Optical fiber hygrometer system integration

麦克斯韦利安公司是一家位于蒙特利尔的公司，创新了第一个光纤湿度探头，以高分辨率实时测量任何领域的湿度和露点。他们的湿度探头是基于光纤的，使用光来测量水分和湿度，即使在恶劣的环境中。该传感器在任何环境下都具有高精度、校准和无漂移特性，使用寿命长达十年。因此，这种可定制的光学传感技术以低维护和低生产成本提供高性能。麦克斯韦利安公司专利技术已经通过原型得到验证，原型由三个主要部分组成：㈠传感器包，包括光纤、热电冷却器、电连接器和金属外壳; ㈡带有电子板和电路的控制盒，用于控制传感器和提取测量数据;（iii）探测盒与传感器组件之间的电气/光学连接。Maxwellian原型在成本效率以及速度和精度方面优于电子和体光学技术竞争[GE]，[Kahn]，[Mich]。传感器的形状因子和尺寸与竞争对手的产品相似或更小，但是它将大大受益于具有电子器件的小型化封装，该电子器件将更接近传感器或成为物联网（IoT）类型传感器中封装系统的一部分。作为传感器小型化的第一步，舍布鲁克大学（UdeS）和Maxwellian Inc.将在这个研究项目中合作，以达到两个主要目标。首先，他们将设计和制造一个机械小型化传感器封装，其中包括商业或微制造的Peltier和用于实验室测试的光纤。其次，他们将通过机械和热设计和仿真评估符合恶劣环境标准Cass 1/Division 2中湿度计规格的传感器封装的可行性。接线盒和电气光学连接保持原样。它们可能是后续项目的一部分，以提高小型化。

Maxwellian Inc. is a Montreal based company that innovates the first optical fiber humidity probe to measure humidity and dew point in any fields with high resolution in real-time manner. Their humidity probe is optical fiber based and uses light to measure moisture and humidity, even in harsh environments. The sensor is highly accurate while being calibration and drift free in any environment with a long lifetime of up to ten years. This customizable optical sensing technology thus provides high performance at low maintenance and low production costs. Maxwellian Inc. proprietary technology has already been validated with prototypes that are composed of three main parts: (i) the sensor package that includes the optical fiber, a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), electrical connectors and the metallic enclosure; (ii) the interrogator box with the electronic boards and circuits to control the sensor and extract measurements data; (iii) the electrical/optical connections between the interrogator box and the sensor package. Maxwellian prototype outperforms the electrical and bulk optics technologies competition in terms of cost efficiency as well as speed and precision [GE], [Kahn], [Mich]. The form factor and dimensions of the sensor is similar or smaller than competitors products, however it would greatly benefit from a miniaturized package with the electronic that would be brought closer to the sensor or be part of the packaged system as in Internet of Things (IoT) type sensors. As a first step towards sensor miniaturization, Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) and Maxwellian Inc. will collaborate in this research project to reach two main objectives. Firstly, they will design and fabricate a mechanical miniaturized sensor package with a commercial or micro-fabricated Peltier and the optical fiber for lab testing. Secondly, they will evaluate feasibility of a sensor package that complies with hygrometer specifications in harsh environment standard Cass1/Division 2 through mechanical and thermal design and simulation. The interrogator box and electrical optical connections are kept as is. They may be part of a following project to enhance miniaturization.