Multipoint Sensors for Extreme Environments

在许多应用中，基础设施和机械在极端环境条件下运行，例如非常高的温度、高压、强磁场和暴露在辐射下。在这些环境中获得更好的测量数据的能力有可能实现更好的控制系统，从而提高安全性、提高效率和降低环境影响。因此，该项目将研究能够承受这些极端环境的新传感器技术，同时允许获得多个测量结果。该项目的目标是开发工作温度高达700摄氏度的多点压力传感器和工作温度高达1500摄氏度的多点温度传感器。传感器将使用光纤，光纤可以在基础设施周围布线，以便在其长度沿线的定义点进行测量。通过将光注入光纤的一端并监视返回的光来恢复测量数据。传感器将通过从侧面将光纤暴露在高强度、短脉冲激光下来制造，以在光纤内部引起永久性修改。这项研究中的一个关键创新是纠正短脉冲激光聚焦到光学材料中时发生的失真，以实现更高精度的传感器设计。将对蓝宝石的使用进行调查，以使其能够在超过1000摄氏度的温度下运行。这项工作将在牛津大学工程科学系进行。将与奥斯尼热流体研究所(牛津大学)和克兰菲尔德大学进行学术合作。航空航天、油田服务和航天行业都有工业合作伙伴。此外，还与英国原子能管理局进行了合作。

There are many applications where infrastructure and machinery operate under extreme environmental conditions, such as very high temperatures, high pressures, high magnetic fields and exposure to radiation. The ability to obtain better measurement data within these environments has the potential to enable better control systems, leading to increased safety, increased efficiency and lower environmental impact. This project will therefore research new sensor technologies which can withstand these extreme environments, whilst allowing multiple measurements to be obtained. This project will aim to develop multi-point pressure sensors that operate up to 700C and multi-point temperature sensors that operate up to 1500C. The sensors will be in optical fibre, which can be routed around the infrastructure to allow measurements at defined points along its length. The measurement data is recovered by injecting light into one end of the optical fibre and monitoring the light which comes back. The sensors will be fabricated by exposing the optical fibre to high intensity, short pulse laser light from the side, to cause a permanent modification inside the optical fibre. A key novelty in the research is correcting for the distortion that occurs when focussing the short pulse laser light into the optical material, to enable higher precision sensor designs. The use of sapphire will be investigated to allow operation at temperatures in excess of 1000C.The work will be conducted at the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. There will be academic collaboration with the Osney Thermofluids Institute (University of Oxford) and Cranfield University. There are industrial collaborators in the aerospace, oilfield services and space industries. There is also collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority.