IMPROVED BLAST OVERPRESSURE TRANSDUCER

WE WILL ESTABLISH PROOF OF PRINCIPLE FOR AN OPTICAL BLAST OVERPRESSURETRANSDUCER FOR USE IN THE 1-100 KPA RANGE THAT WILL OPERATE FROM DC TOKHZ, OR 300 KHZ IF UNDAMPED. LIGHT FROM A LASER WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE TRANSDUCER THROUGH AN OPTICAL FIBER. THE OPERATION OF THE TRANSDUCER WILL BE BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE LIGHT COUPLED BACK INTO THE FIBER FROM THE TRANSDUCER WILL BE A FUNCTION OF THE PRESSURE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS VERY SMALL (SUB-MILLIMETER) PHOTONIC TRANSDUCER WILL BE INSENSITIVE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI), YET EASY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO DESIGN THE UNIT, FABRICATE SEVERAL PROTOTYPES, AND MEASURE THEIR STATIC AND DYNAMIC RESPONSE OVER THE RANGE OF INTEREST.