Fiber ringdown pressure/force sensors
First Claim
1. A pressure sensing device comprising:
- a laser light source for producing a laser beam;
a control component connected to said laser light source for controlling activation or deactivation of said laser light source;
at least one section of optical fiber, configured to receive at least a portion of said laser beam and transmit at least a portion of said received laser beam within said optical fiber;
at least one optical coupler;
at least one sensor component, said sensor component configured to sense escaped light from said optical fiber; and
a photodetector, said photo detector configured to receive a signal originated from said sensor component and transmitted to said photodetector via said optical coupler;
whereby said signal provides data for determining pressure exerted on said sensing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel fiber ringdown (FRP) pressure sensor is provided for measuring extremely high pressures under extreme environmental conditions of cold and heat. Pressure measurements are achieved in a time domain by measuring ringdown times of emitted light through the fiber optic loop of the device. The novel FRP sensor can include a light source, such as a diode laser light source, two 2×1 fiber couplers, a section of fused silica single mode fiber, a photodetector, and an electronic control. The novel FRP sensor'"'"'s performance in the areas of stability, reproducibility, dynamic range, and temperature tolerance are far above those of conventional sensors.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A pressure sensing device comprising:
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a laser light source for producing a laser beam;
a control component connected to said laser light source for controlling activation or deactivation of said laser light source;
at least one section of optical fiber, configured to receive at least a portion of said laser beam and transmit at least a portion of said received laser beam within said optical fiber;
at least one optical coupler;
at least one sensor component, said sensor component configured to sense escaped light from said optical fiber; and
a photodetector, said photo detector configured to receive a signal originated from said sensor component and transmitted to said photodetector via said optical coupler;
whereby said signal provides data for determining pressure exerted on said sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of sensing pressure, the method comprising:
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providing a pressure sensing device, said pressure sensing device comprising;
a laser light source for producing a laser beam;
a control component connected to said laser light source for controlling activation or deactivation of said laser light source;
at least one section of optical fiber oriented in a ringdown configuration and oriented to said light source so as to receive at least a portion of said laser beam and transmit at least a portion of said received laser beam within said optical fiber;
at least one optical coupler, at least one sensor component, said sensor component configured to sense escaped light from said optical fiber;
a photodetector, said photo detector configured to receive a signal originated from said sensor component and transmitted to said photodetector via said optical coupler; and
a data acquisition system functionally connected to said photodetector to receive data sent from said photodetector;
activating said control component to control emission of light from said light source such that a portion of light emitted from said light source upon activation is transmitted through said at least one section of optical fiber;
control component acting to deactivate emission of light from said light source such that light initially emitted rings inside said section of optical fiber for the course of said ringdown configuration, at each round trip of said in said ringdown configuration, said emitted light loses a fraction of leaked light as it leaks from said section of optical fiber and is transferred to said photodetector via said optical coupler, said remnant of emitted light continuing to ringdown said optical fiber;
determining ringdown time for said remnant of emitted light and comparing said ringdown time to a second ringdown time determined for a second emitted light that ringsdown when pressure is exerted on said section of optical fiber, said comparing said received data for determining the pressure exerted on said section of optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification