Improving the response time of polymer optical fibre Bragg grating water activity sensors

In this work we investigate the effect of temperature and diameter size on the response time of a poly(methyl methacrylate) based, polymer optical fibre Bragg grating water activity sensor. The unstrained and etched sensor was placed in an environmental chamber to maintain controlled temperature and humidity conditions and subjected to step changes in humidity. The data show a strong correlation between decrease in diameter and shorter response time. A decrease in response time was also observed with an increase in temperature.

Raman-assisted BOTDA sensors

We review some recent results on the application of distributed Raman amplification schemes, including ultralong lasers, to the extension of the operating range and contrast in Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) distributed sensing systems. © 2010 IEEE.

Sensitivity enhancement using annealed polymer optical fibre based sensors for pressure sensing applications

Thermal annealing can be used to induce a permanent negative Bragg wavelength shift for polymer fibre grating sensors and it was originally used for multiplexing purposes. Recently, researchers showed that annealing can also provide additional benefits, such as strain and humidity sensitivity enhancement and augmented temperature operational range. The annealing process can change both the optical and mechanical properties of the fibre. In this paper, the annealing effects on the stress and force sensitivities of PMMA fibre Bragg grating sensors are investigated. The incentive for that investigation was an unexpected behaviour observed in an array of sensors which were used for liquid level monitoring. One sensor exhibited much lower pressure sensitivity and that was the only one that was not annealed. To further investigate the phenomenon, additional sensors were photo-inscribed and characterised with regard their stress and force sensitivities. Then, the fibres were annealed by placing them in hot water, controlling with that way the humidity factor. After annealing, stress and force sensitivities were measured again. The results show that the annealing can improve the stress and force sensitivity of the devices. This can provide better performing sensors for use in stress, force and pressure sensing applications.

Aviation fuel gauging sensor utilizing multiple diaphragm sensors incorporating polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings

A high-performance fuel gauging sensor is described that uses five diaphragm-based pressure sensors, which are monitored using a linear array of polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings. The sensors were initially characterized using water, revealing a sensitivity of 98 pm/cm for four of the sensors and 86 pm/cm for the fifth. The discrepancy in the sensitivity of the fifth sensor has been explained as being a result of the annealing of the other four sensors. Initial testing in JET A-1 aviation fuel revealed the unsuitability of silicone rubber diaphragms for prolonged usage in fuel. A second set of sensors manufactured with a polyurethane-based diaphragm showed no measurable deterioration over a three month period immersed in fuel. These sensors exhibited a sensitivity of 39 pm/cm, which is less than the silicone rubber devices due to the stiffer nature of the polyurethane material used.

A nanoliter volume nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system using tunneling magneto-resistive (TMR) sensors to recognize biomolecules

The need to incorporate advanced engineering tools in biology, biochemistry and medicine is in great demand. Many of the existing instruments and tools are usually expensive and require special facilities.^ With the advent of nanotechnology in the past decade, new approaches to develop devices and tools have been generated by academia and industry. ^ One such technology, NMR spectroscopy, has been used by biochemists for more than 2 decades to study the molecular structure of chemical compounds. However, NMR spectrometers are very expensive and require special laboratory rooms for their proper operation. High magnetic fields with strengths in the order of several Tesla make these instruments unaffordable to most research groups.^ This doctoral research proposes a new technology to develop NMR spectrometers that can operate at field strengths of less than 0.5 Tesla using an inexpensive permanent magnet and spin dependent nanoscale magnetic devices. This portable NMR system is intended to analyze samples as small as a few nanoliters.^ The main problem to resolve when downscaling the variables is to obtain an NMR signal with high Signal-To-Noise-Ratio (SNR). A special Tunneling Magneto-Resistive (TMR) sensor design was developed to achieve this goal. The minimum specifications for each component of the proposed NMR system were established. A complete NMR system was designed based on these minimum requirements. The goat was always to find cost effective realistic components. The novel design of the NMR system uses technologies such as Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS), Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and a special Backpropagation Neural Network that finds the best match of the NMR spectrum. The system was designed, calculated and simulated with excellent results.^ In addition, a general method to design TMR Sensors was developed. The technique was automated and a computer program was written to help the designer perform this task interactively.^

VLSI testing and characterization system for micro electro-mechanical (MEM) sensors

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and implement a general purpose VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) Test Module based on a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) system to verify the mechanical behavior and performance of MEM sensors, with associated corrective capabilities; and to make use of the evolving System-C, a new open-source HDL (Hardware Description Language), for the design of the FPGA functional units. System-C is becoming widely accepted as a platform for modeling, simulating and implementing systems consisting of both hardware and software components. In this investigation, a Dual-Axis Accelerometer (ADXL202E) and a Temperature Sensor (TMP03) were used for the test module verification. Results of the test module measurement were analyzed for repeatability and reliability, and then compared to the sensor datasheet. Further study ideas were identified based on the study and results analysis. ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) design concepts were also being pursued.

Optimum wireless power transmission for sensors embedded in concrete

Various nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies for construction and performance monitoring have been studied for decades. Recently, the rapid evolution of wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies has enabled the development of sensors that can be embedded in concrete to monitor the structural health of infrastructure. Such sensors can be buried inside concrete and they can collect and report valuable volumetric data related to the health of a structure during and/or after construction. Wireless embedded sensors monitoring system is also a promising solution for decreasing the high installation and maintenance cost of the conventional wire based monitoring systems. Wireless monitoring sensors need to operate for long time. However, sensor batteries have finite life-time. Therefore, in order to enable long operational life of wireless sensors, novel wireless powering methods, which can charge the sensors’ rechargeable batteries wirelessly, need to be developed. The optimization of RF wireless powering of sensors embedded in concrete is studied here. First, our analytical results focus on calculating the transmission loss and propagation loss of electromagnetic waves penetrating into plain concrete at different humidity conditions for various frequencies. This analysis specifically leads to the identification of an optimum frequency range within 20–80 MHz that is validated through full-wave electromagnetic simulations. Second, the effects of various reinforced bar configurations on the efficiency of wireless powering are investigated. Specifically, effects of the following factors are studied: rebar types, rebar period, rebar radius, depth inside concrete, and offset placement. This analysis leads to the identification of the 902–928 MHz ISM band as the optimum power transmission frequency range for sensors embedded in reinforced concrete, since antennas working in this band are less sensitive to the effects of varying humidity as well as rebar configurations. Finally, optimized rectennas are designed for receiving and/or harvesting power in order to charge the rechargeable batteries of the embedded sensors. Such optimized wireless powering systems exhibit significantly larger efficiencies than the efficiencies of conventional RF wireless powering systems for sensors embedded in plain or reinforced concrete.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_200 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_201 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_202 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_204 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_206 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_189 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_198 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured from physical, optical and imaging sensors during station TARA_207 of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter from physical, optical and imaging sensors mounted on a vertical sampling system (Rosette) used during the 2009-2013 tara Oceans Expedition. It comprised 2 pairs of conductivity and temperature sensors (SEABIRD components), and a complete set of WEtLabs optical sensors, including chrorophyll and CDOM fluorometers, a 25 cm transmissiometer, and a one-wavelength backscatter meter. In addition, a SATLANTIC ISUS nitrate sensor and a Hydroptic Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) were mounted on the rosette. In the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013), a second oxygen sensor (SBE43) and a four frequency Aquascat acoustic profiler were added. The system was powered on specific Li-Ion batteries and data were self-recorded at 24HZ. Sensors have all been factory calibrated before, during and after the four year program. Oxygen was validated using climatologies (WOA09). Nitrate and Fluorescence data were adjusted with discrete measurements from Niskin bottles mounted on the Rosette, and optical darks were performed monthly on board. A total of 839 quality checked vertical profiles were made during the tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013.