SBIR-STTR Award

Vibration Impact and Pressure (VIP) Sensors proposes to develop a compact Fiber Optic Vector Sensor (FOVS) Array to be deployed in an expendable sonobuoy and operated close to the ocean bottom (below critical depth). The FOVS consists of an omnidirectional hydrophone which provides sounds amplitude and a triaxial/biaxial accelerometer that provide the sounds direction. A pair of single mode optical fibers interconnect multiple, miniature, fully passive (no electrical wires) FOVS located up to 6 km below sea level to the sonobuoys Lower Electronic Module. A broadband light source from the electronic module excites the FOVS array. Each of the optical sensors, built to work at unique ranges of the optical spectrum, modulates the light within its corresponding wavelength range in proportion to the measurand; therefore the light returning from the FOVS contains the information of all the sensors at different preset wavelength slots in a wave division multiplexing (WDM) fashion. The optical sensors are micromachined MOMS (Micro Optical Mechanical System) silicon chips which consume no electrical power. The low power consumption of the electronic module is mainly for the light source and for processing the signals. The MOMS technology allows optimization of the sensors performance and low cost production rates.

Benefit:
The Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Optical sensors and the Detection System technologies will fuel the development of various multimillion dollars product lines. Besides the Deep Fiber Optic Vector Sensor Array, there are multiple applications in the tests and measurement community for derivative products such as the optical accelerometers, hydrophones, pressure sensors, microphone, magnetometers, etc. as well as standalone detection instruments. This basic new technology has the potential significantly improve the measurements systems across many industries that use large number of sensors, such : Flight Testing, Wind Tunnel Testing, Structural Testing, Structural Monitoring, Airplane, Satellite and Ship Monitoring

Keywords:
hydrophone, hydrophone, Extrinsic Fabry Perot optical sensors, Multi-drop Sensor Arrays, Fiber optic sensors, optical detection, Accelerometer, Optical MEMS

Vibration Impact and Pressure Sensors proposes to develop a compact Fiber Optic Vector Sensor Array to be deployed in an expendable sonobuoy and operated close to the ocean bottom (below critical depth). It consist of multiple vector sensors (hydrophone, single axis, biaxial or triaxial accelerometer) and compasses. A pair of single mode optic fibers interconnects the passive vector sensor array located 6 km below sea level to the Electronic Readout board within the sonobuoy s Lower/Upper Electronic Module. The hydrophone provides sound amplitude, while the accelerometers provide the direction of sound wave, the compasses provide heading information, which is important considering the potential twisting of the interconnecting optical cable. A light source from the electronic module excites the Fiber Optic Vector Sensors. Each of the optical sensors, built to work at unique ranges of the optical spectrum, modulates the light within its corresponding wavelength range in proportion to the measurand; therefore the light returning from the FOVS contains the information of all the sensors at different preset wavelength slots in a wave division multiplexing fashion. The optical sensors are micromachined MOMS silicon chips which consume no electrical power. The power consumption of the electronic module is mainly for the light

Benefit:
The Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Optical sensors and the Detection System technologies will fuel the development of various multimillion dollars product lines. Besides the Deep Fiber Optic Vector Sensor Array, there are multiple applications in the tests and measurement community for derivative products such as the optical accelerometers, hydrophones, pressure sensors, microphone, magnetometers, etc. as well as standalone detection instruments. This basic new technology has the potential significantly improve the measurements systems across many industries that use large number of sensors, such : Flight Testing, Wind Tunnel Testing, Structural Testing, Structural Monitoring, Airplane, Satellite and Ship Monitoring

Keywords:
Accelerometer, Multi-drop Optical Sensor Arrays, Extrinsic Fabry Perot optical sensors, Fiber optic sensors, Optical MEMS, hydrophone, Optical Detection System