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

本课题在光纤传感器和传感器系统领域探讨了多功能光纤传感器平台的新概念。本文的主要研究目标是研究、开发和实现一个概念性的新型多功能光纤传感器系统，以演示新概念，该系统将通过使用新开发的光纤环路环断（FLRD）技术来实现。FLRD测量单个变量，时间，以检测任何感兴趣的量，例如，压力，温度，应变，化学物质的浓度等。这种通用时域传感方案提供了将多个FLRD传感器单元多路复用到单个传感器系统中的潜力，可以同时以高灵敏度、高检测速度和最小的光源强度波动的不利影响检测多个数量。具体的研究目标包括：1)设计、制造和评估每个单独的FLRD传感器单元，以检测不同的测量值。2)设计、开发、制造多功能光纤传感器系统。3)开发和优化数据处理算法。4)从功能、网络能力、数据传输和处理效率以及保持高性能的能力（每个单独传感器单元的灵敏度、精度、选择性和鲁棒性以及整个传感器系统的速度）方面论证和评估传感器系统的性能。该项目将涉及应用工程物理专业的一名研究生和一名本科生。

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.