OpTeC Colloquium

OpTeC sponsors a colloquium throughout the academic year. This is a forum where a wide range of optical science and engineering topics are discussed at a level that can be understood by a broad spectrum of optics students, staff, and faculty. The primary purposes are to train students to give effective scientific talks and to promote cross-disciplinary interactions of students, staff, faculty, and local industry employees. Speakers include MSU students, staff, and faculty, and visitors from external universities, research labs, and companies.

Join our colloquium held during academic semesters on Thursday at 4:10 pm.

Norm Asbjornson Hall, Room 153

WebEx Link

March 30, 2023

Thomas Coleman

General Manager

Silixa, LLC

Fiber optic distributed sensing for environmental and infrastructure monitoring

Abstract

Distributed fiber optic sensing is a powerful monitoring technology that allows optical fibers, most typically used for telecommunications, to be transformed into vast sensing arrays with up to many thousands of independent measurement locations over distances of up to 100 kilometers by leveraging the principles of optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR). Quantification of temperature, strain, and acoustics is possible at all points along an optical fiber, simultaneously using a single fiber optic cable. Some of the most advanced applications of distributed sensing are in the earth sciences, due to the simplicity and inherent reliability of fiber optic sensors when deployed in harsh environments. In particular, borehole deployments are becoming widespread for reservoir characterization and monitoring. This presentation will provide an overview of Silixa’s technology as well as highlight recent and current earth sciences and infrastrucutre monitoring projects carried out by Silixa’s Missoula, MT office. The challenges of extracting the maximum value from big data along with a vision for the future of advanced, multi-application permanent monitoring systems will also be discussed.

Biography

Thomas joined Silixa in 2014 and has been involved in activities ranging from field installations and surveys, data analyses, installation and component design, and business development. In his current role, he oversees Silixa’s Environmental and Infrastructure business in North America including the CCUS, Geothermal, Geotechnical, Industrial, and Defense sectors. Thomas holds a B.S. in Geosciences from the University of Montana, an M.A.Sc. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Guelph, and is currently working towards an M.B.A. from the University of Montana. Thomas has numerous publications related to fiber optic sensing applications and is co – principal investigator of Department of Energy funded research programs. In 2021, Thomas was awarded the U.S. D.O.E. Secretary’s Achievement Award as part of the Source Physics Dry Alluvium Geology Team for contributions advancing the science of nuclear explosion monitoring.

Upcoming Speakers

Past Speakers