Optical Fibre Sensors for Gas Sensing in Extreme Environments

该项目围绕使用光纤传感器系统进行气体种类传感。光纤能够承受高温和高压等极端环境以及暴露在磁场和辐射下的能力，使其在各种应用中得到使用。光纤传感器通常可以承受高达1000摄氏度的温度，但蓝宝石光纤也可以在高于这一极限的温度下工作。传感器也不受电子干扰的影响，不导电，因此可以在有高压电源或易燃材料的地方使用。否则，这些区域将是传统传感器无法访问的。该项目的动机是在极端环境中使用这些系统的许多好处，因为它允许改进控制系统，具有更好的安全性和效率。这项技术有很多潜在的应用。例如，在航空发动机中，近乎实时地检测发动机排放的气体成分。这使得能够监测排放并调整运行条件以减少排放。探测器能够做到这一点是令人兴奋的，因为它具有许多影响，例如有助于提高能源和推进系统的燃料燃烧效率。这当然会对环境产生影响，这对社会来说是非常重要的。该项目的总体目标是开发当前用于实时气体检测的光纤传感器技术。目标是开发具有(1)更高灵敏度的气体种类检测系统；(2)远程操作的能力；(3)在极端环境中操作的能力。这项研究的创新之处在于，气体物种检测将在新型空芯光纤(如反谐振光纤和光子带隙光纤)中进行。这个想法是将气体注入中空纤维核心，在那里它将与导光相互作用。通过测量特定气体吸收线处的光吸收，可以确定单个气体物种的浓度。这种相互作用将通过使用精密激光微加工来修改光纤特性来增强。这允许更快的检测，并因此接近实时反馈，这在该技术的应用中提供了许多优势。进一步的新颖性将来自开发新的光纤询问系统，以进一步提高检测灵敏度。这可能允许使用成本较低的部件和本身能够承受恶劣环境的部件。该项目属于EPSRC工程研究领域。在这一主题中，它属于光学设备和子系统以及传感器和仪器的主题领域。然而，由于是多学科的，这项技术的应用也有许多链接。该项目的合作者将是牛津大学化学系和罗尔斯-罗伊斯公司。化学系将就高温下的物种检测和实验校准提供指导。劳斯莱斯将就航空发动机中氮氧化物和二氧化氮检测的要求提供投入，以减少排放。

This project revolves around the use of optical fibre sensor systems for gas species sensing. The ability of optical fibres to withstand extreme environments such as high temperature and high pressure as well as exposure to magnetic fields and radiation leads to use in a variety of applications. Fibre sensors can typically withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees C, but sapphire fibre can be used for operating at temperatures above this limit. The sensors are also unaffected by electrical interference and do not conduct electricity, hence they can be used in places with a high voltage electricity supply or flammable material. These areas would be otherwise inaccessible with conventional sensors. The project is motivated by the many benefits to the use of these systems in extreme environments as it allows for improved control systems, with better safety and efficiency. The technology has many potential applications. For example, in aero engines to detect the gas composition of the emission coming from the engine in close to real time. This allows the emissions to be monitored and operating conditions adapted to reduce them. The ability for detectors to be able to do this is exciting as it has many implications such as contributing to the development of improved efficiency of burning fuels for energy and propulsion systems. This of course has environmental impact which is something that is of great importance to society. The overall aim of this project is to develop current optical fibre sensor technologies for applications in real-time gas detection. The objectives are to develop gas species detection systems with (i) higher sensitivity; (ii) the ability to operate remotely; (iii) the ability to operate in extreme environments. The novelty of the proposed research lies in that the gas species detection will be performed in new types of hollow-core optical fibre (such as anti-resonant fibres and photonic bandgap fibres). The idea is to inject gases into the hollow fibre core, where it will interact with guided light. The concentration of individual gas species can be determined by measuring the light absorption at specific gas absorption lines. This interaction will be enhanced using precision laser micromachining to modify the optical fibre properties. This allows for much quicker sensing and hence close to real-time feedback which provides many advantages in the applications of this technology. Further novelty will come from the development of new optical fibre interrogation systems to further enhance the detection sensitivity. This may allow for use of lower cost components and components which will be able to withstand harsh environments themselves. The project falls within the EPSRC engineering research area. Within this theme, it is within the topic areas of Optical Devices and Subsystems, as well as Sensors and Instrumentation. However, being multidisciplinary there are also numerous links to applications of the technology. The collaborators on the project will be the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and Rolls-Royce plc. The Department of Chemistry will provide guidance on species detection at elevated temperatures and experimental calibration. Rolls Royce will provide input on requirements for nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide detection in aero engines for emission reduction.