SGER: Innovative Design and Fabrication of High Performance and Low Cost Optical Fiber Sensors

该探索性研究项目探讨了低成本和高性能新型光纤传感器的设计和制造技术的创新思想。 所提出的方法是一个重大突破，传统的光纤传感器目前可用，但没有广泛应用于实践中，由于其缺乏鲁棒性，低可靠性和高成本。 本计划的主要研究工作包括：（1）开发制造技术;（2）开发光纤位移和加速度计原型及其中央信号处理单元;（3）传感器性能的实验研究;（4）研究多路复用技术并开发多点传感器网络原型;以及（5）改进现有设计。 传感器头也可以嵌入到材料中，通常是先进的复合材料中，以不仅在工艺过程中而且在其使用寿命期间监测其特性和行为。 这是一个新兴的研究领域，在机械和土木工程。 该项目展示了一个初步的工作，未经测试和新颖的想法。 此外，该项目涉及材料加工、机械和土木结构等多学科工作。 凭借高性能和低成本的吸引力组合，传感器可以在监测从机械，航空航天到民用基础设施系统的各种材料和结构系统的健康状况方面具有无限的应用。研究结果可以大大有助于开发配备智能传感能力的新一代材料和结构系统，以确保系统的完整性，最大限度地降低维护成本，并保持材料和结构的寿命。

This exploratory research project investigates an innovative idea on design and fabrication techniques for low-cost and high-performance novel fiber sensors. The proposed approach represents a major breakthrough over the traditional optical fiber sensors currently available but not widely used in practices due to their lack of robustness, low reliability and high cost. Major research tasks in this project will include (1) development of fabrication techniques; (2) development of a prototype optical fiber displacement and accelerometer, together with their central signal processing units; (3) experimental investigation on sensor performance; (4) study multiplexing techniques and develop a prototype multipoint sensor network; and (5) improvement of existing designs. The sensor heads may also be embedded into materials, typically in advanced composites, to monitor their properties and behavior not only during processes but also over their service life. This is an emerging research area in both mechanical and civil engineering. The project demonstrates a preliminary work on untested and novel ideas. In addition, the project involves in a multi-disciplinary work in the areas of materials processing, mechanical, and civil structure. With the attractive combination of high performance and low cost, the sensors can have unlimited applications in monitoring health conditions of various material and structure systems ranging from mechanical, aerospace, to civil infrastructure systems. The research findings could significantly contribute to the development of a new generation of material and structural systems equipped with smart sensing capability to ensure system integrity, minimize maintenance cost and maintain material and structural longevity.