Fiber optic particle motion sensor system

• US 7,999,946 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avalon Sciences Ltd
• Original Assignee: US Sensor Systems, Inc. (Acorn Energy Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baker, Gerald, Lam, Leo, Bush, Ira Jeffrey, Morey, William, Cherbettchian, Agop, Andersen, James K., Goldner, Eric Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cook; Jonathon
• Application Number:
  US12/253,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 356/477, 356/478, 356/479, 356/497, 356/499, 356/519, 356/28.5, 356/35.5, 356/482
• US Class Current: 356/479
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/004 using fibre optic sensors light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/093 by photoelectric pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/022 using mechanical stress, e.g. tuning by compression or elongation, special geometrical shapes such as "dog-bone" or taper G02B6/02204 takes precedence; optical modulation using photo-elastic effect G02F1/0131
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29319 With a cascade of diffractive elements or of diffraction operations forming interferometer by splitting and recombining G02B6/29347 - G02B6/29358
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29349 Michelson or Michelson/Gires-Tournois configuration, i.e. based on splitting and interferometrically combining relatively delayed signals at a single beamsplitter

Abstract

A sensor apparatus combines an optical sensor in which acceleration, acoustic velocity, or displacement (vibration) causes a corresponding shift in the center wavelength of the sensor output, coupled to a high speed interferometric interrogator, through an unbalanced fiber interferometer. The unbalanced interferometer functions to translate optical wavelength shift into phase shift, which is easily demodulated by the interrogator.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus comprising:

a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors containing a section of an optical fiber having at least one grating inscribed therein, the grating characterized by a reflection or transmission peak having a width≦

100 picometers, wherein a central wavelength of the grating reflection or transmission peak changes in response to an input to the sensor;

source optics including an optical light source coupled to the optical fiber, the optical light source having a bandwidth≧

1 nanometer, the optical light source producing light signals at a plurality of discrete wavelengths, the source optics including a first Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexer having a plurality of outputs, each coupled to a respective one of a plurality of fiber optic delay lines, and a second Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexer for combining outputs of the plurality of delay lines;

receive optics including an interferometer coupled to the optical fiber with a pathlength mismatch equal to or less than a coherence length of light leaving the grating of each of the sensors, wherein the interferometer converts changes in wavelength of light from each of the sensors into changes in optical phase, the receive optics also including a third Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexer having a plurality of outputs, each of the plurality of outputs coupled to a respective one of a plurality of filters, the receive optics also including a fourth Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexer for combining outputs of the plurality of filters; and

an interrogator coupled to an output of the receive optics, the interrogator providing an electrical output proportional to the input to each of the sensors.

2. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the grating of each of the sensors comprises a fiber Bragg grating.

3. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the grating of each of the sensors comprises a phase shifted grating.

4. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the grating of each of the sensors comprises a pair of gratings comprising a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

5. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a Superluminescent Light Emitting Diode.

6. The sensor apparatus of claim 5 wherein the light source further comprises a bandpass filter.

7. The sensor apparatus of claim 6 wherein the light source further comprises an optical amplifier.

8. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interferometer is a Michelson interferometer.

9. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interrogator is a closed loop interrogator that creates a null error signal that is proportional to the changes in optical phase.

10. The sensor apparatus of claim 9 wherein the closed loop interrogator comprises a photodiode, an amplifier, a local oscillator, a synchronous detector, connection to a phase modulator and an output.