FBG Thermal Coupling via Shared Heat-Conducting Housing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In optical code division multiplex transmission systems, maintaining identical Bragg reflection wavelengths in fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) between encoders and decoders is challenging due to ambient temperature fluctuations and wavelength variations in light sources, leading to increased power consumption for temperature control when these components are in close proximity.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an FBG system with multiple FBG-mounting structures having different temperature settings, where one is lower and the other is higher than the environmental temperature, allows for efficient heat transfer and reduced power consumption by using a housing with heat-conducting surfaces to manage temperature control, enabling precise temperature adjustment with lower power input.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If temperature control is applied to FBGs in close proximity, then Bragg reflection wavelength stability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveBragg reflection wavelength stabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple FBG-mounting structures are integrated into a single housing with a common heat-conducting portion, allowing thermal coupling between adjacent structures. This merging enables heat sharing where the heat-conducting portion acts as a thermal reservoir, reducing the power needed for temperature control compared to isolated control of each FBG

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat-conducting portion serves as an intermediary thermal medium between adjacent FBG-mounting structures. It facilitates heat transfer between structures, allowing one structure to supply heat to another, thereby reducing the overall power consumption for maintaining temperature stability of Bragg reflection wavelengths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If FBG-mounting structures are placed in close proximity, then device compactness is improved, but temperature control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoidtemperature control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Each FBG-mounting structure is provided with an independent thermo module that can independently adjust the temperature of its respective FBG. This local quality control allows precise temperature management for each structure despite their close proximity, maintaining Bragg reflection wavelength precision while achieving device compactness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If independent temperature control is applied to each FBG structure, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature control precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat-conducting portion serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a mounting substrate for multiple FBG structures, provides thermal coupling between structures, and serves as a thermal reservoir for temperature stabilization. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity compared to having separate independent control systems for each FBG

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration effectively reduces power consumption for temperature control while maintaining precise temperature management, allowing for accurate adjustment of Bragg reflection wavelengths, thus enhancing the efficiency and reliability of FBG systems in optical communication terminals.

Implementation Method 1

The FBG-mounting structures are adjacently provided on a heat-conducting portion, part of a housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS7697805B2Fiber Bragg grating system having a thermo module for supplying or absorbing heat to or from an FBG module

Publication Date: 2010.04.13 OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO LTD

AI summary

An FBG system with lower power supplied to a temperature controller, while allowing for precise temperature control of an FBG grating. The FBG system includes a high temperature FBG-mounting structure and a low temperature FBG-mounting structure, and a housing containing them. The high temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the FBG module may be made higher than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from a heat-conducting portion to the thermo module. The low temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the latter FBG module may be made lower than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from the latter thermo module to the heat-conducting portion. The FBG-mounting structures are provided in parallel on the inner bottom surface of the heat-conducting portion, part of the housing.