the joint.

7. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the set of sensor components further comprises: At least one environmental sensor associated with an environmental attribute, the at least one environmental sensor comprising: a temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature at or near a housing component housing the plurality of optical components, or a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the housing component housing the plurality of optical components; and At least one process sensor associated with a process attribute, the at least one process sensor comprising: A photodiode is positioned at the output fiber attachment component.

8. An optical device comprising: A plurality of optical components, the plurality of optical components comprising at least one of the following: A set of input optical fibers, Input fiber attachment components, tapered waveguide, joints, Output fiber attachment components, or Output optical fiber; as well as A collection of sensor components, the collection of sensor components comprising: At least one degradation sensor associated with the degradation attribute, the at least one degradation sensor comprising: a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the output fiber attachment component; a strain sensor arranged to measure strain at or near the output optical fiber attachment member; or a camera arranged to identify a hot spot at or near at least one of: the tapered waveguide, the junction, or the output fiber attachment feature; and At least one health sensor associated with a health attribute, the at least one health sensor comprising: a temperature sensor and a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with at least one of: the tapered waveguide, or the junction; or a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near at least one of: the set of input optical fibers, or the output optical fiber; and Wherein at least one sensor component in the set of sensor components is configured to provide a sensor output to an operations monitor associated with the optical device.

9. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the optical device is a fiber combiner.

10. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the optical device is configured to power down at least one of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

11. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the optical device is configured to adjust a power level of at least one of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

12. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the at least one health sensor is positioned at the tapered waveguide.

13. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the at least one health sensor is positioned at the joint.

14. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the set of sensor components further comprises: At least one environmental sensor associated with an environmental attribute, the at least one environmental sensor comprising: a temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature at or near a housing component housing the plurality of optical components, or a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the housing component housing the plurality of optical components; and At least one process sensor associated with a process attribute, the at least one process sensor comprising: A photodiode is positioned at the output fiber attachment component.

15. An optical fiber combiner, comprising: a plurality of optical components, the plurality of optical components comprising: A set of input optical fibers, tapered waveguide, joints, an output fiber attachment component, and output optical fiber; and A collection of sensor components, the collection of sensor components comprising: At least one sensor associated with a degradation attribute, the at least one sensor associated with the degradation attribute comprising: a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the output fiber attachment component; a strain sensor arranged to measure strain at or near the output optical fiber attachment member; or a camera arranged to identify a hot spot at or near at least one of: the tapered waveguide, the junction, or the output fiber attachment feature; and At least one sensor associated with a health attribute, the at least one sensor associated with a health attribute comprising: a temperature sensor and a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with at least one of: the tapered waveguide, or the junction; or a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near at least one of: the set of input optical fibers, or the output optical fiber; and Wherein at least one sensor component in the set of sensor components is configured to provide a sensor output to an operations monitor associated with the fiber combiner.

16. The fiber combiner of claim 15, wherein the fiber combiner is configured to de-energize at least one of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

17. The fiber combiner of claim 15, wherein the fiber combiner is configured to adjust a power level of at least one of the plurality of optical components based at least in part on input from the operations monitor.

18. The fiber combiner of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor associated with a health property is positioned at the tapered waveguide.

19. The fiber combiner of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor associated with a health attribute is positioned at the junction.

20. The fiber combiner according to claim 15, wherein the set of sensor components further comprises: At least one sensor associated with an environmental attribute, the at least one sensor associated with an environmental attribute comprising: a temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature at or near a housing component housing the plurality of optical components, or a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the housing component housing the plurality of optical components; and At least one sensor associated with a process attribute, the at least one sensor associated with the process attribute comprising: A photodiode is positioned at the output fiber attachment component.

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