Optical Fibre Sensors for Gas Sensing in Extreme Environments

该项目围绕使用光纤传感器系统进行气体种类传感。光纤能够承受极端环境，如高温和高压，以及暴露于磁场和辐射的能力导致在各种应用中使用。光纤传感器通常可以承受高达1000摄氏度的温度，但蓝宝石光纤可以用于在高于此限制的温度下工作。传感器也不受电干扰的影响，不导电，因此它们可以用于高压电源或易燃材料的地方。这些区域将是传统传感器无法进入的。该项目的动机是在极端环境中使用这些系统的许多好处，因为它可以改进控制系统，提高安全性和效率。这项技术有许多潜在的应用。例如，在航空发动机中，以接近真实的时间检测来自发动机的排放物的气体成分。这允许监测排放，并调整操作条件以减少排放。探测器能够做到这一点是令人兴奋的，因为它具有许多意义，例如有助于提高能源和推进系统燃烧燃料的效率。这当然会对环境产生影响，这对社会来说是非常重要的。该项目的总体目标是开发用于实时气体检测的当前光纤传感器技术。目标是开发具有（i）更高灵敏度;（ii）远程操作能力;（iii）在极端环境中操作的能力的气体种类检测系统。提出的研究的新奇在于，气体物种检测将在新型空芯光纤（如反谐振光纤和光子带隙光纤）中进行。这个想法是将气体注入中空纤维芯，在那里它将与引导光相互作用。单个气体种类的浓度可以通过测量特定气体吸收线处的光吸收来确定。这种相互作用将通过精密激光微加工来改善光纤的性能。这允许更快的感测，因此接近实时反馈，这在该技术的应用中提供了许多优点。进一步的新奇将来自新的光纤询问系统的开发，以进一步提高检测灵敏度。这可以允许使用较低成本的部件和自身能够承受恶劣环境的部件。该项目福尔斯EPSRC工程研究领域。在这个主题中，它属于光学器件和子系统以及传感器和仪器仪表的主题领域。然而，由于是多学科的，也有许多与技术应用的联系。该项目的合作者将是牛津大学化学系和劳斯莱斯公司。化学系将提供高温下物种检测和实验校准的指导。罗尔斯·罗伊斯公司将提供关于航空发动机中氮氧化物和二氧化氮检测要求的投入，以减少排放。

This project revolves around the use of optical fibre sensor systems for gas species sensing. The ability of optical fibres to withstand extreme environments such as high temperature and high pressure as well as exposure to magnetic fields and radiation leads to use in a variety of applications. Fibre sensors can typically withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees C, but sapphire fibre can be used for operating at temperatures above this limit. The sensors are also unaffected by electrical interference and do not conduct electricity, hence they can be used in places with a high voltage electricity supply or flammable material. These areas would be otherwise inaccessible with conventional sensors. The project is motivated by the many benefits to the use of these systems in extreme environments as it allows for improved control systems, with better safety and efficiency. The technology has many potential applications. For example, in aero engines to detect the gas composition of the emission coming from the engine in close to real time. This allows the emissions to be monitored and operating conditions adapted to reduce them. The ability for detectors to be able to do this is exciting as it has many implications such as contributing to the development of improved efficiency of burning fuels for energy and propulsion systems. This of course has environmental impact which is something that is of great importance to society. The overall aim of this project is to develop current optical fibre sensor technologies for applications in real-time gas detection. The objectives are to develop gas species detection systems with (i) higher sensitivity; (ii) the ability to operate remotely; (iii) the ability to operate in extreme environments. The novelty of the proposed research lies in that the gas species detection will be performed in new types of hollow-core optical fibre (such as anti-resonant fibres and photonic bandgap fibres). The idea is to inject gases into the hollow fibre core, where it will interact with guided light. The concentration of individual gas species can be determined by measuring the light absorption at specific gas absorption lines. This interaction will be enhanced using precision laser micromachining to modify the optical fibre properties. This allows for much quicker sensing and hence close to real-time feedback which provides many advantages in the applications of this technology. Further novelty will come from the development of new optical fibre interrogation systems to further enhance the detection sensitivity. This may allow for use of lower cost components and components which will be able to withstand harsh environments themselves. The project falls within the EPSRC engineering research area. Within this theme, it is within the topic areas of Optical Devices and Subsystems, as well as Sensors and Instrumentation. However, being multidisciplinary there are also numerous links to applications of the technology. The collaborators on the project will be the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and Rolls-Royce plc. The Department of Chemistry will provide guidance on species detection at elevated temperatures and experimental calibration. Rolls Royce will provide input on requirements for nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide detection in aero engines for emission reduction.