Distributed optical chemical sensor

• US 9,170,366 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Boersma, Arjen, Panken, Theodorus Henricus Cornelus, Cheng, Lun Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Tina
• Application Number:
  US13/141,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35316 using a Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7723 Swelling part, also for adsorption sensor, i.e. without chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/774 the reagent being on a grating or periodic structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02104 characterised by the coating external to the cladding, e.g. coating influences grating properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0229 characterised by nanostructures, i.e. structures of size less than 100 nm, e.g. quantum dots

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor system comprising a waveguide, which waveguide comprises a grating in at least a part of the waveguide, which waveguide further comprises a coating, the coating comprising a polymer, which polymer comprises a chain, in which chain are present an aromatic group and a chemical group selected from the group of sulfonyl groups, carbonyl groups, carbonate groups, fluorocarbon groups, siloxane groups, pyridine groups and amide groups.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising a waveguide, which waveguide comprises a grating in at least a part of the waveguide, which waveguide further comprises a coating, the coating comprising a polymer, which polymer comprises a chain, in which chain are present an aromatic group and a chemical group selected from the group of sulfonyl groups, carbonyl groups, carbonate groups, siloxane groups, pyridine groups, organofluorine groups and amide groups.

2. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the chain further comprises imide groups.

3. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the chain further comprises oxygen atoms.

4. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is:

a polysulfone, such as a poly (diphenyl sulfone), and preferably poly(oxy-1,4-phenylenesulfonyl-1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenyleneisopropylidene-1,4-phenylene), or poly(4,4′

-(sulfonylbis(4,1-phenyleneoxy)) dianiline-co-4,4′

-(sulfonyl) diphthalic anhydride), or a polycarbonate, such as a poly(diphenyl carbonate), and preferably poly(oxycarbonyloxy-1,4-phenyleneisopropylidene-1,4-phenylene), or

a polyimide, such as an aromatic fluorocarbon polyimide, and preferably poly(4,4′

-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene) dianiline-co-4,4′

-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride) or poly(2,5 diamino pyridine -co-4,4′

-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride), or

a polyamide, preferably poly(trimellitic anhydride chloride-co-4,4′

-diaminodiphenylsulfone), or

a polysiloxane, preferably poly (1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane-co-4,4′

-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride).

5. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the grating is a fibre Bragg grating, and wherein the waveguide comprises a plurality of gratings that are spatially apart, preferably 2-100 gratings that are spatially apart.

6. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the coating further comprises absorbent particles.

7. A sensor system according to claim 6, wherein the coating comprises absorbent particles selected from the group of elastomeric particles.

8. A sensor system according to claim 6, wherein the elastomeric absorbent particles comprise a copolymer of a polyether and a polyamide or an organofluorine composition.

9. A sensor system according to claim 6, wherein the coating comprises absorbent particles selected from the group of metal organic framework particles.

10. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the polymer coating on the waveguide has a thickness of 0.5 μ

m to 200 μ

m, preferably of 10to 100 μ

m, more preferably of 20to 50 μ

m.

11. A sensor system according to claim 1, further comprising a source for providing electromagnetic radiation, and a photo-detector.

14. Use of a sensor system according to claim 1 for detecting in an environment at least one analyte selected from the group of alkanes (e.g. methane, ethane, propane), carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen, water, carbon monoxide, oxygen, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia.

15. Use of a sensor system according to claim 1 for the detection of one or more environmental effects on two or more spatially distinct sites, wherein the waveguide comprises a multitude of gratings, at least part of which are present as pairs, in which pairs

the first grating is used to measure a certain environmental effect, and

the second grating is uncoated or is coated with a coating that is insensitive, or at least not sensitive to a measurable extent, to the environmental effect to be measured with the first grating.

16. Use of a sensor system according to claim 1 for measuring an environmental effect under non-ambient conditions, in particular under conditions that may exist in underground oil or gas reservoirs, or in the equipment that is used to produce oil or gas from these reservoirs.

12. A waveguide, comprising a grating in at least a part of the waveguide, which waveguide comprises a coating, the coating comprising a polymer, which polymer comprises a chain having an aromatic group and a group selected from the group of sulfonyl groups, carbonyl groups, carbonate groups, siloxane groups, organofluorine groups, pyridine groups and amide groups.

13. A waveguide according to claim 12, wherein said chain further comprises imide groups or oxygen atoms and/or wherein the grating is a fibre Bragg grating.