EAGER: Fiber Sensors Networks for Crude Oil Migration Monitoring In Ocean

[摘要]彭晨匹兹堡大学墨西哥湾深水地平线漏油事件已经成为美国历史上最具破坏性的环境灾难。科学家和工程师未能及时阻止破裂并迅速评估环境损害，这凸显了与深水资源勘探、污染监测和生态保护相关的一系列令人生畏的技术挑战。在EAGAR项目中，研究并设计了基于光纤传感技术的分布式传感网络，用于地下石油分布和运移的原位测量。光纤光栅传感器将在短段高衰减光纤中制造。每个光纤传感器将被涂上亲油的多孔纳米材料。一旦遇到油滴，多孔材料就会吸收油滴，导致多孔层的折射率变化和吸收增加。采用波分复用技术，一台探测仪可以监控大量的光纤传感器。提出的研究将提供强大和低成本的传感工具，以监测海洋洋流下的三维石油污染分布和迁移。清理工作的有效性和溢油对海洋生态的长期影响可以迅速得到评价、纠正和改善。该项目还将通过在技术技能、职业道德和环境责任方面为学生提供独特的教学机会，影响匹兹堡大学的可持续发展教育。

Abstract1054652 (EAGER)Peng ChenUniversity of PittsburgThe Deepwater Horizon oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico has become the most damaging environmental catastrophe in the US history. The failures for scientists and engineers to promptly stop the rupture and to swiftly evaluate the environmental damage highlight a number of daunting technical challenges related to deepwater resource exploration, pollution monitoring, and ecological conservation. In this EAGAR project, a distributed sensing network based on fiber optical sensing technology is investigated and designed for in-situ measurement of subsurface oil distribution and migration. Fiber grating sensors will be fabricated in short sections of high-attenuation fibers. Each fiber sensor will be coated with oil-affinitive porous nano-materials. Once it encounters oil droplets, the porous materials will absorb oil droplet, which leads to the increase of refractive index change and absorption in porous layers. Using wavelength division multiplexing, a large number of fiber sensors can be monitored by a single interrogation instrument.The proposed research will provide powerful and low-cost sensing tools to monitor three-dimensional oil pollution distribution and migration under ocean currents. The effectiveness of the clean-up efforts and long-term impact of oil spills to ocean ecology can be rapidly evaluated, rectified, and improved. This project will also impact the sustainability education at the University of Pittsburgh by providing unique teaching opportunities to students in terms of technological skills, professional ethnics, and environmental responsibilities.