Alex A. Kazemi

Pd-coated elastooptic fiber optic Bragg grating sensors for multiplexed hydrogen sensing

We report a new type of optical hydrogen sensor with a fiber optic Bragg grating (FBG) coated with palladium thin film. The sensing mechanism in this device is based on mechanical stress that is induced in the palladium coating when it absorbs hydrogen. The stress in the palladium coating stretches and shifts the Bragg wavelength of the FBG. Using FBGs with different wavelengths many such hydrogen sensors can be multiplexed on a single optical fiber. Here multiplexing two sensors is demonstrated. Moreover, hydrogen and thermal sensitivities of the sensors were calculated using a simple elastic model. Additionally, to quantify the amount of stress in the palladium film as a function of hydrogen concentration, a novel and very sensitive method was devised and used to detect deflections in a Pd-coated cantilever using an evanescent microwave probe. This stress was in the range of 5.26–8.59×10−7 Pa for H2 concentrations of 0.5–1.4% at room temperature, which is about three times larger than that found in the bulk palladium for the same range of H2 concentrations.

Fiber optic cryogenic liquid level detection system for space applications

Liquid hydrogen and oxygen are widely used as fuels in space vehicles. Because both are highly dangerous materials prone to explosion, detection of the liquid level in fuel tank becomes a critical element for the safety and efficiency in space operations. Two liquid level sensing techniques are presented in this paper. The first technique is based on optical fiber long period gratings. In this technique, the full length of a specially fabricated fiber is the body of the probe becomes the length of the sensing fiber that is submerged in the liquid can be detected by the interrogation system. The second system uses optical fibers to guide light to and from an array of point probes. These probes are specially fabricated, miniature optical components which reflects a substantial amount of light back into the lead fiber when the probe is gas but almost no light when it is in liquid. A detailed theoretical study by computer simulation was carried out on these two techniques in order to determine which technique was more suitable for experimental investigation. The study revealed that although the first technique may provide more potential benefits in terms of weight and easy installation; a number of technical challenges make it not suitable for a short term solution. The second, probe array based technique, on the other hand, is more mature technically. The rest of the research program was therefore focused on the experimental investigation of the probe array detection technique and the test results are presented in this paper.

Intersatellite laser communication systems for harsh environment of space

This paper will focus on the trends for the space-based lasers, optics and terminals used in the intersatellite networks. Reviewed and evaluate the recent development in the space-based laser technologies and the critical parameters that are employed for successful high-speed inter-satellite communications systems. Building laser for high speed communications network for the harsh environment of space using optical links in space has proven to be complicated task and many such schemes were tried without success in the past. Space-based optical communications using satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) and Geo-synchronous orbits (GEO) hold great promise for the proposed Internet in the Sky network of the future. However in the last few years, there has been impressive progress made to bring the concept of laser-based intersatellite systems to fruition in civilian and government-non classified projects. Laser communications offer a viable alternative to established RF communications for inter-satellite links and other applications where high performance links are a necessity. High data rate, small antenna size, narrow beam divergence, and a narrow field of view are characteristics of laser-based systems and they are just few numbers of potential advantages for system design over radio frequency communication.

Fiber optic Bragg grating sensors for hydrogen gas sensing

We report a new type of optical hydrogen sensor with a fiber optic Bragg grating (FBG) coated with palladium. The sensing mechanism in this device is based on the mechanical stress that is induced in the palladium coating when it absorbs hydrogen. The stress in the palladium coating stretches and shifts the Bragg wavelength of the FBG. Using FBGs with different wavelengths many such hydrogen sensor can be multiplexed on a single optical fiber. Operation of two multiplexing sensors is demonstrated. Moreover, hydrogen and thermal sensitivities of the senors were measured and calculated using a simple elastic model. Moreover, to quantify the amount of stress in the palladium film as a function of hydrogen concentration, a novel and very sensitive method was devised and used to detect deflections in a Pd-coated cantilever using an evanescent microwave probe. This stress was in the range of 5.26 - 8.59 X 107 Pa for H2 concentrations of 0.5 - 1.4% at room temperature, which is about three times larger than that found in the bulk palladium for the same range of H2 concentrations.

Space-based laser systems for inter-satellite communications

Space-based optical communications using satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) and Geo synchronous orbits (GEO) hold great promise for the proposed Internet in the Sky network of the future. Building high speed communications network using optical links in space has proven to be an extremely complicated task and many such schemes were tried without success in the past. However in the last few years, there has been impressive progress made to bring the concept of space based laser systems for inter-satellite communications to fruition in civilian and government-non classified projects. Laser Communications High data rate, small antenna size, narrow beam divergence, and a narrow field of view are characteristics of laser communications that offer a number of potential advantages for system design. Also discussed are the laser based optical inter-satellite communication equipment which enables large capacity communication, and the advantage of their systems. Laser-based communications offer a viable alternative to established RF communications for inter-satellite links and other applications where high performance links are a necessity.

Fiber optic hydrogen sensor leak detection system for launch vehicle applications

This paper describes the successful test of a multi-point fiber optic hydrogen sensor system during the static firing of an Evolved Expandable Launch Vehicle (EELV)/Delta IV common booster core (CBC) rocket engine at NASAs Stennis Flight Center. The system consisted of microsensors (optrodes) using a hydrogen gas sensitive indicator incorporated onto an optically transparent porous substrate. The modular optoelectronics and multiplexing network system was designed and assembled utilizing a multi-channel opto-electronic sensor readout unit that monitored the hydrogen and temperature response of the individual optrodes in real-time and communicated this information via a serial communication port to a remote laptop computer. The sensor packaging for hydrogen consisted of two optrodes -- one doped with an indicator sensitive to hydrogen, and the other doped with an indicator sensitive to temperature. The multi-channel hydrogen sensor system is fully reversible. It has demonstrated a dynamic response to hydrogen gas in the range of 0% to 4% with 0.1% resolution and a response time of less than or equal to 15 seconds. The sensor package was attached to a custom fiber optic ribbon cable, which was then connected to a fiber optic trunk communications cable (standard telecommunications-grade fiber) that connected to the optoelectronics module. Each board in the expandable module included light sources, photo-detectors, and associated electronics required for detecting hydrogen and temperature. The presentation would discuss the sensor design and performance data under field deployment conditions.

Fiber optic liquid level sensor system for aerospace applications

Detection of the liquid level in fuel tank becomes a critical element for the safety and efficiency in aerospace operations. Two liquid level sensing techniques are presented in this paper. The first technique is based on optical fiber Long Period Gratings (LPG). In this system, the full length of a specially fabricated fiber is the body of the probe because the length of the sensing fiber that is submerged in the liquid can be detected by the interrogation system. The second system based on Total Internal Reflection (TIR) uses optical fibers to guide light to and from an array of point probes. These probes are specially fabricated, miniature optical components which reflects a substantial amount of light back into the lead fiber when the probe is gas but almost no light when it is in liquid. A detailed theoretical study by computer simulation was carried out on these two techniques in order to determine which technique was more suitable for experimental investigation. The study revealed that although the first technique may provide more potential benefits in terms of weight and easy installation; a number of technical challenges make it not suitable for a short term solution. The second, probe array based technique, on the other hand, is more mature technically. The rest of the research program was therefore focused on the experimental investigation of the probe array detection technique and the test results are presented in this paper.

Phase-shifted fiber-Bragg-grating-based humidity sensor

A humidity fiber optic sensor based on phase-shifted (PS) fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) is demonstrated in this paper. The sensor (PS-FBG) is coated with a moisture sensitive polyimide. When this thin coating is exposed to moisture its swells, hence inducing tensile stress on the PS-FBG and affecting its Bragg wavelength. Due to its intrinsic properties, the PS-FBG sensor presents the same trend of wavelength variation as standard fiber Bragg Grating sensor but with higher measurement resolution, and reliable measurements can be obtained in different humidity and temperature environments. This paper assesses the suitability, including sensitivity and response time, of the phaseshifted FBG sensor approach for humidity sensing. By monitoring this change, it is demonstrated that the humidity level of the environment can be accurately monitored.

Highly sensitive hydrogen sensors using palladium coated fiber optics with exposed cores and evanescent field interactions

Here we propose and report a novel fiber optic hydrogen sensor which is constructed by depositing palladium over an exposed core region of a multimode fiber. Since the length, thickness, and composition of the palladium patch can be controlled independently of each other, it is possible to increase the speed of our sensor at lower temperatures while maintaining its sensitivity. This is not possible in so called micromirror sensors due to a restriction imposed on their active area of interaction by the fiber optic cross- sectional area. Micromirror fiber optic sensors, studied in the past, take advantage of the reflection/absorption of a palladium film deposited at the end of a fiber and it is only possible to have one sensor per a fiber optic strand. On the other hand, since many evanescent field-based sensors can be deposited over a single fiber optic strand, multiplexing can be easily accomplished using both time- domain and wavelength-domain methods. Using a 100 angstroms thick palladium with 1.5 cm interaction length, we could detect hydrogen in the 0.2% to 0.6% range with corresponding response times of 30 s to 20 s at room temperature. At -10 degree(s)C, these response times increased by a factor of only 2 which is impressive.

Review of optical fiber sensor technologies for hydrogen leak detection in hydrogen energy storage

We introduce a review concerning hydrogen sensors already validated based on palladium, and we discuss the best ways to proceed to achieve an ideal hydrogen sensor. We discuss the performances regarding the configuration of an optical fiber hydrogen sensor as well as the used materials properties. We conclude that hydrogen sensors using plasmonic effects are a seductive way to follow.