OPTICAL PROBE CONTAINING OXYGEN, TEMPERATURE, AND PRESSURE SENSORS AND MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS CONTAINING THE SAME

• US 20130206760A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Susko
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Susko
• Inventors: SUSKO, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/88.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/32 Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions extinguishing or preventing fires in aircraft A62C
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/266 by interferometric means G01D5/353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/3206 at discrete locations in the fibre, e.g. using Bragg scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/026 with optical transmitting or indicating means G01L7/045, G01L7/065, G01L7/086, G01L7/106, G01L7/187 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/772 Tip coated light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/643 non-biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/131 by measuring the values related to the quantity of the individual components G05D11/139 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/034 Controlled by conductivity of mixture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2509 By optical or chemical property

Abstract

A probe for measuring oxygen, temperature, and pressure in a space to be monitored, comprising: a housing, comprising a thermally conductive material; an oxygen sensor disposed within the housing, comprising: a first end having coated thereon a coating which fluoresces at a fluorescent frequency when exposed to light having an excitation frequency in the absence of associated oxygen, and which undergoes a dampening of said fluorescence in the presence of associated oxygen; and a second end operatively connected to an optical fiber that extends through the housing; wherein the first end extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored; a temperature sensor disposed within the housing adjacent to the thermally conductive material, comprising a fiber Bragg grating, or a semiconductor material, such as a GaAS material, wherein the temperature sensor does not extend through the housing and is not exposed to the space to be monitored; a pressure sensor disposed within the housing, comprising a fiber Bragg grating or a Fabry-Pérot white light interferometry sensor having a first end which extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored.

Claims

1. A probe for measuring oxygen, temperature, and pressure in a space to be monitored, comprising:

a housing, comprising a thermally conductive material;

an oxygen sensor disposed within the housing, comprising;

a first end having coated thereon a coating which fluoresces at a fluorescent frequency when exposed to light having an excitation frequency in the absence of associated oxygen, and which undergoes a dampening of said fluorescence in the presence of associated oxygen; and

a second end operatively connected to an optical fiber that extends through the housing;

wherein the first end extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored;

a temperature sensor disposed within the housing adjacent to the thermally conductive material, wherein the temperature sensor does not extend through the housing and is not exposed to the space to be monitored;

a pressure sensor disposed within the housing, having a first end which extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored.

2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor or the pressure sensor, or both, comprise a fiber Bragg grating.

3. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a semiconductor material.

4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a gallium arsenide material.

5. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a Fabry-Pé

rot white light interferometry sensor.

6. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a gallium arsenide material and the pressure sensor comprises a Fabry-Pé

rot white light interferometry sensor.

7. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor are integrated together within the probe tip.

8. A system for monitoring the level of oxygen in a space to be monitored, comprising:

the probe according to claim 1; and

an analyzer for calculating oxygen partial pressure based upon the fluorescence damping, temperature, and pressure data provided by the probe.

9. A system for controlling the concentration of oxygen in a space, comprising:

the system for monitoring the level of oxygen in the space, according to claim 8; and

a controller for introducing an inert gas into the space when the level of oxygen in the space reaches a predetermined level.

10. A vehicle comprising the system for controlling the concentration of oxygen in a space according to claim 9.

11. A method for monitoring the level of oxygen in a space equipped with a probe according to claim 1, comprising:

obtaining fluorescence damping data from the oxygen sensor;

obtaining temperature data from the temperature sensor;

obtaining pressure data from the pressure sensor taking into account the temperature data from the temperature sensor;

determining the partial pressure of oxygen from said fluorescence damping data, said temperature data, and said pressure data.

12. A method for controlling the level of oxygen in a space, comprising:

monitoring the level of oxygen in the space according to claim 11;

controlling the introduction of an inert gas into the space by introducing said inert gas into the space when the level of oxygen reaches a predetermined level.