SBIR Phase I: Optical Fiber Chloride Sensor for Concrete Structures

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出了一种光纤传感器，用于确定建筑物和桥梁等复合混凝土结构中的氯离子浓度。保持这个国家基础设施的完整性是一个重大挑战，而氯离子侵入混凝土是美国结构失效的主要原因。为了解决这个问题，智能光学系统（IOS）将开发一种创新的分布式固有光纤传感器（DIFOS），该传感器将由涂覆有包层的光纤组成，包层包含对氯离子敏感的指示剂。 在氯离子存在的情况下，包层改变其光谱特性，导致光纤的光学特性反映氯离子浓度。 该传感器将检测氯化物沿着其整个长度，可靠地指示何时结构需要维修或更换。 嵌入或改造在混凝土结构中，传感器将检测氯离子的侵入，并提供结构内氯离子扩散的实时监测。该传感器可用于防止结构退化和潜在的灾难性故障。该系统将是一个有价值的工具，以保障混凝土结构。它将由土木工程和建筑公司使用。 该传感器可以在制造期间嵌入到新结构中，也可以嵌入到正在修复的旧结构中。 此外，对不同分析物敏感的光纤包层的概念可以扩展到智能结构，如飞机，船舶和建筑物，以提高这些结构的安全性并降低维护和检查成本。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes an optical fiber sensor to determine concentrations of chloride ions in composite concrete structures such as buildings and bridges. Maintaining the integrity of this nation's infrastructure is a major challenge, and the incursion of chloride ions into concrete is a major cause of structure failure in the U.S. To solve this problem, Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) will develop an innovative distributed intrinsic fiber optic sensor (DIFOS) that will consist of an optical fiber coated with a cladding that contains an indicator sensitive to chloride ions. The cladding changes its spectral properties in the presence of chloride, causing the fiber's optical properties to reflect chloride ion concentration. The sensor will detect chloride along its entire length, reliably indicating when structures need repair or replacement. Embedded or retrofit in a concrete structure, the sensor will detect the incursion of chloride ions and provide real-time monitoring of chloride diffusion within the structure. This sensor can be used to prevent structure degradation and potential catastrophic failures.The proposed system will be a valuable tool for safeguarding concrete structures. It will be used by civil engineering and construction companies. This sensor can be embedded into new structures during fabrication and into old structures that are being repaired. In addition, the concept of an optical fiber cladding that is sensitive to different analytes can be extended to smart structures such as aircraft, ships, and buildings to increase the safety of these structures and to decrease maintenance and inspection costs.