RUGGED FIBER OPTIC CONNECTOR ARRAYS FOR SEVERE NUCLEAR PLANT ENVIRONMENTS

THE ADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTIC TECHNOLOGY HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY UTILIZED IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF CONVENTIONAL FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS. ADVANCES IN SENSOR AND INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES REQUIRE FIBER OPTIC CONNECTORS, COUPLERS AND CABLES WITH MULTI-CHANNEL CAPABILITIES AND HIGHER TOLERANCE TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND RADIATION OF NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENTS. IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTI-CHANNEL FIBER CONNECTOR ARRAYS ALSO POSES SEVERAL PROBLEMS. IN THE FABRICATION OF FIBER OPTIC ARRAYS, DAMAGE CAN OCCUR TO THE END FACES DURING THE POLISH CYCLE. MATERIAL MISMATCH BETWEEN THE FIBER AND HOLDER CAN CAUSE UNEVEN MATERIAL REMOVAL DURING LAPPING THAT WILL CHIP AND CRACK FIBERS. THE BONDING METHOD MUST ALSO HOLD THE FIBER SECURELY TO THE HOLDER OR DAMAGE WILL RESULT. PHYSICAL OPTICS CORPORATION (POC) PROPOSES TWO HIGHLY EFFICIENT METHODS OF FIBER ARRAY FABRICATION BASED ON METALLIC NON-IMAGING OPTICS (NIO) BEAM EXPANDERS AND FUSED SILICA CAPILLARY TUBES THAT DEMONSTRATE HIGH EFFICIENCY, LOW BACK REFLECTION AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SENSITIVITY TO HIGH TEMPERATURES AND VIBRATION. BOTH DESIGNS WILL EMPLOY THERMALLY MATCHED COMPONENTS AND HERMETIC CONSTRUCTION. SEVERAL PROTOTYPE ARRAY DEVICES WILL BE FABRICATED AND BE ENVIRONMENTALLY TESTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED DESIGNS IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.