A Multi-functional Fiber Optic Sensor Platform Using a Time Domain Sensing Scheme

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This project investigates a new concept of a multi-functional fiber optic sensor platform in the field of fiber optic sensors and sensor systems. The primary research goal is to investigate, develop, and achieve a conceptually new multi-functional fiber optic sensor system to demonstrate the new concept, which will be achieved by using the newly developed fiber loop ringdown (FLRD) technique. FLRD measures a single variable, time, to detect any quantity of interest, e.g., pressure, temperature, strain, concentration of a chemical species, etc. This universal time domain sensing scheme offers the potential of multiplexing multiple FLRD sensor units into a single sensor system to simultaneously sense multiple quantities with high sensitivity, high speed of detection, and minimal adverse impacts from intensity fluctuations of the light source. Specific research objectives include: 1) Design, fabricate, and evaluate each individual FLRD sensor unit for the detection of different measurands. 2) Design, develop, and fabricate a multi-functional fiber sensor system. 3) Develop and optimize data processing algorithms. 4) Demonstrate and evaluate performance of the sensor system in terms of functionality, network capability, data transmission and processing efficiency, and capability of maintaining high performance (sensitivity, accuracy, selectivity, and robustness of each individual sensor unit and the speed of the whole sensor system). This project will involve one graduate student and one undergraduate student from Applied Engineering Physics.