RESEARCH LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REMOTE OPTICAL DYNAMIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM IS PROPOSED.

RESEARCH LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REMOTE OPTICAL DYNAMIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM IS PROPOSED. THIS INSTRUMENT WOULD CONSIST OF A SMALL PASSIVE TRANSDUCER AT THE POINT OF MEASUREMENT, AND A REMOTELY LOCATED TRANSMIT/RECEIVE UNIT WHICH WOULD INTERROGATE THE TRANSDUCER WITH A LASER BEAM (EITHER DIRECTLY, OR VIA AN OPTICAL FIBER), AND WHICH WOULD DETERMINE THE PRESSURE AT THE TRANSDUCER FROM THE RETURN SIGNAL. NO ELECTRICAL OR OTHER CONNECTION TO THE TRANSDUCER IS REQUIRED. THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF THE TRANSDUCER IS THE DEFORMATION OF A THIN MIRRORED PLATE UNDER THE APPLICATION OF A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL. PRELIMINARY MEASUREMENTS INDICATE THAT AN ACCURACY OF BETTER THAT 1 PART IN 1000 SHOULD BE POSSIBLE, WITH MEASUREMENT BANDWIDTHS EXCEEDING 20 KHZ AT OPER- ATING TEMPERATURES UP TO 2000 C (USING SAPPHIRE TRANSDUCER)