ELECTROLUMINESCENT FIBER OPTIC SHOCK SENSOR

THE MEASUREMENT OF DYNAMIC HIGH-PRESSURES IS A PROBLEM OF INTEREST IN MANY FIELDS. THE PERFORMANCE OF EXISTING DYNAMIC PRESSURE SENSORS IS OFTEN LIMITED BY HIGH AMPLITUDE,BROADBAND ELECTROMAGNETIC NOISE ENDEMIC TO THE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THEY ARE USED. TO OBTAIN A MORE USEFUL PRESSURE DIAGNOSTIC THIS PROJECT WILL ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A FIBER OPTIC SENSOR WHICH PRODUCES A LOW NOISE STRESS DEPENDENT OPTICAL SIGNAL. THE SENSOR IS BASED ON A NOVEL AND PROPRIETARY CONFIGURATIONOF AN ELECTROLUMINESCENT EMITTER COMBINED WITH PIEZOELECTRICOR FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS (SEE FIG. 1). WHEN STRESSED, THEPIEZOELECTRIC OR FERROELECTRIC MATERIAL PRODUCES A STRESS DEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CHARGE. THIS CHARGE IS USED TO PRODUCEAN ELECTROLUMINESCENT OPTICAL SIGNAL WITH A STRESS DEPENDENTAMPLITUDE. THIS SIGNAL IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH AN OPTICAL FIBER TO REMOTELY LOCATED DIAGNOSTICS. THE OPTICAL SIGNAL IS IMMUNE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC NOISE AND ELIMINATES ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING LINKS WHICH POSE A HAZARD IN APPLICATIONS INVOLVING HIGH EXPLOSIVES. THIS PROJECT WILL TEST SEVERAL COMBINATIONS OF PIEZOELECTRICOR FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH ELECTROLUMINESCENT MATERIALS. THE STRESS DEPENDENT OUTPUT OF THESE SENSORS WILL BE EVALUATED IN RESPONSE TO VARIOUS SHOCK STIMULI. THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS A DESIGN OBJECTIVE WILL BE THE ULTIMATE USE OF THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY TO MASS PRODUCE AN INEXPENSIVE DYNAMIC HIGH-PRESSURE SENSOR.