Thermal Sensing Fiber Devices

• US 20100316088A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Abouraddy, Ayman F., Arnold, Jerimy R., Joannopoulos, John D., Shapira, Ofer, Fink, Yoel, Bayindir, Mehmet, Sorin, Fabien
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/86 Chalcogenide glasses, i.e. S, Se or Te glasses
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01222 for making preforms of multiple core optical fibres preforms of multifibres C03B37/01214
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/026 Drawing fibres reinforced with a metal wire or with other non-glass material
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/00 Fibre or filament compositions manufacture of fibres or filaments C03B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/003 Conducting or semi-conducting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/043 Chalcogenide glass compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/54 Combinations of one or more coatings containing organic materials only with one or more coatings containing inorganic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02304 Core having lower refractive index than cladding, e.g. air filled, hollow core
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02328 Hollow or gas filled core
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02361 Longitudinal structures forming multiple layers around the core, e.g. arranged in multiple rings with each ring having longitudinal elements at substantially the same radial distance from the core, having rotational symmetry about the fibre axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02366 Single ring of structures, e.g. "air clad"
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02371 Cross section of longitudinal structures is non-circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a thermal sensing fiber grid, including a plurality of rows and columns of thermal sensing fibers, each of which includes a semiconducting element that has a fiber length and that is characterized by a bandgap energy corresponding to a selected operational temperature range of the fiber in which there can be produced a change in thermally-excited electronic charge carrier population in the semiconducting element in response to a temperature change in the selected temperature range. There is included at least one pair of conducting electrodes in contact with the semiconducting element along the fiber length, and an insulator along the fiber length. An electronic circuit is provided for and connected to each thermal sensing fiber for producing an indication of thermal sensing fiber grid coordinates of a change in ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A thermal sensing fiber grid comprising:

a plurality of rows of thermal sensing fibers;

a plurality of columns of thermal sensing fibers;

wherein each thermal sensing fiber includes a semiconducting element having a fiber length and being characterized by a bandgap energy corresponding to a selected operational temperature range of the fiber in which there can be produced a change in thermally-excited electronic charge carrier population in the semiconducting element in response to a temperature change in the selected temperature range, at least one pair of conducting electrodes being in contact with the semiconducting element along the fiber length, and an insulator along the fiber length; and

an electronic circuit for and connected to each thermal sensing fiber for producing an indication of thermal sensing fiber grid coordinates of a change in ambient temperature.

2. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 further comprising a frame to which each fiber grid row and fiber grid column is connected for acquiring thermally-excited electronic charge carriers.

3. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 further comprising an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing outputs of the electronic circuits.

4. The photodetecting fiber grid of claim 1 further comprising a processor for formatting an output of each electronic circuit to wirelessly deliver the output to a processing device.

5. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 further comprising a multiplexer connected to multiplex outputs of the electronic circuits.

6. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 further comprising a connection for delivering outputs of the electronic circuits to a processing device.

7. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 6 wherein the processing device is programmed to compare the outputs of the electronic circuits and determine a grid row having a maximum thermally-excited electronic charge carrier population and a grid column having a maximum thermally-excited electronic charge carrier population, indicating grid coordinates of maximum temperature change.

8. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rows and plurality of columns of thermal sensing fibers are in a woven layer of fabric.

9. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the thermal sensing fibers are woven in an article of clothing.

10. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rows and plurality of columns of thermal sensing fibers are interleaved.

11. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the thermal sensing fibers are embedded in a fabric sheet.

12. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the thermal sensing fibers comprise hollow-core fibers.

13. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rows and plurality of columns of thermal sensing fibers are disposed in a curved geometric shape.

14. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit is connected to each thermal sensing fiber for producing a horizontal coordinate and a vertical coordinate specifying a location of a change in temperature.

15. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor comprises a semiconducting chalcogenide glass.

16. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor comprises Ge_xAs_40-xSe_yTe_60-y, where 10<

x<

20 and 10<

y<

15.

17. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor comprises Ge₁₇As₂₃Se₁₄Te₄₆.

18. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor band gap energy is on the order of k_B T₀, where k_B is Boltzmann constant and T₀ is a reference temperature of about 37°

C.

19. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconducting element, the electrodes, and the insulator are each characterized by a viscosity that is less than about 10⁶ Poise while substantially maintaining structural material integrity, at a common temperature.

20. The thermal sensing fiber grid of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor comprises a semiconducting chalcogenide glass selected from the group consisting of AS₂S₃ and As₄₀Se_60-xTe_x.