SBIR-STTR Award

This project is focus on the development of a new technology for seismic sensors that are very small, highly sensitive and immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), along with a sophisticated computer based real time data acquisition, processing and analysis system. The detection system is based on optical fiber Bragg grating sensors for dynamic strain and acoustic emissions. In phase I of this project a single sensor is developed, while in phase II a multiple sensor network covering a wide area will be developed. The detection sensitivity will be high enough so that the sensors will be able to monitor seismic activities induced by troop and/or vehicle movement in the vicinity of the sensors. The sensors developed under this program will be ideal for troop/vehicle movement monitoring and information gathering in the battlefield. These can all be accomplished remotely and automatically with the fiber optic sensors proposed here. Commercial applications are equally promising, since the sensors can be used for highway and bridge monitoring, down hole sensing and monitoring for oil/gas exploration.

This project is focused on the development of a new technology for seismic sensors that are very small, highly sensitive, and immune to electromagnetic interference, along with a sophisticated computer based real time data acquisition, processing and analysis system. The detection system is based on optical fiber Bragg grating sensors for dynamic strain and acoustic emissions. In Phase II of this project a 8-channel wavelength division multiplexed 8 sensors will be developed, which comprise a sensor network covering a wide spatial area and providing directional information. The sensitivity will be high enough so that the sensors will be able to monitor seismic activities induced by troop and/or vehicle movement in the vicinity of the sensors.The sensors developed under this program will be ideal for troop/vehicle movement monitoring and information gathering in the battle field. These can all be accomplished remotely and autonomously with the fiber optic sensors proposed here. Commercial applications are equally promising, since the sensors can be used for highway and bridge monitoring, down-hole sensing and monitoring for oil/gas explorations.

Keywords:
seismic monitoring, acoustic wave emission detection, battle field remote monitoring, fiber bragg grating sensors, dynamic strain sensors, fiber optic