Spatiotemporal and geometric optimization of sensor arrays for detecting analytes in fluids

DOEpatents

Lewis, Nathan S [La Canada, CA; Freund, Michael S [Winnipeg, CA; Briglin, Shawn S [Chittenango, NY; Tokumaru, Phillip [Moorpark, CA; Martin, Charles R [Gainesville, FL; Mitchell, David [Newtown, PA

2009-09-29

Sensor arrays and sensor array systems for detecting analytes in fluids. Sensors configured to generate a response upon introduction of a fluid containing one or more analytes can be located on one or more surfaces relative to one or more fluid channels in an array. Fluid channels can take the form of pores or holes in a substrate material. Fluid channels can be formed between one or more substrate plates. Sensor can be fabricated with substantially optimized sensor volumes to generate a response having a substantially maximized signal to noise ratio upon introduction of a fluid containing one or more target analytes. Methods of fabricating and using such sensor arrays and systems are also disclosed.

ATTIRE (analytical tools for thermal infrared engineering): A sensor simulation and modeling package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaggi, S.

1993-02-01

The Advanced Sensor Development Laboratory (ASDL) at the Stennis Space Center develops, maintains and calibrates remote sensing instruments for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). To perform system design trade-offs, analysis, and establish system parameters, ASDL has developed a software package for analytical simulation of sensor systems. This package called 'Analytical Tools for Thermal InfraRed Engineering' - ATTIRE, simulates the various components of a sensor system. The software allows each subsystem of the sensor to be analyzed independently for its performance. These performance parameters are then integrated to obtain system level information such as Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Noise Equivalent Radiance (NER), Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) etc. This paper describes the uses of the package and the physics that were used to derive the performance parameters.

Evaluation of a low cost wireless heat ratio method system for measuring transpiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiriksson, D.; Boyer, B.; Aishlin, P. S.; Bowling, D. R.

2016-12-01

For decades, environmental measurements in remote locations have consisted of sensors hard wired to loggers that send data to central servers via radio, satellite, or cellular telemetry. This model of data collection is effective when all sensors are located in close proximity to the central data logger, such as on a weather station. Frequently, however, in order to adequately capture the spatial heterogeneity associated with environmental processes (e.g., transpiration, soil moisture, or snow depth), it is necessary to install many sensors 10's to 100's of meters from a central data logging station. This presents a practical and financial obstacle when considering the cost of cabling and conduit, in addition to the potential data collection and data quality problems associated with long cable runs. We offer a solution to this persistent challenge with a hybrid datalogging system that combines the power and reliability of Campbell Scientific logging and telemetry equipment with low cost Xbee radios and Arduino based data logging platforms. To evaluate the promise of this hybrid datalogging concept we developed a new generation of low cost, homemade heat ratio sapflux sensors and tested them at a forested site in the Wasatch Mountains, near Salt Lake City, Utah. We present data from this test site, heat ratio method sensor construction details, and example code that merges the capabilities of Arduino and Campbell Scientific datalogging systems.

Recent Advances of MEMS Resonators for Lorentz Force Based Magnetic Field Sensors: Design, Applications and Challenges.

PubMed

Herrera-May, Agustín Leobardo; Soler-Balcazar, Juan Carlos; Vázquez-Leal, Héctor; Martínez-Castillo, Jaime; Vigueras-Zuñiga, Marco Osvaldo; Aguilera-Cortés, Luz Antonio

2016-08-24

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators have allowed the development of magnetic field sensors with potential applications such as biomedicine, automotive industry, navigation systems, space satellites, telecommunications and non-destructive testing. We present a review of recent magnetic field sensors based on MEMS resonators, which operate with Lorentz force. These sensors have a compact structure, wide measurement range, low energy consumption, high sensitivity and suitable performance. The design methodology, simulation tools, damping sources, sensing techniques and future applications of magnetic field sensors are discussed. The design process is fundamental in achieving correct selection of the operation principle, sensing technique, materials, fabrication process and readout systems of the sensors. In addition, the description of the main sensing systems and challenges of the MEMS sensors are discussed. To develop the best devices, researches of their mechanical reliability, vacuum packaging, design optimization and temperature compensation circuits are needed. Future applications will require multifunctional sensors for monitoring several physical parameters (e.g., magnetic field, acceleration, angular ratio, humidity, temperature and gases).

Recent Advances of MEMS Resonators for Lorentz Force Based Magnetic Field Sensors: Design, Applications and Challenges

PubMed Central

Herrera-May, Agustín Leobardo; Soler-Balcazar, Juan Carlos; Vázquez-Leal, Héctor; Martínez-Castillo, Jaime; Vigueras-Zuñiga, Marco Osvaldo; Aguilera-Cortés, Luz Antonio

2016-01-01

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators have allowed the development of magnetic field sensors with potential applications such as biomedicine, automotive industry, navigation systems, space satellites, telecommunications and non-destructive testing. We present a review of recent magnetic field sensors based on MEMS resonators, which operate with Lorentz force. These sensors have a compact structure, wide measurement range, low energy consumption, high sensitivity and suitable performance. The design methodology, simulation tools, damping sources, sensing techniques and future applications of magnetic field sensors are discussed. The design process is fundamental in achieving correct selection of the operation principle, sensing technique, materials, fabrication process and readout systems of the sensors. In addition, the description of the main sensing systems and challenges of the MEMS sensors are discussed. To develop the best devices, researches of their mechanical reliability, vacuum packaging, design optimization and temperature compensation circuits are needed. Future applications will require multifunctional sensors for monitoring several physical parameters (e.g., magnetic field, acceleration, angular ratio, humidity, temperature and gases). PMID:27563912

A CMOS Front-End With Integrated Magnetoresistive Sensors for Biomolecular Recognition Detection Applications.

PubMed

Costa, Tiago; Cardoso, Filipe A; Germano, Jose; Freitas, Paulo P; Piedade, Moises S

2017-10-01

The development of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors has demonstrated significant advantages in nanomedicine, particularly for ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics. To this end, the detection system is required to be compact, portable, and low power consuming at the same time that a maximum signal to noise ratio is maintained. This paper reports a CMOS front-end with integrated magnetoresistive sensors for biomolecular recognition detection applications. Based on the characterization of the GMR sensor's signal and noise, CMOS building blocks (i.e., current source, multiplexers, and preamplifier) were designed targeting a negligible noise when compared with the GMR sensor's noise and a low power consumption. The CMOS front-end was fabricated using AMS [Formula: see text] technology and the magnetoresistive sensors were post-fabricated on top of the CMOS chip with high yield ( [Formula: see text]). Due to its low circuit noise (16 [Formula: see text]) and overall equivalent magnetic noise ([Formula: see text]), the full system was able to detect 250 nm magnetic nanoparticles with a circuit imposed signal-to-noise ratio degradation of only -1.4 dB. Furthermore, the low power consumption (6.5 mW) and small dimensions ([Formula: see text] ) of the presented solution guarantees the portability of the detection system allowing its usage at the point-of-care.

Long-distance fiber Bragg grating sensor system with a high optical signal-to-noise ratio based on a tunable fiber ring laser configuration.

PubMed

Rao, Yun-Jiang; Ran, Zeng-Ling; Chen, Rong-Rui

2006-09-15

A novel tunable fiber ring laser configuration with a combination of bidirectional Raman amplification and dual erbium-doped fiber (EDF) amplification is proposed for realizing high optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), long-distance, quasi-distributed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing systems with large capacities and low cost. The hybrid Raman-EDF amplification configuration arranged in the ring laser can enhance the optical SNR of FBG sensor signals significantly owing to the good combination of the high gain of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and the low noise of the Raman amplification. Such a sensing system can support a large number of FBG sensors because of the use of a tunable fiber Fabry-Perot filter located within the ring laser and spatial division multiplexing for expansion of sensor channels. Experimental results show that an excellent optical SNR of approximately 60 dB has been achieved for a 50 km transmission distance with a low Raman pump power of approximately 170 mW at a wavelength of 1455 nm and a low EDFA pump power of approximately 40 mW at a wavelength of 980 nm, which is the highest optical SNR achieved so far for a 50 km long FBG sensor system, to our knowledge.

CardioGuard: A Brassiere-Based Reliable ECG Monitoring Sensor System for Supporting Daily Smartphone Healthcare Applications

PubMed Central

Kwon, Sungjun; Kim, Jeehoon; Kang, Seungwoo; Lee, Youngki; Baek, Hyunjae

2014-01-01

Abstract We propose CardioGuard, a brassiere-based reliable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring sensor system, for supporting daily smartphone healthcare applications. It is designed to satisfy two key requirements for user-unobtrusive daily ECG monitoring: reliability of ECG sensing and usability of the sensor. The system is validated through extensive evaluations. The evaluation results showed that the CardioGuard sensor reliably measure the ECG during 12 representative daily activities including diverse movement levels; 89.53% of QRS peaks were detected on average. The questionnaire-based user study with 15 participants showed that the CardioGuard sensor was comfortable and unobtrusive. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio test and the washing durability test were conducted to show the high-quality sensing of the proposed sensor and its physical durability in practical use, respectively. PMID:25405527

Comparison of Lyman-alpha and LI-COR infrared hygrometers for airborne measurement of turbulent fluctuations of water vapour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampert, Astrid; Hartmann, Jörg; Pätzold, Falk; Lobitz, Lennart; Hecker, Peter; Kohnert, Katrin; Larmanou, Eric; Serafimovich, Andrei; Sachs, Torsten

2018-05-01

To investigate if the LI-COR humidity sensor can be used as a replacement of the Lyman-alpha sensor for airborne applications, the measurement data of the Lyman-alpha and several LI-COR sensors are analysed in direct intercomparison flights on different airborne platforms. One vibration isolated closed-path and two non-isolated open-path LI-COR sensors were installed on a Dornier 128 twin engine turbo-prop aircraft. The closed-path sensor provided absolute values and fluctuations of the water vapour mixing ratio in good agreement with the Lyman-alpha. The signals of the two open-path sensors showed considerable high-frequency noise, and the absolute value of the mixing ratio was observed to drift with time in this vibrational environment. On the helicopter-towed sensor system Helipod, with very low vibration levels, the open-path LI-COR sensor agreed very well with the Lyman-alpha sensor over the entire frequency range up to 3 Hz. The results show that the LI-COR sensors are well suited for airborne measurements of humidity fluctuations, provided that a vibrationless environment is given, and this turns out to be more important than close sensor spacing.

Characteristics of a fiber-optical Fabry-Perot interferometric acoustic sensor based on an improved phase-generated carrier-demodulation mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Xuefeng; Tian, Xiaoran; Zhou, Xinlei; Yu, Qingxu

2015-04-01

The characteristics of a fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometric acoustic sensor are investigated. An improved phase-generator carrier-demodulation mechanism is proposed for obtaining a high harmonic suppression ratio and stability of the demodulation results. A gold-coated polyethylene terephthalate membrane is used as the sensing diaphragm. By optimizing the parameters and the demodulation algorithm, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and distortion ratio of 50.3 dB and the total harmonic distortion of 0.1% at 114 dB sound pressure level (SPL) (@ 1 kHz) are achieved, respectively. The sensor shows good temperature stability; the variation of the response is within 0.6 dB as the temperature changes from -10°C to 50°C. A sensitivity of 40 mV/Pa at 1 kHz and a frequency response range of 100 Hz to 12.5 kHz are reached, respectively. The SNR of the system is 60 dB (Re. 94 dB SPL). The sensor may be applied to photoacoustic spectrometers as a high-performance acoustic sensor.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Na, Man Gyun; Oh, Seungrohk

A neuro-fuzzy inference system combined with the wavelet denoising, principal component analysis (PCA), and sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) methods has been developed to monitor the relevant sensor using the information of other sensors. The parameters of the neuro-fuzzy inference system that estimates the relevant sensor signal are optimized by a genetic algorithm and a least-squares algorithm. The wavelet denoising technique was applied to remove noise components in input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By reducing the dimension of an input space into the neuro-fuzzy system without losing a significant amount of information, the PCA was used to reduce themore » time necessary to train the neuro-fuzzy system, simplify the structure of the neuro-fuzzy inference system, and also, make easy the selection of the input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By using the residual signals between the estimated signals and the measured signals, the SPRT is applied to detect whether the sensors are degraded or not. The proposed sensor-monitoring algorithm was verified through applications to the pressurizer water level, the pressurizer pressure, and the hot-leg temperature sensors in pressurized water reactors.« less

Atmospheric CH₄ and N₂O measurements near Greater Houston area landfills using a QCL-based QEPAS sensor system during DISCOVER-AQ 2013.

PubMed

Jahjah, Mohammad; Jiang, Wenzhe; Sanchez, Nancy P; Ren, Wei; Patimisco, Pietro; Spagnolo, Vincenzo; Herndon, Scott C; Griffin, Robert J; Tittel, Frank K

2014-02-15

A quartz-enhanced photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy (QEPAS)-based gas sensor was developed for methane (CH₄) and nitrous-oxide (N₂O) detection. The QEPAS-based sensor was installed in a mobile laboratory operated by Aerodyne Research, Inc. to perform atmospheric CH₄ and N₂O detection around two urban waste-disposal sites located in the northeastern part of the Greater Houston area, during DISCOVER-AQ, a NASA Earth Venture during September 2013. A continuous wave, thermoelectrically cooled, 158 mW distributed feedback quantum cascade laser emitting at 7.83 μm was used as the excitation source in the QEPAS gas sensor system. Compared to typical ambient atmospheric mixing ratios of CH₄ and N₂O of 1.8 ppmv and 323 ppbv, respectively, significant increases in mixing ratios were observed when the mobile laboratory was circling two waste-disposal sites in Harris County and when waste disposal trucks were encountered.

Track Score Processing of Multiple Dissimilar Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

sensors ( infrared and light detection and ranging system) and one radio frenquency sensor (radar). The signal to noise ratio and design considerations...categorized as Johnson noise , shot noise , generation-recombination noise , temperature noise , microphonic noise , 1/f noise , and finally electronic...of 2.1 µm. The values of detectivity in this figure were derived from an analysis of commercial detectors , under background- limited conditions, at

Development of high temperature acoustic emission sensing system using fiber Bragg grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Dandan; Sui, Qingmei; Wang, Ming; Guo, Dongmei; Sai, Yaozhang

2018-03-01

In some applications in structural health monitoring (SHM), the acoustic emission (AE) detection technology is used in the high temperature environment. In this paper, a high-temperature-resistant AE sensing system is developed based on the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. A novel high temperature FBG AE sensor is designed with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared with the traditional FBG AE sensor. The output responses of the designed sensors with different sensing fiber lengths also are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Excellent AE detection results are obtained using the proposed FBG AE sensing system over a temperature range from 25 ° to 200 °. The experimental results indicate that this FBG AE sensing system can well meet the application requirement in AE detecting areas at high temperature.

Application of portable in situ UV fluorescence sensors in natural and engineered aquatic systems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, Bethany; Rushworth, Cathy; Atrridge, John

2016-04-01

Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous throughout aquatic systems. This heterogeneous mixture of organic matter is central for aquatic ecosystems and, both local and global, biogeochemical cycling. Improvements in technology and data analysis has allowed for advances in the understanding and characterisation of aquatic organic matter. However, much of the technological expansions have focussed on benchtop instruments. In recent years, there has been interest in the continued development of portable in situ sensors for monitoring NOM characteristics within a wide range of applications, spanning both natural and engineered systems. The UviLux (Chelsea Technologies Group Ltd., UK) is an in situ portable UV fluorescence sensor that can be configured to monitor a range of NOM in aquatic systems, as well as anthropogenic inputs such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and optical brighteners. Here we will focus on the use of the Tryptophan and CDOM UviLux sensors across a variety of applications in both natural systems, such as rivers and leachate into groundwater, and engineered systems, including drinking water and waste water treatment. Recent work has focused on standardising the fluorescence output across the UviLux range of sensors, reporting data in quinine sulphate units (QSU), which enables the output from two different fluorometers to be directly compared both to each other, and to bench-top data. A key advantage of deploying multiple sensors is the ability to fingerprint the fluorescence, by providing, for example, a Tryptophan/CDOM ratio. From the data collected, the ratio of the different fluorescence regions has been shown to provide more robust in situ data and help identify true temporal variations and patterns across multiple applications and sampling locations.

Radiometric calibration of the Earth observing system's imaging sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, P. N.

1987-01-01

Philosophy, requirements, and methods of calibration of multispectral space sensor systems as applicable to the Earth Observing System (EOS) are discussed. Vicarious methods for calibration of low spatial resolution systems, with respect to the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), are then summarized. Finally, a theoretical introduction is given to a new vicarious method of calibration using the ratio of diffuse-to-global irradiance at the Earth's surfaces as the key input. This may provide an additional independent method for in-flight calibration.

Electrochemical sensors applied to pollution monitoring: Measurement error and gas ratio bias - A volcano plume case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, T. J.; Saffell, J. R.; Oppenheimer, C.; Lurton, T.

2014-06-01

There is an increasing scientific interest in the use of miniature electrochemical sensors to detect and quantify atmospheric trace gases. This has led to the development of ‘Multi-Gas' systems applied to measurements of both volcanic gas emissions, and urban air pollution. However, such measurements are subject to uncertainties introduced by sensor response time, a critical issue that has received limited attention to date. Here, a detailed analysis of output from an electrochemical SO2 sensor and two H2S sensors (contrasting in their time responses and cross-sensitivities) demonstrates how instrument errors arise under the conditions of rapidly fluctuating (by dilution) gas abundances, leading to scatter and importantly bias in the reported gas ratios. In a case study at Miyakejima volcano (Japan), electrochemical sensors were deployed at both the crater-rim and downwind locations, thereby exposed to rapidly fluctuating and smoothly varying plume gas concentrations, respectively. Discrepancies in the H2S/SO2 gas mixing ratios derived from these measurements are attributed to the sensors' differing time responses to SO2 and H2S under fluctuating plume conditions, with errors magnified by the need to correct for SO2 interference in the H2S readings. Development of a sensor response model that reproduces sensor t90 behaviour (the time required to reach 90% of the final signal following a step change in gas abundance) during calibration enabled this measurement error to be simulated numerically. The sensor response times were characterised as SO2 sensor (t90 ~ 13 s), H2S sensor without interference (t90 ~ 11 s), and H2S sensor with interference (t90 ~ 20 s to H2S and ~ 32 s to SO2). We show that a method involving data integration between periods of episodic plume exposure identifiable in the sensor output yields a less biased H2S/SO2 ratio estimate than that derived from standard analysis approaches. For the Miyakejima crater-rim dataset this method yields highly correlated H2S and SO2 abundances (R2 > 0.99) and the improved crater-rim data analysis combined with downwind measurements yields H2S/SO2 = 0.11 ± 0.01. Our analysis has significant implications for the reliance that can be placed on ‘Multi-Gas'-derived gas ratios, whether for volcanological or other purposes, in the absence of consideration of the complexities of sensor response times.

An AC modulated near infrared gain calibration system for a "Violin-Mode" transimpedance amplifier, intended for advanced LIGO suspensions.

PubMed

Lockerbie, N A; Tokmakov, K V

2016-07-01

The background to this work was a prototype shadow sensor, which was designed for retro-fitting to an advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) test-mass/mirror suspension, in which a 40 kg test-mass/mirror is suspended by four approximately 600 mm long by 0.4 mm diameter fused-silica suspension fibres. The shadow sensor comprised a LED source of Near InfraRed (NIR) radiation, and a "tall-thin" rectangular silicon photodiode detector, which together were to bracket the fibre under test. The photodiode was positioned so as to be sensitive (primarily) to transverse "Violin-Mode" vibrations of such a fibre, via the oscillatory movement of the shadow cast by the fibre, as this moved across the face of the detector. In this prototype shadow sensing system the photodiode was interfaced to a purpose-built transimpedance amplifier, this having both AC and DC outputs. A quasi-static calibration was made of the sensor's DC responsivity, i.e., incremental rate of change of output voltage versus fibre position, by slowly scanning a fused-silica fibre sample transversely through the illuminating beam. The work reported here concerns the determination of the sensor's more important AC (Violin-Mode) responsivity. Recognition of the correspondence between direct AC modulation of the source, and actual Violin-Mode signals, and of the transformative role of the AC/DC gain ratio for the amplifier, at any modulation frequency, f, resulted in the construction of the AC/DC calibration source described here. A method for determining in practice the transimpedance AC/DC gain ratio of the photodiode and amplifier, using this source, is illustrated by a specific numerical example, and the gain ratio for the prototype sensing system is reported over the frequency range 1 Hz-300 kHz. In fact, a maximum DC responsivity of 1.26 kV.m(-1) was measured using the prototype photodiode sensor and amplifier discussed here. Therefore, the measured AC/DC transimpedance gain ratio of 922.5 for this sensor, at 500 Hz, translated into a maximum Violin-Mode (AC) responsivity of (1.16 ± 0.05) MV m(-1), at that frequency.

Post-exercise contractility, diastolic function, and pressure: Operator-independent sensor-based intelligent monitoring for heart failure telemedicine

PubMed Central

Bombardini, Tonino; Gemignani, Vincenzo; Bianchini, Elisabetta; Pasanisi, Emilio; Pratali, Lorenza; Pianelli, Mascia; Faita, Francesco; Giannoni, Massimo; Arpesella, Giorgio; Sicari, Rosa; Picano, Eugenio

2009-01-01

Background New sensors for intelligent remote monitoring of the heart should be developed. Recently, a cutaneous force-frequency relation recording system has been validated based on heart sound amplitude and timing variations at increasing heart rates. Aim To assess sensor-based post-exercise contractility, diastolic function and pressure in normal and diseased hearts as a model of a wireless telemedicine system. Methods We enrolled 150 patients and 22 controls referred for exercise-stress echocardiography, age 55 ± 18 years. The sensor was attached in the precordial region by an ECG electrode. Stress and recovery contractility were derived by first heart sound amplitude vibration changes; diastolic times were acquired continuously. Systemic pressure changes were quantitatively documented by second heart sound recording. Results Interpretable sensor recordings were obtained in all patients (feasibility = 100%). Post-exercise contractility overshoot (defined as increase > 10% of recovery contractility vs exercise value) was more frequent in patients than controls (27% vs 8%, p < 0.05). At 100 bpm stress heart rate, systolic/diastolic time ratio (normal, < 1) was > 1 in 20 patients and in none of the controls (p < 0.01); at recovery systolic/diastolic ratio was > 1 in only 3 patients (p < 0.01 vs stress). Post-exercise reduced arterial pressure was sensed. Conclusion Post-exercise contractility, diastolic time and pressure changes can be continuously measured by a cutaneous sensor. Heart disease affects not only exercise systolic performance, but also post-exercise recovery, diastolic time intervals and blood pressure changes – in our study, all of these were monitored by a non-invasive wearable sensor. PMID:19442285

Wireless chemical sensor system based on electromagnetically energy-harvesting metamaterials (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wonwoo; Jung, Yonghee; Jung, Hyunseung; Lee, Hojin

2017-02-01

In the past decade, there have been many studies on metamaterial based chemical and biological sensors due to their exotic resonance properties in microwave ranges. However, in spite of their non-destructive and highly sensitive properties, they have suffered from the use of bulky and expensive external measurement systems like a network analyzer for measuring resonance properties in the microwave regime. In this study, to increase accessibility of the metamaterial-based sensors, we propose a novel wireless chemical sensor system based on energy harvesting metamaterials at the microwave frequencies. The proposed metamaterial chemical sensor consists of a single split ring resonator and rectifier circuit to harvest the energy at the specific frequency, so that the chemical composition of the specific solution can be distinguished by the proposed metamaterial sensor by using the resonance property between the source antenna and the metamaterial which induces the variation in the energy harvesting rate of our sensor system. In our experimental setup, we used a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi system as a source antenna. To verify the chemical sensitivity of the proposed sensor intuitively, we adopted a light emitting diode as an indicator of which luminescence is proportional to the energy harvesting rate determined by the ratio of ethanol and water in their binary mixture. With these results, it can be expected that our metamaterial-based wireless sensor can pave the way to the miniaturized wireless sensor systems and can be applied to not only for the chemical fluidic sensors but also for other dynamic environment sensing systems.

Line scanning time-of-flight laser sensor for intelligent transport systems, combining wide field-of-view optics of 30 deg, high scanning speed of 0.9 ms/line, and simple sensor configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imaki, Masaharu; Kameyama, Shumpei; Ishimura, Eitaro; Nakaji, Masaharu; Yoshinaga, Hideo; Hirano, Yoshihito

2017-03-01

We developed a line scanning time-of-flight (TOF) laser sensor for an intelligent transport system (ITS), which combines wide field-of-view (FOV) receiving optics of 30 deg and a high-speed microelectro mechanical system scanner of 0.9 ms/line with a simple sensor configuration. The newly developed high-aspect ratio photodiode realizes the scanless and wide FOV receiver. The sinusoidal wave intensity modulation method is used for the TOF measurement. This enables the noise reduction of the trans-impedance amplifier by applying the LC-resonant method. The vehicle detection and axle counting, which are the important functions in ITS, are also demonstrated.

Study of a high-precision SAW-MOEMS strain sensor with laser optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinwei; Chen, Shufen; Li, Honglang; Zou, Zhengfeng; Fu, Lei; Meng, Yanbin

2015-02-01

A novel structure design of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) micro-optic-electro-mechanical-system (MOEMS) strain sensor with a light readout unit is presented in this paper. By measuring the polarization intensity ratio of the TE/TM mode outputted from the waveguide, the strain produced from an object can be measured precisely. The basic working principle of the SAW MOEMS strain sensor is introduced and the mathematical model of the strain sensor system is established. The SAW characteristics effected by the strain sensor are mathematically deduced. The coupling coefficient between the SAW modes and light modes can be calculated based on the theory of coupling modes. The conversion coefficient of polarized light modes is obtained. Due to the restrictions of the specific parameters of the device, the level of technology and the material characteristics, the sensitivity of the strain sensor system is calculated through simulation as 0.1 μɛ, with a dynamic range of 0 ~ ±50 μɛ.

Performance Analysis of Visible Light Communication Using CMOS Sensors.

PubMed

Do, Trong-Hop; Yoo, Myungsik

2016-02-29

This paper elucidates the fundamentals of visible light communication systems that use the rolling shutter mechanism of CMOS sensors. All related information involving different subjects, such as photometry, camera operation, photography and image processing, are studied in tandem to explain the system. Then, the system performance is analyzed with respect to signal quality and data rate. To this end, a measure of signal quality, the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), is formulated. Finally, a simulation is conducted to verify the analysis.

Performance Analysis of Visible Light Communication Using CMOS Sensors

PubMed Central

Do, Trong-Hop; Yoo, Myungsik

2016-01-01

This paper elucidates the fundamentals of visible light communication systems that use the rolling shutter mechanism of CMOS sensors. All related information involving different subjects, such as photometry, camera operation, photography and image processing, are studied in tandem to explain the system. Then, the system performance is analyzed with respect to signal quality and data rate. To this end, a measure of signal quality, the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), is formulated. Finally, a simulation is conducted to verify the analysis. PMID:26938535

Multisensor Arrays for Greater Reliability and Accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Immer, Christopher; Eckhoff, Anthony; Lane, John; Perotti, Jose; Randazzo, John; Blalock, Norman; Ree, Jeff

2004-01-01

Arrays of multiple, nominally identical sensors with sensor-output-processing electronic hardware and software are being developed in order to obtain accuracy, reliability, and lifetime greater than those of single sensors. The conceptual basis of this development lies in the statistical behavior of multiple sensors and a multisensor-array (MSA) algorithm that exploits that behavior. In addition, advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and integrated circuits are exploited. A typical sensor unit according to this concept includes multiple MEMS sensors and sensor-readout circuitry fabricated together on a single chip and packaged compactly with a microprocessor that performs several functions, including execution of the MSA algorithm. In the MSA algorithm, the readings from all the sensors in an array at a given instant of time are compared and the reliability of each sensor is quantified. This comparison of readings and quantification of reliabilities involves the calculation of the ratio between every sensor reading and every other sensor reading, plus calculation of the sum of all such ratios. Then one output reading for the given instant of time is computed as a weighted average of the readings of all the sensors. In this computation, the weight for each sensor is the aforementioned value used to quantify its reliability. In an optional variant of the MSA algorithm that can be implemented easily, a running sum of the reliability value for each sensor at previous time steps as well as at the present time step is used as the weight of the sensor in calculating the weighted average at the present time step. In this variant, the weight of a sensor that continually fails gradually decreases, so that eventually, its influence over the output reading becomes minimal: In effect, the sensor system "learns" which sensors to trust and which not to trust. The MSA algorithm incorporates a criterion for deciding whether there remain enough sensor readings that approximate each other sufficiently closely to constitute a majority for the purpose of quantifying reliability. This criterion is, simply, that if there do not exist at least three sensors having weights greater than a prescribed minimum acceptable value, then the array as a whole is deemed to have failed.

Demodulation of a fiber Bragg grating strain sensor by a multiwavelength fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cong, Shan; Sun, Yunxu; Zhao, Yuxi; Pan, Lifeng

2012-04-01

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors system utilizing a multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFL) with frequency shifter is proposed. The system is one fiber laser cavity with two FBG sensors as its filters. One is for strain sensing, and the other one is for temperature compensation. A frequency shifter is used to suppress the mode competition to lase two wavelengths that correspond with FBGs. The wavelength shift of the EDFL represents the sensing quantity, which is demodulated by Fiber Fabry-Perot (FFP) filter. The sensor's response to strain is measured by experiment. Because of exploiting the dual-wavelength fiber laser with a frequency shifter forming the feedback as the light source, many advantages of this system are achieved, especially high signal-to-noise ratio, high detected power, and low power consuming comparing with conventional FBG sensor system utilizing broadband light as the light source. What's more, this structure is also easy to combine with FBG array.

Quantitative stress measurement of elastic deformation using mechanoluminescent sensor: An intensity ratio model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Tao; Guo, Songtao; Li, Yongzeng; Peng, Di; Zhao, Xiaofeng; Liu, Yingzheng

2018-04-01

The mechanoluminescent (ML) sensor is a newly developed non-invasive technique for stress/strain measurement. However, its application has been mostly restricted to qualitative measurement due to the lack of a well-defined relationship between ML intensity and stress. To achieve accurate stress measurement, an intensity ratio model was proposed in this study to establish a quantitative relationship between the stress condition and its ML intensity in elastic deformation. To verify the proposed model, experiments were carried out on a ML measurement system using resin samples mixed with the sensor material SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+. The ML intensity ratio was found to be dependent on the applied stress and strain rate, and the relationship acquired from the experimental results agreed well with the proposed model. The current study provided a physical explanation for the relationship between ML intensity and its stress condition. The proposed model was applicable in various SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+-based ML measurement in elastic deformation, and could provide a useful reference for quantitative stress measurement using the ML sensor in general.

Novel method of dual fiber Bragg gratings integrated in fiber ring laser for biochemical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bui, H.; Pham, T. B.; Nguyen, V. A.; Pham, V. D.; Do, T. C.; Nguyen, T. V.; Hoang, T. H. C.; Le, H. T.; Pham, V. H.

2018-05-01

Optical sensors have been shown to be very effective for measuring the toxic content in liquid and air environments. Optical sensors, which operate based on the wavelength shift of the optical signals, require an expensive spectrometer. In this paper, we propose a new configuration of the optical sensor device for measuring wavelength shift without using a spectrometer. This configuration has a large potential for application in biochemical sensing techniques, and comes with a low cost. This configuration uses dual fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) integrated in a fiber ring laser structure of erbium-doped fiber, in which one FBG is used as a reference to sweep over the applicable spectrum of the etched-Bragg grating. The etched-FBG as a sensing probe is suitable for bio- and/or chemical sensors. The sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor system can be improved by the narrow linewidth of emission spectra from the laser, the best limit of detection of this sensor is 1.5  ×  10‑4 RIU (RIU: refractive index unit), as achieved by the optical sensor using a high resolution spectrometer. This sensor system has been experimentally investigated to detect different types of organic compounds, gasoline, mixing ratios of organic solvents in gasoline, and nitrate concentration in water samples. The experimental results show that this sensing method could determine different mixing ratios of organic solvents with good repeatability, high accuracy, and rapid response: e.g. for ethanol and/or methanol in gasoline RON 92 (RON: research octane number) of 0%–14% v/v, and nitrate in water samples at a low concentration range of 0–50 ppm. These results suggest that the proposed configuration can construct low-cost and accurate biochemical sensors.

Thermostatic system of sensor in NIR spectrometer based on PID control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhihong; Qiao, Liwei; Ji, Xufei

2016-11-01

Aiming at the shortcomings of the primary sensor thermostatic control system in the near infrared (NIR) spectrometer, a novel thermostatic control system based on proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control technology was developed to improve the detection precision of the NIR spectrometer. There were five parts including bridge amplifier circuit, analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuit, microcontroller, digital-analog conversion (DAC) circuit and drive circuit in the system. The five parts formed a closed-loop control system based on PID algorithm that was used to control the error between the temperature calculated by the sampling data of ADC and the designed temperature to ensure the stability of the spectrometer's sensor. The experimental results show that, when the operating temperature of sensor is -11°, compared with the original system, the temperature control precision of the new control system is improved from ±0.64° to ±0.04° and the spectrum signal to noise ratio (SNR) is improved from 4891 to 5967.

Modulated-splitting-ratio fiber-optic temperature sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beheim, Glenn; Anthan, Donald J.; Rys, John R.; Fritsch, Klaus; Ruppe, Walter A.

1988-01-01

A fiber-optic temperature sensor is described, which uses a small silicon beamsplitter whose splitting ratio varies as a function of temperature. A four-beam technique is used to measure the sensor's temperature-indicating splitting ratio. This referencing method provides a measurement that is largely independent of the transmission properties of the sensor's optical fiber link. A significant advantage of this sensor, relative to other fiber-optic sensors, is its high stability, which permits the fiber-optic components to be readily substituted, thereby simplifying the sensor's installation and maintenance.

A Low-Signal-to-Noise-Ratio Sensor Framework Incorporating Improved Nighttime Capabilities in DIRSIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizzuto, Anthony P.

When designing new remote sensing systems, it is difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons between designs because of the number of sensor parameters that can affect the final image. Using synthetic imagery and a computer sensor model allows for comparisons to be made between widely different sensor designs or between competing design parameters. Little work has been done in fully modeling low-SNR systems end-to-end for these types of comparisons. Currently DIRSIG has limited capability to accurately model nighttime scenes under new moon conditions or near large cities. An improved DIRSIG scene modeling capability is presented that incorporates all significant sources of nighttime radiance, including new models for urban glow and airglow, both taken from the astronomy community. A low-SNR sensor modeling tool is also presented that accounts for sensor components and noise sources to generate synthetic imagery from a DIRSIG scene. The various sensor parameters that affect SNR are discussed, and example imagery is shown with the new sensor modeling tool. New low-SNR detectors have recently been designed and marketed for remote sensing applications. A comparison of system parameters for a state-of-the-art low-SNR sensor is discussed, and a sample design trade study is presented for a hypothetical scene and sensor.

Fabrication and characterization of artificial hair cell sensor based on MWCNT-PDMS composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chi Yeon; Lee, Hyun Sup; Cho, Yo Han; Joh, Cheeyoung; Choi, Pyung; Park, Seong Jin

2011-06-01

The aim of this work is to design and fabricate a flow sensor using an artificial hair cell (AHC) inspired by biological hair cells of fish. The sensor consists of a single cilium structure with high aspect ratio and a mechanoreceptor using force sensitive resistor (FSR). The cilium structure is designed for capturing a drag force with direction due to flow field around the sensor and the mechanoreceptor is designed for sensing the drag force with direction from the cilium structure and converting it into an electric signal. The mechanoreceptor has a symmetric four electrodes to sense the drag force and its direction. To fabricate the single cilium structure with high aspect ratio, we have proposed a new design concept using a separated micro mold system (SMS) fabricated by the LIGA process. For a successful replication of the cilium structure, we used the hot embossing process with the help of a double-sided mold system. We used a composite of multiwall carbon nanotube and polydimethylsiloxane (MWCNT-PDMS). The performance of the mechanoreceptors was measured by a computer-controlled nanoindenter. We carried out several experiments with the sensor in the different flow rate and direction using the experimental test apparatus. To calibrate the sensor and calculate the velocity with direction based the signal from the sensor, we analyzed the coupled phenomena between flow field and the cilium structure to calculate the deflection of the cilium structure and the drag force applying to the cilium structure due to the flow field around sensor.

Expert system for testing industrial processes and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, K.C.; Singer, R.M.

1998-06-02

A method and system are disclosed for monitoring both an industrial process and a sensor. The method and system include determining a minimum number of sensor pairs needed to test the industrial process as well as the sensor for evaluating the state of operation of both. The technique further includes generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the pair of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test. 24 figs.

Expert system for testing industrial processes and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Singer, Ralph M.

1998-01-01

A method and system for monitoring both an industrial process and a sensor. The method and system include determining a minimum number of sensor pairs needed to test the industrial process as well as the sensor for evaluating the state of operation of both. The technique further includes generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the pair of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test.

Onboard Image Processing System for Hyperspectral Sensor

PubMed Central

Hihara, Hiroki; Moritani, Kotaro; Inoue, Masao; Hoshi, Yoshihiro; Iwasaki, Akira; Takada, Jun; Inada, Hitomi; Suzuki, Makoto; Seki, Taeko; Ichikawa, Satoshi; Tanii, Jun

2015-01-01

Onboard image processing systems for a hyperspectral sensor have been developed in order to maximize image data transmission efficiency for large volume and high speed data downlink capacity. Since more than 100 channels are required for hyperspectral sensors on Earth observation satellites, fast and small-footprint lossless image compression capability is essential for reducing the size and weight of a sensor system. A fast lossless image compression algorithm has been developed, and is implemented in the onboard correction circuitry of sensitivity and linearity of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors in order to maximize the compression ratio. The employed image compression method is based on Fast, Efficient, Lossless Image compression System (FELICS), which is a hierarchical predictive coding method with resolution scaling. To improve FELICS’s performance of image decorrelation and entropy coding, we apply a two-dimensional interpolation prediction and adaptive Golomb-Rice coding. It supports progressive decompression using resolution scaling while still maintaining superior performance measured as speed and complexity. Coding efficiency and compression speed enlarge the effective capacity of signal transmission channels, which lead to reducing onboard hardware by multiplexing sensor signals into a reduced number of compression circuits. The circuitry is embedded into the data formatter of the sensor system without adding size, weight, power consumption, and fabrication cost. PMID:26404281

Surveillance of industrial processes with correlated parameters

DOEpatents

White, Andrew M.; Gross, Kenny C.; Kubic, William L.; Wigeland, Roald A.

1996-01-01

A system and method for surveillance of an industrial process. The system and method includes a plurality of sensors monitoring industrial process parameters, devices to convert the sensed data to computer compatible information and a computer which executes computer software directed to analyzing the sensor data to discern statistically reliable alarm conditions. The computer software is executed to remove serial correlation information and then calculate Mahalanobis distribution data to carry out a probability ratio test to determine alarm conditions.

Sensitive hydrogen leak detector

DOEpatents

Myneni, Ganapati Rao

1999-01-01

A sensitive hydrogen leak detector system using passivation of a stainless steel vacuum chamber for low hydrogen outgassing, a high compression ratio vacuum system, a getter operating at 77.5 K and a residual gas analyzer as a quantitative hydrogen sensor.

Condition Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes by Embedded Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suryavanashi, Abhijit; Wang, Shengda; Gao, Robert; Danai, Kourosh; Lewicki, David G.

2002-01-01

Health of helicopter gearboxes is commonly assessed by monitoring the housing vibration, thus it is challenged by poor signal-to-noise ratio of the signal measured away from the source. It is hypothesized that vibration measurements from sensors placed inside the gearbox will be much clearer indicators of faults and will eliminate many of the difficulties faced by present condition monitoring systems. This paper outlines our approach to devising such a monitoring system. Several tasks have been outlined toward this objective and the strategy to address each has been described. Among the tasks are wireless sensor design, antenna design, and selection of sensor locations.

Tests Of Array Of Flush Pressure Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Larry J.; Moes, Timothy R.; Siemers, Paul M., III

1992-01-01

Report describes tests of array of pressure sensors connected to small orifices flush with surface of 1/7-scale model of F-14 airplane in wind tunnel. Part of effort to determine whether pressure parameters consisting of various sums, differences, and ratios of measured pressures used to compute accurately free-stream values of stagnation pressure, static pressure, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, and mach number. Such arrays of sensors and associated processing circuitry integrated into advanced aircraft as parts of flight-monitoring and -controlling systems.

Portable wireless ultrasonic systems for remote inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, C. H.; Croxford, A. J.; Wilcox, P. D.

2015-03-01

The weight and power storage of conventional wire and active wireless systems limit their applications to composite structures such as wind turbines and aerospace structures. In this paper, a structurally-integrated, inert, wireless guided wave system for rapid composite inspection is demonstrated. The wireless interface is based on electromagnetic coupling between three coils, one of which is physically connected to an ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer and embedded in the structure, while the other two are in a separate probing unit. Compact encapsulated sensor units are designed, built and successfully embedded into carbon fibre composite panel at manufacture. Chirp-based excitation is used to enable single-shot measurements with high signal-to-noise ratios to be obtained. Results from sensors embedded in carbon fibre reinforced composite panel show that signal amplitude obtained by embedding the sensor into composite is almost twice that of a surface-bonded sensor. The promising results indicate that the developed sensor can be potentially used for impact damage in a large composite structure.

Grating-assisted demodulation of interferometric optical sensors.

PubMed

Yu, Bing; Wang, Anbo

2003-12-01

Accurate and dynamic control of the operating point of an interferometric optical sensor to produce the highest sensitivity is crucial in the demodulation of interferometric optical sensors to compensate for manufacturing errors and environmental perturbations. A grating-assisted operating-point tuning system has been designed that uses a diffraction grating and feedback control, functions as a tunable-bandpass optical filter, and can be used as an effective demodulation subsystem in sensor systems based on optical interferometers that use broadband light sources. This demodulation method has no signal-detection bandwidth limit, a high tuning speed, a large tunable range, increased interference fringe contrast, and the potential for absolute optical-path-difference measurement. The achieved 40-nm tuning range, which is limited by the available source spectrum width, 400-nm/s tuning speed, and a step resolution of 0.4 nm, is sufficient for most practical measurements. A significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in a fiber Fabry-Perot acoustic-wave sensor system proved that the expected fringe contrast and sensitivity increase.

Air intake side secondary air supply system for an internal combustion engine with a duty ratio control operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawanabe, T.; Asakura, M.; Shina, T.

1987-09-01

An air intake side secondary air supply system is described for an internal combustion engine having an air intake passage with a carburetor and an exhaust passage, comprising: an air intake side secondary air supply passage communicating with the air intake passage on the downstream side of the carburetor; an open/close valve disposed in the air intake side secondary air supply passage; an oxygen concentration sensor disposed in the exhaust passage; and detection and control means for detecting whether an air-fuel ratio of mixture to be supplied to the engine is leaner or richer with respect to a target air-fuelmore » ratio through a level of an output signal of the oxygen concentration sensor and for periodically actuating the open/close valve, the detection and control means decreasing a valve open period of the open/close valve within each cyclic period by a first predetermined amount when a detected air-fuel ratio of mixture is leaner than the target air-fuel ratio and increasing the valve open period by a second predetermined amount when the detected air-fuel ratio of mixture is richer than the target air-fuel ratio. The second predetermined amount is different from the first predetermined amount.« less

Miniaturized sensor module for a mechatronic bearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Robert X.; Sahay, Priyaranjan

1998-12-01

To assess the working condition of a rolling element bearing, the condition monitoring system should be located as close as possible to the bearing to take advantage of shorter signal transmission path, increased signal-to-noise ratio, and reduced complexity of the signal processing electronics. The advantages of integrated sensing are presented in this paper, with a focus on the design and analysis of a miniaturized sensor module. Mechatronic principles have been applied to treat the various subjects in a synergistic way. To complement analytical studies, experiments have been conducted on a scaled-up version of the sensor module to analyze the system dynamic response. The result obtained provided insight into the electromechanical interaction within the module as well as input for the system implementation using miniaturization technologies.

e2v CMOS and CCD sensors and systems for astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorden, P. R.; Jerram, P. A.; Fryer, M.; Stefanov, K. D.

2017-07-01

e2v designs and manufactures a wide range of sensors for space and astronomy applications. This includes high performance CCDs for X-ray, visible and near-IR wavelengths. In this paper we illustrate the maturity of CMOS capability for these applications; examples are presented together with performance data. The majority of e2v sensors for these applications are back-thinned for highest spectral response and designed for very low read-out noise; the combination delivers high signal to noise ratio in association with a variety of formats and package designs. The growing e2v capability in delivery of sub-systems and cryogenic cameras is illustrated—including the 1.2 Giga-pixel J-PAS camera system.

Development of a low noise induction magnetic sensor using magnetic flux negative feedback in the time domain.

PubMed

Wang, X G; Shang, X L; Lin, J

2016-05-01

Time-domain electromagnetic system can implement great depth detection. As for the electromagnetic system, the receiver utilized an air coil sensor, and the matching mode of the sensor employed the resistance matching method. By using the resistance matching method, the vibration of the coil in the time domain can be effectively controlled. However, the noise of the sensor, especially the noise at the resonance frequency, will be increased as well. In this paper, a novel design of a low noise induction coil sensor is proposed, and the experimental data and noise characteristics are provided. The sensor is designed based on the principle that the amplified voltage will be converted to current under the influence of the feedback resistance of the coil. The feedback loop around the induction coil exerts a magnetic field and sends the negative feedback signal to the sensor. The paper analyses the influence of the closed magnetic feedback loop on both the bandwidth and the noise of the sensor. The signal-to-noise ratio is improved dramatically.

Method and apparatus for controlling pitch and flap angles of a wind turbine

DOEpatents

Deering, Kenneth J [Seattle, WA; Wohlwend, Keith P [Issaquah, WA

2009-05-12

A wind turbine with improved response to wind conditions is provided. Blade flap angle motion is accompanied by a change in pitch angle by an amount defining a pitch/flap coupling ratio. The coupling ratio is non-constant as a function of a flap angle and is preferably a substantially continuous, non-linear function of flap angle. The non-constant coupling ratio can be provided by mechanical systems such as a series of linkages or by configuring electronic or other control systems and/or angle sensors. A link with a movable proximal end advantageously is part of the mechanical system. The system can provide relatively large coupling ratios and relatively large rates of coupling ratio changes especially for near-feather pitches and low flap angles.

Uncooperative target-in-the-loop performance with backscattered speckle-field effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kansky, Jan E.; Murphy, Daniel V.

2007-09-01

Systems utilizing target-in-the-loop (TIL) techniques for adaptive optics phase compensation rely on a metric sensor to perform a hill climbing algorithm that maximizes the far-field Strehl ratio. In uncooperative TIL, the metric signal is derived from the light backscattered from a target. In cases where the target is illuminated with a laser with suffciently long coherence length, the potential exists for the validity of the metric sensor to be compromised by speckle-field effects. We report experimental results from a scaled laboratory designed to evaluate TIL performance in atmospheric turbulence and thermal blooming conditions where the metric sensors are influenced by varying degrees of backscatter speckle. We compare performance of several TIL configurations and metrics for cases with static speckle, and for cases with speckle fluctuations within the frequency range that the TIL system operates. The roles of metric sensor filtering and system bandwidth are discussed.

New Research on MEMS Acoustic Vector Sensors Used in Pipeline Ground Markers

PubMed Central

Song, Xiaopeng; Jian, Zeming; Zhang, Guojun; Liu, Mengran; Guo, Nan; Zhang, Wendong

2015-01-01

According to the demands of current pipeline detection systems, the above-ground marker (AGM) system based on sound detection principle has been a major development trend in pipeline technology. A novel MEMS acoustic vector sensor for AGM systems which has advantages of high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and good low frequency performance has been put forward. Firstly, it is presented that the frequency of the detected sound signal is concentrated in a lower frequency range, and the sound attenuation is relatively low in soil. Secondly, the MEMS acoustic vector sensor structure and basic principles are introduced. Finally, experimental tests are conducted and the results show that in the range of 0°∼90°, when r = 5 m, the proposed MEMS acoustic vector sensor can effectively detect sound signals in soil. The measurement errors of all angles are less than 5°. PMID:25609046

Surveillance of industrial processes with correlated parameters

DOEpatents

White, A.M.; Gross, K.C.; Kubic, W.L.; Wigeland, R.A.

1996-12-17

A system and method for surveillance of an industrial process are disclosed. The system and method includes a plurality of sensors monitoring industrial process parameters, devices to convert the sensed data to computer compatible information and a computer which executes computer software directed to analyzing the sensor data to discern statistically reliable alarm conditions. The computer software is executed to remove serial correlation information and then calculate Mahalanobis distribution data to carry out a probability ratio test to determine alarm conditions. 10 figs.

An Oxidase-Based Electrochemical Fluidic Sensor with High-Sensitivity and Low-Interference by On-Chip Oxygen Manipulation

PubMed Central

Radhakrishnan, Nitin; Park, Jongwon; Kim, Chang-Soo

2012-01-01

Utilizing a simple fluidic structure, we demonstrate the improved performance of oxidase-based enzymatic biosensors. Electrolysis of water is utilized to generate bubbles to manipulate the oxygen microenvironment close to the biosensor in a fluidic channel. For the proper enzyme reactions to occur, a simple mechanical procedure of manipulating bubbles was developed to maximize the oxygen level while minimizing the pH change after electrolysis. The sensors show improved sensitivities based on the oxygen dependency of enzyme reaction. In addition, this oxygen-rich operation minimizes the ratio of electrochemical interference signal by ascorbic acid during sensor operation (i.e., amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide). Although creatinine sensors have been used as the model system in this study, this method is applicable to many other biosensors that can use oxidase enzymes (e.g., glucose, alcohol, phenol, etc.) to implement a viable component for in-line fluidic sensor systems. PMID:23012527

Liquid level sensor based on fiber ring laser with single-mode-offset coreless-single-mode fiber structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zixiao; Tan, Zhongwei; Xing, Rui; Liang, Linjun; Qi, Yanhui; Jian, Shuisheng

2016-10-01

A novel reflective liquid level sensor based on single-mode-offset coreless-single-mode (SOCS) fiber structure is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Theory analyses and experimental results indicate that offset fusion can remarkably enhance the sensitivity of sensor. Ending-reflecting structure makes the sensor compact and easy to deploy. Meanwhile, we propose a laser sensing system, and the SOCS structure is used as sensing head and laser filter simultaneously. Experimental results show that laser spectra with high optical signal-to-noise ratio (-30 dB) and narrow 3-dB bandwidth (<0.15 nm) are achieved. Various liquids with different indices are used for liquid level sensing, besides, the refractive index sensitivity is also investigated. In measurement range, the sensing system presents steady laser output.

Method for auto-alignment of digital optical phase conjugation systems based on digital propagation

PubMed Central

Jang, Mooseok; Ruan, Haowen; Zhou, Haojiang; Judkewitz, Benjamin; Yang, Changhuei

2014-01-01

Optical phase conjugation (OPC) has enabled many optical applications such as aberration correction and image transmission through fiber. In recent years, implementation of digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) has opened up the possibility of its use in biomedical optics (e.g. deep-tissue optical focusing) due to its ability to provide greater-than-unity OPC reflectivity (the power ratio of the phase conjugated beam and input beam to the OPC system) and its flexibility to accommodate additional wavefront manipulations. However, the requirement for precise (pixel-to-pixel matching) alignment of the wavefront sensor and the spatial light modulator (SLM) limits the practical usability of DOPC systems. Here, we report a method for auto-alignment of a DOPC system by which the misalignment between the sensor and the SLM is auto-corrected through digital light propagation. With this method, we were able to accomplish OPC playback with a DOPC system with gross sensor-SLM misalignment by an axial displacement of up to~1.5 cm, rotation and tip/tilt of ~5∘, and in-plane displacement of ~5 mm (dependent on the physical size of the sensor and the SLM). Our auto-alignment method robustly achieved a DOPC playback peak-to-background ratio (PBR) corresponding to more than ~30 % of the theoretical maximum. As an additional advantage, the auto-alignment procedure can be easily performed at will and, as such, allows us to correct for small mechanical drifts within the DOPC systems, thus overcoming a previously major DOPC system vulnerability. We believe that this reported method for implementing robust DOPC systems will broaden the practical utility of DOPC systems. PMID:24977504

Method for auto-alignment of digital optical phase conjugation systems based on digital propagation.

PubMed

Jang, Mooseok; Ruan, Haowen; Zhou, Haojiang; Judkewitz, Benjamin; Yang, Changhuei

2014-06-16

Optical phase conjugation (OPC) has enabled many optical applications such as aberration correction and image transmission through fiber. In recent years, implementation of digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) has opened up the possibility of its use in biomedical optics (e.g. deep-tissue optical focusing) due to its ability to provide greater-than-unity OPC reflectivity (the power ratio of the phase conjugated beam and input beam to the OPC system) and its flexibility to accommodate additional wavefront manipulations. However, the requirement for precise (pixel-to-pixel matching) alignment of the wavefront sensor and the spatial light modulator (SLM) limits the practical usability of DOPC systems. Here, we report a method for auto-alignment of a DOPC system by which the misalignment between the sensor and the SLM is auto-corrected through digital light propagation. With this method, we were able to accomplish OPC playback with a DOPC system with gross sensor-SLM misalignment by an axial displacement of up to~1.5 cm, rotation and tip/tilt of ~5° and in-plane displacement of ~5 mm (dependent on the physical size of the sensor and the SLM). Our auto-alignment method robustly achieved a DOPC playback peak-to-background ratio (PBR) corresponding to more than ~30 % of the theoretical maximum. As an additional advantage, the auto-alignment procedure can be easily performed at will and, as such, allows us to correct for small mechanical drifts within the DOPC systems, thus overcoming a previously major DOPC system vulnerability. We believe that this reported method for implementing robust DOPC systems will broaden the practical utility of DOPC systems.

Few-Flakes Reduced Graphene Oxide Sensors for Organic Vapors with a High Signal-to-Noise Ratio

PubMed Central

Hasan, Nowzesh; Zhang, Wenli

2017-01-01

This paper reports our findings on how to prepare a graphene oxide-based gas sensor for sensing fast pulses of volatile organic compounds with a better signal-to-noise ratio. We use rapid acetone pulses of varying concentrations to test the sensors. First, we compare the effect of graphene oxide deposition method (dielectrophoresis versus solvent evaporation) on the sensor’s response. We find that dielectrophoresis yields films with uniform coverage and better sensor response. Second, we examine the effect of chemical reduction. Contrary to prior reports, we find that graphene oxide reduction leads to a reduction in sensor response and current noise, thus keeping the signal-to-noise ratio the same. We found that if we sonicated the sensor in acetone, we created a sensor with a few flakes of reduced graphene oxide. Such sensors provided a higher signal-to-noise ratio that could be correlated to the vapor concentration of acetone with better repeatability. Modeling shows that the sensor’s response is due to one-site Langmuir adsorption or an overall single exponent process. Further, the desorption of acetone as deduced from the sensor recovery signal follows a single exponent process. Thus, we show a simple way to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in reduced graphene oxide sensors. PMID:29065488

Study on fault diagnosis and load feedback control system of combine harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Wang, Kun

2017-01-01

In order to timely gain working status parameters of operating parts in combine harvester and improve its operating efficiency, fault diagnosis and load feedback control system is designed. In the system, rotation speed sensors were used to gather these signals of forward speed and rotation speeds of intermediate shaft, conveying trough, tangential and longitudinal flow threshing rotors, grain conveying auger. Using C8051 single chip microcomputer (SCM) as processor for main control unit, faults diagnosis and forward speed control were carried through by rotation speed ratio analysis of each channel rotation speed and intermediate shaft rotation speed by use of multi-sensor fused fuzzy control algorithm, and these processing results would be sent to touch screen and display work status of combine harvester. Field trials manifest that fault monitoring and load feedback control system has good man-machine interaction and the fault diagnosis method based on rotation speed ratios has low false alarm rate, and the system can realize automation control of forward speed for combine harvester.

Accuracy and Reliability of the Kinect Version 2 for Clinical Measurement of Motor Function

PubMed Central

Kayser, Bastian; Mansow-Model, Sebastian; Verrel, Julius; Paul, Friedemann; Brandt, Alexander U.; Schmitz-Hübsch, Tanja

2016-01-01

Background The introduction of low cost optical 3D motion tracking sensors provides new options for effective quantification of motor dysfunction. Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the Kinect V2 sensor against a gold standard motion capture system with respect to accuracy of tracked landmark movements and accuracy and repeatability of derived clinical parameters. Methods Nineteen healthy subjects were concurrently recorded with a Kinect V2 sensor and an optical motion tracking system (Vicon). Six different movement tasks were recorded with 3D full-body kinematics from both systems. Tasks included walking in different conditions, balance and adaptive postural control. After temporal and spatial alignment, agreement of movements signals was described by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and signal to noise ratios per dimension. From these movement signals, 45 clinical parameters were calculated, including ranges of motions, torso sway, movement velocities and cadence. Accuracy of parameters was described as absolute agreement, consistency agreement and limits of agreement. Intra-session reliability of 3 to 5 measurement repetitions was described as repeatability coefficient and standard error of measurement for each system. Results Accuracy of Kinect V2 landmark movements was moderate to excellent and depended on movement dimension, landmark location and performed task. Signal to noise ratio provided information about Kinect V2 landmark stability and indicated larger noise behaviour in feet and ankles. Most of the derived clinical parameters showed good to excellent absolute agreement (30 parameters showed ICC(3,1) > 0.7) and consistency (38 parameters showed r > 0.7) between both systems. Conclusion Given that this system is low-cost, portable and does not require any sensors to be attached to the body, it could provide numerous advantages when compared to established marker- or wearable sensor based system. The Kinect V2 has the potential to be used as a reliable and valid clinical measurement tool. PMID:27861541

Broadband spectroscopic sensor for real-time monitoring of industrial SO(2) emissions.

PubMed

Xu, Feng; Zhang, Yungang; Somesfalean, Gabriel; Wang, Huashan; Wu, Shaohua; Zhang, Zhiguo

2007-05-01

A spectroscopic system for continuous real-time monitoring of SO(2) concentrations in industrial emissions was developed. The sensor is well suited for field applications due to simple and compact instrumental design, and robust data evaluation based on ultraviolet broadband absorption without the use of any calibration cell. The sensor has a detection limit of 1 ppm, and was employed both for gas-flow simulations with and without suspended particles, and for in situ measurement of SO(2) concentrations in the flue gas emitted from an industrial coal-fired boiler. The price/performance ratio of the instrument is expected to be superior to other comparable real-time monitoring systems.

Fiber Optic Sensor System Using Birefringent Filters For Spectral Encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorsch, Friedhelm; Ulrich, Reinhard

1989-02-01

A system of multimode fiber optic sensors is described for the remote measurement of position, angle, force, pressure and other measurands that can be converted into a rotation of polarization. A birefringent filter encodes the polarization angle into the power ratio of two interleaved comb spectra or, in a modified implementation, into the absolute spectral position of a comb spectrum. By using identical filters in all transducers and in the evaluation unit, transducers for the same or different measurands become interchange-able. All sensors are of the incremental type, with accuracies reaching 0.5 % of one period of the measurand, independent of variations in the attenuation of the fiber link of up to 20dB.

Frequency-feature based antistrong-disturbance signal processing method and system for vortex flowmeter with single sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ke-Jun; Luo, Qing-Lin; Wang, Gang; Liu, San-Shan; Kang, Yi-Bo

2010-07-01

Digital signal processing methods have been applied to vortex flowmeter for extracting the useful information from noisy output of the vortex flow sensor. But these approaches are unavailable when the power of the mechanical vibration noise is larger than that of the vortex flow signal. In order to solve this problem, an antistrong-disturbance signal processing method is proposed based on frequency features of the vortex flow signal and mechanical vibration noise for the vortex flowmeter with single sensor. The frequency bandwidth of the vortex flow signal is different from that of the mechanical vibration noise. The autocorrelation function can represent bandwidth features of the signal and noise. The output of the vortex flow sensor is processed by the spectrum analysis, filtered by bandpass filters, and calculated by autocorrelation function at the fixed delaying time and at τ =0 to obtain ratios. The frequency corresponding to the minimal ratio is regarded as the vortex flow frequency. With an ultralow-power microcontroller, a digital signal processing system is developed to implement the antistrong-disturbance algorithm, and at the same time to ensure low-power and two-wire mode for meeting the requirement of process instrumentation. The water flow-rate calibration and vibration test experiments are conducted, and the experimental results show that both the algorithm and system are effective.

Frequency-feature based antistrong-disturbance signal processing method and system for vortex flowmeter with single sensor.

PubMed

Xu, Ke-Jun; Luo, Qing-Lin; Wang, Gang; Liu, San-Shan; Kang, Yi-Bo

2010-07-01

Digital signal processing methods have been applied to vortex flowmeter for extracting the useful information from noisy output of the vortex flow sensor. But these approaches are unavailable when the power of the mechanical vibration noise is larger than that of the vortex flow signal. In order to solve this problem, an antistrong-disturbance signal processing method is proposed based on frequency features of the vortex flow signal and mechanical vibration noise for the vortex flowmeter with single sensor. The frequency bandwidth of the vortex flow signal is different from that of the mechanical vibration noise. The autocorrelation function can represent bandwidth features of the signal and noise. The output of the vortex flow sensor is processed by the spectrum analysis, filtered by bandpass filters, and calculated by autocorrelation function at the fixed delaying time and at tau=0 to obtain ratios. The frequency corresponding to the minimal ratio is regarded as the vortex flow frequency. With an ultralow-power microcontroller, a digital signal processing system is developed to implement the antistrong-disturbance algorithm, and at the same time to ensure low-power and two-wire mode for meeting the requirement of process instrumentation. The water flow-rate calibration and vibration test experiments are conducted, and the experimental results show that both the algorithm and system are effective.

Research on the strategy of underwater united detection fusion and communication using multi-sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhenhua; Huang, Jianguo; Huang, Hai; Zhang, Qunfei

2011-09-01

In order to solve the distributed detection fusion problem of underwater target detection, when the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the acoustic channel is low, a new strategy for united detection fusion and communication using multiple sensors was proposed. The performance of detection fusion was studied and compared based on the Neyman-Pearson principle when the binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and on-off keying (OOK) modes were used by the local sensors. The comparative simulation and analysis between the optimal likelihood ratio test and the proposed strategy was completed, and both the theoretical analysis and simulation indicate that using the proposed new strategy could improve the detection performance effectively. In theory, the proposed strategy of united detection fusion and communication is of great significance to the establishment of an underwater target detection system.

A reflective hydrogen sensor based on fiber ring laser with PCF modal interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ya-Nan; Zhang, Aozhuo; Han, Bo; E, Siyu

2018-06-01

A new hydrogen sensor based on a fiber ring laser with a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) modal interferometer is proposed. The reflective PCF modal interferometer, which is fabricated by forming two collapse regions on the two ends of PCF with a fusion discharge technique, is utilized as the sensing head and filter. Particularly, the Pd/WO3 hydrogen-sensitive thin film is coated on the PCF for hydrogen sensing. The combination of the fiber ring laser and PCF modal interferometer gives the sensor a high signal-to-noise ratio and an improved detection limit. Experimental results show that the sensing system can achieve a hydrogen sensitivity of 1.28 nm/%, a high signal-to-noise ratio (∼30 dB), a narrow full width at half maximum (∼0.05 nm), and low detection limit of 0.0133%.

System perspectives for mobile platform design in m-Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roveda, Janet M.; Fink, Wolfgang

2016-05-01

Advances in integrated circuit technologies have led to the integration of medical sensor front ends with data processing circuits, i.e., mobile platform design for wearable sensors. We discuss design methodologies for wearable sensor nodes and their applications in m-Health. From the user perspective, flexibility, comfort, appearance, fashion, ease-of-use, and visibility are key form factors. From the technology development point of view, high accuracy, low power consumption, and high signal to noise ratio are desirable features. From the embedded software design standpoint, real time data analysis algorithms, application and database interfaces are the critical components to create successful wearable sensor-based products.

Sensitive hydrogen leak detector

DOEpatents

Myneni, G.R.

1999-08-03

A sensitive hydrogen leak detector system is described which uses passivation of a stainless steel vacuum chamber for low hydrogen outgassing, a high compression ratio vacuum system, a getter operating at 77.5 K and a residual gas analyzer as a quantitative hydrogen sensor. 1 fig.

Wide-beam sensors for controlling dual-delay systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, J. B.; Twemlow, J. K.

1982-09-01

A class of dual delay feedback systems of open loop transfer function G(s) = k exp(-Xs)/l - exp(-Ws) is shown to be unstable if ratio X/W is noninteger. By means of z-transform techniques it is shown that, by using a feedback transducer that senses over a substantial distance either side of its central axis, closed-loop stability may be restored. Such transducers, termed widebeam sensors, include transmission, backscatter and natural radiation types as well as electromechanical conveyor belt weighers. Designing transducers for very narrow beams may not be desirable from the overall system viewpoint.

Sensor failure and multivariable control for airbreathing propulsion systems. Ph.D. Thesis - Dec. 1979 Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behbehani, K.

1980-01-01

A new sensor/actuator failure analysis technique for turbofan jet engines was developed. Three phases of failure analysis, namely detection, isolation, and accommodation are considered. Failure detection and isolation techniques are developed by utilizing the concept of Generalized Likelihood Ratio (GLR) tests. These techniques are applicable to both time varying and time invariant systems. Three GLR detectors are developed for: (1) hard-over sensor failure; (2) hard-over actuator failure; and (3) brief disturbances in the actuators. The probability distribution of the GLR detectors and the detectability of sensor/actuator failures are established. Failure type is determined by the maximum of the GLR detectors. Failure accommodation is accomplished by extending the Multivariable Nyquest Array (MNA) control design techniques to nonsquare system designs. The performance and effectiveness of the failure analysis technique are studied by applying the technique to a turbofan jet engine, namely the Quiet Clean Short Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE). Single and multiple sensor/actuator failures in the QCSEE are simulated and analyzed and the effects of model degradation are studied.

A neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, T. H.; Musgrave, J.

1992-11-01

In order to properly utilize the available fuel and oxidizer of a liquid propellant rocket engine, the mixture ratio is closed loop controlled during main stage (65 percent - 109 percent power) operation. However, because of the lack of flight-capable instrumentation for measuring mixture ratio, the value of mixture ratio in the control loop is estimated using available sensor measurements such as the combustion chamber pressure and the volumetric flow, and the temperature and pressure at the exit duct on the low pressure fuel pump. This estimation scheme has two limitations. First, the estimation formula is based on an empirical curve fitting which is accurate only within a narrow operating range. Second, the mixture ratio estimate relies on a few sensor measurements and loss of any of these measurements will make the estimate invalid. In this paper, we propose a neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The estimator is an extension of a previously developed neural network based sensor failure detection and recovery algorithm (sensor validation). This neural network uses an auto associative structure which utilizes the redundant information of dissimilar sensors to detect inconsistent measurements. Two approaches have been identified for synthesizing mixture ratio from measurement data using a neural network. The first approach uses an auto associative neural network for sensor validation which is modified to include the mixture ratio as an additional output. The second uses a new network for the mixture ratio estimation in addition to the sensor validation network. Although mixture ratio is not directly measured in flight, it is generally available in simulation and in test bed firing data from facility measurements of fuel and oxidizer volumetric flows. The pros and cons of these two approaches will be discussed in terms of robustness to sensor failures and accuracy of the estimate during typical transients using simulation data.

A neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guo, T. H.; Musgrave, J.

1992-01-01

In order to properly utilize the available fuel and oxidizer of a liquid propellant rocket engine, the mixture ratio is closed loop controlled during main stage (65 percent - 109 percent power) operation. However, because of the lack of flight-capable instrumentation for measuring mixture ratio, the value of mixture ratio in the control loop is estimated using available sensor measurements such as the combustion chamber pressure and the volumetric flow, and the temperature and pressure at the exit duct on the low pressure fuel pump. This estimation scheme has two limitations. First, the estimation formula is based on an empirical curve fitting which is accurate only within a narrow operating range. Second, the mixture ratio estimate relies on a few sensor measurements and loss of any of these measurements will make the estimate invalid. In this paper, we propose a neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The estimator is an extension of a previously developed neural network based sensor failure detection and recovery algorithm (sensor validation). This neural network uses an auto associative structure which utilizes the redundant information of dissimilar sensors to detect inconsistent measurements. Two approaches have been identified for synthesizing mixture ratio from measurement data using a neural network. The first approach uses an auto associative neural network for sensor validation which is modified to include the mixture ratio as an additional output. The second uses a new network for the mixture ratio estimation in addition to the sensor validation network. Although mixture ratio is not directly measured in flight, it is generally available in simulation and in test bed firing data from facility measurements of fuel and oxidizer volumetric flows. The pros and cons of these two approaches will be discussed in terms of robustness to sensor failures and accuracy of the estimate during typical transients using simulation data.

Infrared retina

DOEpatents

Krishna, Sanjay [Albuquerque, NM; Hayat, Majeed M [Albuquerque, NM; Tyo, J Scott [Tucson, AZ; Jang, Woo-Yong [Albuquerque, NM

2011-12-06

Exemplary embodiments provide an infrared (IR) retinal system and method for making and using the IR retinal system. The IR retinal system can include adaptive sensor elements, whose properties including, e.g., spectral response, signal-to-noise ratio, polarization, or amplitude can be tailored at pixel level by changing the applied bias voltage across the detector. "Color" imagery can be obtained from the IR retinal system by using a single focal plane array. The IR sensor elements can be spectrally, spatially and temporally adaptive using quantum-confined transitions in nanoscale quantum dots. The IR sensor elements can be used as building blocks of an infrared retina, similar to cones of human retina, and can be designed to work in the long-wave infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from about 8 .mu.m to about 12 .mu.m as well as the mid-wave portion ranging from about 3 .mu.m to about 5 .mu.m.

A Wearable Real-Time and Non-Invasive Thoracic Cavity Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salman, Safa

A surgery-free on-body monitoring system is proposed to evaluate the dielectric constant of internal body tissues (especially lung and heart) and effectively determine irregularities in real-time. The proposed surgery-free on-body monitoring system includes a sensor, a post-processing technique, and an automated data collection circuit. Data are automatically collected from the sensor electrodes and then post processed to extract the electrical properties of the underlying biological tissue(s). To demonstrate the imaging concept, planar and wrap-around sensors are devised. These sensors are designed to detect changes in the dielectric constant of inner tissues (lung and heart). The planar sensor focuses on a single organ while the wrap-around sensors allows for imaging of the thoracic cavity's cross section. Moreover, post-processing techniques are proposed to complement sensors for a more complete on-body monitoring system. The idea behind the post-processing technique is to suppress interference from the outer layers (skin, fat, muscle, and bone). The sensors and post-processing techniques yield high signal (from the inner layers) to noise (from the outer layers) ratio. Additionally, data collection circuits are proposed for a more robust and stand-alone system. The circuit design aims to sequentially activate each port of the sensor and portions of the propagating signal are to be received at all passive ports in the form of a voltage at the probes. The voltages are converted to scattering parameters which are then used in the post-processing technique to obtain epsilonr. The concept of wearability is also considered through the use of electrically conductive fibers (E-fibers). These fibers show matching performance to that of copper, especially at low frequencies making them a viable substitute. For the cases considered, the proposed sensors show promising results in recovering the permittivity of deep tissues with a maximum error of 13.5%. These sensors provide a way for a new class of medical sensors through accuracy improvements and avoidance of inverse scattering techniques.

Research and Experiments on a Unipolar Capacitive Voltage Sensor

PubMed Central

Zhou, Qiang; He, Wei; Li, Songnong; Hou, Xingzhe

2015-01-01

Voltage sensors are an important part of the electric system. In service, traditional voltage sensors need to directly contact a high-voltage charged body. Sensors involve a large volume, complex insulation structures, and high design costs. Typically an iron core structure is adopted. As a result, ferromagnetic resonance can occur easily during practical application. Moreover, owing to the multilevel capacitor divider, the sensor cannot reflect the changes of measured voltage in time. Based on the electric field coupling principle, this paper designs a new voltage sensor; the unipolar structure design solves many problems of traditional voltage sensors like the great insulation design difficulty and high costs caused by grounding electrodes. A differential signal input structure is adopted for the detection circuit, which effectively restrains the influence of the common-mode interference signal. Through sensor modeling, simulation and calculations, the structural design of the sensor electrode was optimized, miniaturization of the sensor was realized, the voltage division ratio of the sensor was enhanced, and the phase difference of sensor measurement was weakened. The voltage sensor is applied to a single-phase voltage class line of 10 kV for testing. According to the test results, the designed sensor is able to meet the requirements of accurate and real-time measurement for voltage of the charged conductor as well as to provide a new method for electricity larceny prevention and on-line monitoring of the power grid in an electric system. Therefore, it can satisfy the development demands of the smart power grid. PMID:26307992

Fiber Optic Raman Sensor to Monitor Concentration Ratio of Nitrogen and Oxygen in a Cryogenic Mixture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, Vidhu S.; Kalluru, Rajamohan R.; Yueh, Fang-Yu; Singh, Jagdish P.; SaintCyr, William

2007-01-01

A spontaneous Raman scattering optical fiber sensor is developed for a specific need of NASA/SSC for long-term detection and monitoring of the quality of liquid oxygen (LOX) in the delivery line during ground testing of rocket engines. The sensor performance was tested in the laboratory and with different excitation light sources. To evaluate the sensor performance with different excitation light sources for the LOX quality application, we have used the various mixtures of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen as samples. The study of the sensor performance shows that this sensor offers a great deal of flexibility and provides a cost effective solution for the application. However, an improved system response time is needed for the real-time, quantitative monitoring of the quality of cryogenic fluids in harsh environment.

Study of a MEMS-based Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor with adjustable pupil sampling for astronomical adaptive optics.

PubMed

Baranec, Christoph; Dekany, Richard

2008-10-01

We introduce a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for adaptive optics that enables dynamic control of the spatial sampling of an incoming wavefront using a segmented mirror microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS) device. Unlike a conventional lenslet array, subapertures are defined by either segments or groups of segments of a mirror array, with the ability to change spatial pupil sampling arbitrarily by redefining the segment grouping. Control over the spatial sampling of the wavefront allows for the minimization of wavefront reconstruction error for different intensities of guide source and different atmospheric conditions, which in turn maximizes an adaptive optics system's delivered Strehl ratio. Requirements for the MEMS devices needed in this Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor are also presented.

Robust Multivariable Estimation of the Relevant Information Coming from a Wheel Speed Sensor and an Accelerometer Embedded in a Car under Performance Tests

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Wilmar

2005-01-01

In the present paper, in order to estimate the response of both a wheel speed sensor and an accelerometer placed in a car under performance tests, robust and optimal multivariable estimation techniques are used. In this case, the disturbances and noises corrupting the relevant information coming from the sensors' outputs are so dangerous that their negative influence on the electrical systems impoverish the general performance of the car. In short, the solution to this problem is a safety related problem that deserves our full attention. Therefore, in order to diminish the negative effects of the disturbances and noises on the car's electrical and electromechanical systems, an optimum observer is used. The experimental results show a satisfactory improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of the relevant signals and demonstrate the importance of the fusion of several intelligent sensor design techniques when designing the intelligent sensors that today's cars need.

Air/fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engine having rotary valve and step motor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saito, M.

A system for feedback control of the air/fuel mixing ratio in an internal combustion engine equipped with a carburetor. The control system has an air/fuel ratio detector of a gas sensor type which provides a feedback signal to a control circuit and a rotary valve which is operated by a stepping motor responsive to a control pulse signal produced by the control circuit to regulate the fuel feed rate so as to nullify a deviation of the detected actual air/fuel ratio from a preset air/fuel ratio. The control system may include two auxiliary air-admitting passages respectively connected to a mainmore » fuel passage and a slow fuel passage in the carburetor, and in this case the single rotary valve is designed and arranged so as to simultaneously control the admission of air into both of the two auxiliary air-admitting passages.« less

A novel optical fiber displacement sensor of wider measurement range based on neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yuan; Dai, Xue Feng; Wang, Yu Tian

2006-02-01

By studying on the output characteristics of random type optical fiber sensor and semicircular type optical fiber sensor, the ratio of the two output signals was used as the output signal of the whole system. Then the measurement range was enlarged, the linearity was improved, and the errors of reflective and absorbent changing of target surface are automatically compensated. Meantime, an optical fiber sensor model of correcting static error based on BP artificial neural network(ANN) is set up. So the intrinsic errors such as effects of fluctuations in the light, circuit excursion, the intensity losses in the fiber lines and the additional losses in the receiving fiber caused by bends are eliminated. By discussing in theory and experiment, the error of nonlinear is 2.9%, the measuring range reaches to 5-6mm and the relative accuracy is 2%.And this sensor has such characteristics as no electromagnetic interference, simple construction, high sensitivity, good accuracy and stability. Also the multi-point sensor system can be used to on-line and non-touch monitor in working locales.

A protein-dye hybrid system as a narrow range tunable intracellular pH sensor.

PubMed

Anees, Palapuravan; Sudheesh, Karivachery V; Jayamurthy, Purushothaman; Chandrika, Arunkumar R; Omkumar, Ramakrishnapillai V; Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai

2016-11-18

Accurate monitoring of pH variations inside cells is important for the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. Even though a variety of different pH sensors are available, construction of a custom-made sensor array for measuring minute variations in a narrow biological pH window, using easily available constituents, is a challenge. Here we report two-component hybrid sensors derived from a protein and organic dye nanoparticles whose sensitivity range can be tuned by choosing different ratios of the components, to monitor the minute pH variations in a given system. The dye interacts noncovalently with the protein at lower pH and covalently at higher pH, triggering two distinguishable fluorescent signals at 700 and 480 nm, respectively. The pH sensitivity region of the probe can be tuned for every unit of the pH window resulting in custom-made pH sensors. These narrow range tunable pH sensors have been used to monitor pH variations in HeLa cells using the fluorescence imaging technique.

Advances in Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor Technology Using GaN and ZnO-Based Devices

PubMed Central

Anderson, Travis; Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen; Kang, Byoung Sam; Wang, Hung-Ta; Chang, Chih-Yang; Lin, Jenshan

2009-01-01

In this paper, we review our recent results in developing gas sensors for hydrogen using various device structures, including ZnO nanowires and GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). ZnO nanowires are particularly interesting because they have a large surface area to volume ratio, which will improve sensitivity, and because they operate at low current levels, will have low power requirements in a sensor module. GaN-based devices offer the advantage of the HEMT structure, high temperature operation, and simple integration with existing fabrication technology and sensing systems. Improvements in sensitivity, recoverability, and reliability are presented. Also reported are demonstrations of detection of other gases, including CO2 and C2H4 using functionalized GaN HEMTs. This is critical for the development of lab-on-a-chip type systems and can provide a significant advance towards a market-ready sensor application. PMID:22408548

Object acquisition and tracking for space-based surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-11-01

This report presents the results of research carried out by Space Computer Corporation under the U.S. government's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The work was sponsored by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and managed by the Office of Naval Research under Contracts N00014-87-C-0801 (Phase 1) and N00014-89-C-0015 (Phase 2). The basic purpose of this research was to develop and demonstrate a new approach to the detection of, and initiation of track on, moving targets using data from a passive infrared or visual sensor. This approach differs in very significant ways from the traditional approach of dividing the required processing into time dependent, object dependent, and data dependent processing stages. In that approach individual targets are first detected in individual image frames, and the detections are then assembled into tracks. That requires that the signal to noise ratio in each image frame be sufficient for fairly reliable target detection. In contrast, our approach bases detection of targets on multiple image frames, and, accordingly, requires a smaller signal to noise ratio. It is sometimes referred to as track before detect, and can lead to a significant reduction in total system cost. For example, it can allow greater detection range for a single sensor, or it can allow the use of smaller sensor optics. Both the traditional and track before detect approaches are applicable to systems using scanning sensors, as well as those which use staring sensors.

Object acquisition and tracking for space-based surveillance. Final report, Dec 88-May 90

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-11-27

This report presents the results of research carried out by Space Computer Corporation under the U.S. government's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The work was sponsored by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and managed by the Office of Naval Research under Contracts N00014-87-C-0801 (Phase I) and N00014-89-C-0015 (Phase II). The basic purpose of this research was to develop and demonstrate a new approach to the detection of, and initiation of track on, moving targets using data from a passive infrared or visual sensor. This approach differs in very significant ways from the traditional approach of dividing the required processingmore » into time dependent, object-dependent, and data-dependent processing stages. In that approach individual targets are first detected in individual image frames, and the detections are then assembled into tracks. That requires that the signal to noise ratio in each image frame be sufficient for fairly reliable target detection. In contrast, our approach bases detection of targets on multiple image frames, and, accordingly, requires a smaller signal to noise ratio. It is sometimes referred to as track before detect, and can lead to a significant reduction in total system cost. For example, it can allow greater detection range for a single sensor, or it can allow the use of smaller sensor optics. Both the traditional and track before detect approaches are applicable to systems using scanning sensors, as well as those which use staring sensors.« less

Use of polarization to improve signal to clutter ratio in an outdoor active imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontoura, Patrick F.; Giles, Michael K.; Padilla, Denise D.

2005-08-01

This paper describes the methodology and presents the results of the design of a polarization-sensitive system used to increase the signal-to-clutter ratio in a robust outdoor structured lighting sensor that uses standard CCD camera technology. This lighting sensor is intended to be used on an autonomous vehicle, looking down to the ground and horizontal to obstacles in an 8 foot range. The kinds of surfaces to be imaged are natural and man-made, such as asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass. The main problem for an outdoor eye-safe laser imaging system is that the reflected energy from background clutter tends to be brighter than the reflected laser energy. A narrow-band optical filter does not reduce significantly the background clutter in bright sunlight, and problems also occur when the surface is highly absorptive, like asphalt. Therefore, most of applications are limited to indoor and controlled outdoor conditions. A series of measurements was made for each of the materials studied in order to find the best configuration for the polarizing system and also to find out the potential improvement in the signal-to-clutter ratio (STC). This process was divided into three parts: characterization of the reflected sunlight, characterization of the reflected laser light, and measurement of the improvement in the STC. The results show that by using polarization properties it is possible to design an optical system that is able to increase the signal-to-clutter ratio from approximately 30% to 100% in the imaging system, depending on the kind of surface and on the incidence angle of the sunlight. The technique was also analyzed for indoor use, with the background clutter being the room illumination. For this specific case, polarization did not improve the signal-to-clutter ratio.

Design and development of the Waukesha Custom Engine Control Air/Fuel Module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moss, D.W.

1996-12-31

The Waukesha Custom Engine Control Air/Fuel Module (AFM) is designed to control the air-fuel ratio for all Waukesha carbureted, gaseous fueled, industrial engine. The AFM is programmed with a personal computer to run in one of four control modes: catalyst, best power, best economy, or lean-burn. One system can control naturally aspirated, turbocharged, in-line or vee engines. The basic system consists of an oxygen sensing system, intake manifold pressure transducer, electronic control module, actuator and exhaust thermocouple. The system permits correct operation of Waukesha engines in spite of changes in fuel pressure or temperature, engine load or speed, and fuelmore » composition. The system utilizes closed loop control and is centered about oxygen sensing technology. An innovative approach to applying oxygen sensors to industrial engines provides very good performance, greatly prolongs sensor life, and maintains sensor accuracy. Design considerations and operating results are given for application of the system to stationary, industrial engines operating on fuel gases of greatly varying composition.« less

Non-contact passive temperature measuring system and method of operation using micro-mechanical sensors

DOEpatents

Thundat, Thomas G.; Oden, Patrick I.; Datskos, Panagiotis G.

2000-01-01

A non-contact infrared thermometer measures target temperatures remotely without requiring the ratio of the target size to the target distance to the thermometer. A collection means collects and focusses target IR radiation on an IR detector. The detector measures thermal energy of the target over a spectrum using micromechanical sensors. A processor means calculates the collected thermal energy in at least two different spectral regions using a first algorithm in program form and further calculates the ratio of the thermal energy in the at least two different spectral regions to obtain the target temperature independent of the target size, distance to the target and emissivity using a second algorithm in program form.

3D capacitive tactile sensor using DRIE micromachining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Chiehtang; Chen, Rongshun

2005-07-01

This paper presents a three dimensional micro capacitive tactile sensor that can detect normal and shear forces which is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) bulk silicon micromachining. The tactile sensor consists of a force transmission plate, a symmetric suspension system, and comb electrodes. The sensing character is based on the changes of capacitance between coplanar sense electrodes. High sensitivity is achieved by using the high aspect ratio interdigital electrodes with narrow comb gaps and large overlap areas. The symmetric suspension mechanism of this sensor can easily solve the coupling problem of measurement and increase the stability of the structure. In this paper, the sensor structure is designed, the capacitance variation of the proposed device is theoretically analyzed, and the finite element analysis of mechanical behavior of the structures is performed.

Analysis and Calibration of Sources of Electronic Error in PSD Sensor Response.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Navarro, David; Lázaro-Galilea, José Luis; Bravo-Muñoz, Ignacio; Gardel-Vicente, Alfredo; Tsirigotis, Georgios

2016-04-29

In order to obtain very precise measurements of the position of agents located at a considerable distance using a sensor system based on position sensitive detectors (PSD), it is necessary to analyze and mitigate the factors that generate substantial errors in the system's response. These sources of error can be divided into electronic and geometric factors. The former stem from the nature and construction of the PSD as well as the performance, tolerances and electronic response of the system, while the latter are related to the sensor's optical system. Here, we focus solely on the electrical effects, since the study, analysis and correction of these are a prerequisite for subsequently addressing geometric errors. A simple calibration method is proposed, which considers PSD response, component tolerances, temperature variations, signal frequency used, signal to noise ratio (SNR), suboptimal operational amplifier parameters, and analog to digital converter (ADC) quantitation SNRQ, etc. Following an analysis of these effects and calibration of the sensor, it was possible to correct the errors, thus rendering the effects negligible, as reported in the results section.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HVAC SYSTEM OPERATION, AIR EXCHANGE RATE, AND INDOOR-OUTDOOR PARTICULATE MATTER RATIOS

EPA Science Inventory

Measurements of duty cycle , the fraction of time the heating and cooling (HVAC) system was operating, were made in each participant's home during the spring season of the RTP Particulate Matter Panel Study. A miniature temperature sensor/data logger combination placed on the ...

A High-Temperature Combinatorial Technique for the Thermal Analysis of Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-14

the calorimetric cell. The power dissipated in the thermistor is determined experimentally from the current supplied to the thermistor and the...electronics unit operates as a power supply for the PnSC sensors and as a data acquisition (DAQ) system for the input/output signals from each sensor. Both...the power supply and DAQ operations are galvanically isolated to ensure a maximum signal to noise ratio for the acquired signals. The control

Dynamic mechanical measurement of the viscoelasticity of single adherent cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, Elise A.; Adeniba, Olaoluwa O.; Ewoldt, Randy H.; Bashir, Rashid

2016-02-01

Many recent studies on the viscoelasticity of individual cells link mechanics with cellular function and health. Here, we introduce a measurement of the viscoelastic properties of individual human colon cancer cells (HT-29) using silicon pedestal microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonant sensors. We demonstrate that the viscoelastic properties of single adherent cells can be extracted by measuring a difference in vibrational amplitude of our resonant sensor platform. The magnitude of vibration of the pedestal sensor is measured using a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). A change in amplitude of the sensor, compared with the driving amplitude (amplitude ratio), is influenced by the mechanical properties of the adhered cells. The amplitude ratio of the fixed cells was greater than the live cells, with a p-value <0.0001. By combining the amplitude shift with the resonant frequency shift measure, we determined the elastic modulus and viscosity values of 100 Pa and 0.0031 Pa s, respectively. Our method using the change in amplitude of resonant MEMS devices can enable the determination of a refined solution space and could improve measuring the stiffness of cells.

A One ppm NDIR Methane Gas Sensor with Single Frequency Filter Denoising Algorithm

PubMed Central

Zhu, Zipeng; Xu, Yuhui; Jiang, Binqing

2012-01-01

A non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) methane gas sensor prototype has achieved a minimum detection limit of 1 parts per million by volume (ppm). The central idea of the design of the sensor is to decrease the detection limit by increasing the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the system. In order to decrease the noise level, a single frequency filter algorithm based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) is adopted for signal processing. Through simulation and experiment, it is found that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the filter narrows with the extension of sampling period and the increase of lamp modulation frequency, and at some optimum sampling period and modulation frequency, the filtered signal maintains a noise to signal ratio of below 1/10,000. The sensor prototype provides the key techniques for a hand-held methane detector that has a low cost and a high resolution. Such a detector may facilitate the detection of leakage of city natural gas pipelines buried underground, the monitoring of landfill gas, the monitoring of air quality and so on.

Intelligent Tires Based on Measurement of Tire Deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuzaki, Ryosuke; Todoroki, Akira

From a traffic safety point-of-view, there is an urgent need for intelligent tires as a warning system for road conditions, for optimized braking control on poor road surfaces and as a tire fault detection system. Intelligent tires, equipped with sensors for monitoring applied strain, are effective in improving reliability and control systems such as anti-lock braking systems (ABSs). In previous studies, we developed a direct tire deformation or strain measurement system with sufficiently low stiffness and high elongation for practical use, and a wireless communication system between tires and vehicle that operates without a battery. The present study investigates the application of strain data for an optimized braking control and road condition warning system. The relationships between strain sensor outputs and tire mechanical parameters, including braking torque, effective radius and contact patch length, are calculated using finite element analysis. Finally, we suggested the possibility of optimized braking control and road condition warning systems. Optimized braking control can be achieved by keeping the slip ratio constant. The road condition warning would be actuated if the recorded friction coefficient at a certain slip ratio is lower than a ‘safe’ reference value.

Intelligent tires for improved tire safety using wireless strain measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuzaki, Ryosuke; Todoroki, Akira

2008-03-01

From a traffic safety point-of-view, there is an urgent need for intelligent tires as a warning system for road conditions, for optimized braking control on poor road surfaces and as a tire fault detection system. Intelligent tires, equipped with sensors for monitoring applied strain, are effective in improving reliability and control systems such as anti-lock braking systems (ABSs). In previous studies, we developed a direct tire deformation or strain measurement system with sufficiently low stiffness and high elongation for practical use, and a wireless communication system between tires and vehicle that operates without a battery. The present study investigates the application of strain data for an optimized braking control and road condition warning system. The relationships between strain sensor outputs and tire mechanical parameters, including braking torque, effective radius and contact patch length, are calculated using finite element analysis. Finally, we suggested the possibility of optimized braking control and road condition warning systems. Optimized braking control can be achieved by keeping the slip ratio constant. The road condition warning would be actuated if the recorded friction coefficient at a certain slip ratio is lower than a 'safe' reference value.

In Situ Multi-Species (O2, N2, Fuel, Other) Fiber Optic Sensor for Fuel Tank Ullage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Quang-Viet

2007-01-01

A rugged and compact fiber optic sensor system for in situ real-time measurement of nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), hydrocarbon (HC) fuel vapors, and other gases has been developed over the past several years at Glenn Research Center. The intrinsically-safe, solid-state fiber optic sensor system provides a 1% precision measurement (by volume) of multiple gases in a 5-sec time window. The sensor has no consumable parts to wear out and requires less than 25 W of electrical power to operate. The sensor head is rugged and compact and is ideal for use in harsh environments such as inside an aircraft fuel tank, or as a feedback sensor in the vent-box of an on-board inert gas generation system (OBIGGS). Multiple sensor heads can be monitored with a single optical detection unit for a cost-effective multi-point sensor system. The present sensor technology is unique in its ability to measure N2 concentration directly, and in its ability to differentiate different types of HC fuels. The present sensor system provides value-added aircraft safety information by simultaneously and directly measuring the nitrogen-oxygen-fuel triplet, which provides the following advantages: (1) information regarding the extent of inerting by N2, (2) information regarding the chemical equivalence ratio, (3) information regarding the composition of the aircraft fuel, and (4) by providing a self-consistent calibration by utilizing a singular sensor for all species. Using the extra information made available by this sensor permits the ignitability of a fuel-oxidizer mixture to be more accurately characterized, which may permit a reduction in the amount of inerting required on a real-time basis, and yet still maintain a fire-safe fuel tank. This translates to an increase in fuel tank fire-safety through a better understanding of the physics of fuel ignition, and at the same time, a reduction in compressed bleed air usage and concomitant aircraft operational costs over the long-run. The present fiber optic sensor can also be used as a false-alarm-free engine/hidden/cargo space fire detector (by measuring increased CO2 and CO, and decreased O2), a multi-point in situ measurement and certification system for halogenated-compound fire protection systems, and for the testing and certification of other aircraft safety sensor systems. The technology (LEW-17826-1) developed in the present sensor system is patent pending.

Applied digital signal processing systems for vortex flowmeter with digital signal processing.

PubMed

Xu, Ke-Jun; Zhu, Zhi-Hai; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Xiao-Fen; Liu, San-Shan; Huang, Yun-Zhi; Chen, Zhi-Yuan

2009-02-01

The spectral analysis is combined with digital filter to process the vortex sensor signal for reducing the effect of disturbance at low frequency from pipe vibrations and increasing the turndown ratio. Using digital signal processing chip, two kinds of digital signal processing systems are developed to implement these algorithms. One is an integrative system, and the other is a separated system. A limiting amplifier is designed in the input analog condition circuit to adapt large amplitude variation of sensor signal. Some technique measures are taken to improve the accuracy of the output pulse, speed up the response time of the meter, and reduce the fluctuation of the output signal. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the digital signal processing systems.

Air-dropped sensor network for real-time high-fidelity volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Song, W.-Z.; Huang, R.; Xu, M.; Ma, A.; Shirazi, B.; LaHusen, R.

2009-01-01

This paper presents the design and deployment experience of an air-dropped wireless sensor network for volcano hazard monitoring. The deployment of five stations into the rugged crater of Mount St. Helens only took one hour with a helicopter. The stations communicate with each other through an amplified 802.15.4 radio and establish a self-forming and self-healing multi-hop wireless network. The distance between stations is up to 2 km. Each sensor station collects and delivers real-time continuous seismic, infrasonic, lightning, GPS raw data to a gateway. The main contribution of this paper is the design and evaluation of a robust sensor network to replace data loggers and provide real-time long-term volcano monitoring. The system supports UTC-time synchronized data acquisition with 1ms accuracy, and is online configurable. It has been tested in the lab environment, the outdoor campus and the volcano crater. Despite the heavy rain, snow, and ice as well as gusts exceeding 120 miles per hour, the sensor network has achieved a remarkable packet delivery ratio above 99% with an overall system uptime of about 93.8% over the 1.5 months evaluation period after deployment. Our initial deployment experiences with the system have alleviated the doubts of domain scientists and prove to them that a low-cost sensor network system can support real-time monitoring in extremely harsh environments. Copyright 2009 ACM.

On the acoustic filtering of the pipe and sensor in a buried plastic water pipe and its effect on leak detection: an experimental investigation.

PubMed

Almeida, Fabrício; Brennan, Michael; Joseph, Phillip; Whitfield, Stuart; Dray, Simon; Paschoalini, Amarildo

2014-03-20

Acoustic techniques have been used for many years to find and locate leaks in buried water distribution systems. Hydrophones and accelerometers are typically used as sensors. Although geophones could be used as well, they are not generally used for leak detection. A simple acoustic model of the pipe and the sensors has been proposed previously by some of the authors of this paper, and their model was used to explain some of the features observed in measurements. However, simultaneous measurements of a leak using all three sensor-types in controlled conditions for plastic pipes has not been reported to-date and hence they have not yet been compared directly. This paper fills that gap in knowledge. A set of measurements was made on a bespoke buried plastic water distribution pipe test rig to validate the previously reported analytical model. There is qualitative agreement between the experimental results and the model predictions in terms of the differing filtering properties of the pipe-sensor systems. A quality measure for the data is also presented, which is the ratio of the bandwidth over which the analysis is carried out divided by the centre frequency of this bandwidth. Based on this metric, the accelerometer was found to be the best sensor to use for the test rig described in this paper. However, for a system in which the distance between the sensors is large or the attenuation factor of the system is high, then it would be advantageous to use hydrophones, even though they are invasive sensors.

On the Acoustic Filtering of the Pipe and Sensor in a Buried Plastic Water Pipe and its Effect on Leak Detection: An Experimental Investigation

PubMed Central

Almeida, Fabrício; Brennan, Michael; Joseph, Phillip; Whitfield, Stuart; Dray, Simon; Paschoalini, Amarildo

2014-01-01

Acoustic techniques have been used for many years to find and locate leaks in buried water distribution systems. Hydrophones and accelerometers are typically used as sensors. Although geophones could be used as well, they are not generally used for leak detection. A simple acoustic model of the pipe and the sensors has been proposed previously by some of the authors of this paper, and their model was used to explain some of the features observed in measurements. However, simultaneous measurements of a leak using all three sensor-types in controlled conditions for plastic pipes has not been reported to-date and hence they have not yet been compared directly. This paper fills that gap in knowledge. A set of measurements was made on a bespoke buried plastic water distribution pipe test rig to validate the previously reported analytical model. There is qualitative agreement between the experimental results and the model predictions in terms of the differing filtering properties of the pipe-sensor systems. A quality measure for the data is also presented, which is the ratio of the bandwidth over which the analysis is carried out divided by the centre frequency of this bandwidth. Based on this metric, the accelerometer was found to be the best sensor to use for the test rig described in this paper. However, for a system in which the distance between the sensors is large or the attenuation factor of the system is high, then it would be advantageous to use hydrophones, even though they are invasive sensors. PMID:24658622

Application of Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor in Oxidative Steam Reforming by a Methanol Micro Reformer

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lee, Shuo-Jen; Shen, Chia-Chieh; Yeh, Chuin-Tih; Chang, Chi-Chung; Lo, Yi-Man

2011-01-01

Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM), with the relevant parameters optimized as well. PMID:22319407

Guided wave and damage detection in composite laminates using different fiber optic sensors.

PubMed

Li, Fucai; Murayama, Hideaki; Kageyama, Kazuro; Shirai, Takehiro

2009-01-01

Guided wave detection using different fiber optic sensors and their applications in damage detection for composite laminates were systematically investigated and compared in this paper. Two types of fiber optic sensors, namely fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and Doppler effect-based fiber optic (FOD) sensors, were addressed and guided wave detection systems were constructed for both types. Guided waves generated by a piezoelectric transducer were propagated through a quasi-isotropic carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate and acquired by these fiber optic sensors. Characteristics of these fiber optic sensors in ultrasonic guided wave detection were systematically compared. Results demonstrated that both the FBG and FOD sensors can be applied in guided wave and damage detection for the CFRP laminates. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of guided wave signal captured by an FOD sensor is relatively high in comparison with that of the FBG sensor because of their different physical principles in ultrasonic detection. Further, the FOD sensor is sensitive to the damage-induced fundamental shear horizontal (SH(0)) guided wave that, however, cannot be detected by using the FBG sensor, because the FOD sensor is omnidirectional in ultrasound detection and, in contrast, the FBG sensor is severely direction dependent.

BP artificial neural network based wave front correction for sensor-less free space optics communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhaokun; Zhao, Xiaohui

2017-02-01

The sensor-less adaptive optics (AO) is one of the most promising methods to compensate strong wave front disturbance in free space optics communication (FSO). The back propagation (BP) artificial neural network is applied for the sensor-less AO system to design a distortion correction scheme in this study. This method only needs one or a few online measurements to correct the wave front distortion compared with other model-based approaches, by which the real-time capacity of the system is enhanced and the Strehl Ratio (SR) is largely improved. Necessary comparisons in numerical simulation with other model-based and model-free correction methods proposed in Refs. [6,8,9,10] are given to show the validity and advantage of the proposed method.

Precise control of flexible manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cannon, R. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

Experimental apparatus were developed for physically testing control systems for pointing flexible structures, such as limber spacecraft, for the case that control actuators cannot be collocated with sensors. Structural damping ratios are less than 0.003, each basic configuration of sensor/actuator noncollocation is available, and inertias can be halved or doubled abruptly during control maneuvers, thereby imposing, in particular, a sudden reversal in the plant's pole-zero sequence. First experimental results are presented, including stable control with both collocation and noncollocation.

Acoustic vibration sensor based on nonadiabatic tapered fibers.

PubMed

Xu, Ben; Li, Yi; Sun, Miao; Zhang, Zhen-Wei; Dong, Xin-Yong; Zhang, Zai-Xuan; Jin, Shang-Zhong

2012-11-15

A simple and low-cost vibration sensor based on single-mode nonadiabatic fiber tapers is proposed and demonstrated. The environmental vibrations can be detected by demodulating the transmission loss of the nonadiabatic fiber taper. Theoretical simulations show that the transmission loss is related to the microbending of the fiber taper induced by vibrations. Unlike interferometric sensors, this vibration sensor does not need any feedback loop to control the quadrature point to obtain a stable performance. In addition, it has no requirement for the coherence of the light source and is insensitive to temperature changes. Experimental results show that this sensing system has a wide frequency response range from a few hertz to tens of kilohertz with the maximal signal to noise ratio up to 73 dB.

Interstitial fluid glucose dynamics during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.

PubMed

Steil, G M; Rebrin, K; Hariri, F; Jinagonda, S; Tadros, S; Darwin, C; Saad, M F

2005-09-01

Glucose sensors often measure s.c. interstitial fluid (ISF) glucose rather than blood or plasma glucose. Putative differences between plasma and ISF glucose include a protracted delay during the recovery from hypoglycaemia and an increased gradient during hyperinsulinaemia. These have often been investigated using sensor systems that have delays due to signal smoothing, or require long equilibration times. The aim of the present study was to define these relationships during hypoglycaemia in a well-equilibrated system with no smoothing. Hypoglycaemia was induced by i.v. insulin infusion (360 pmol.m(-2).min(-1)) in ten non-diabetic subjects. Glucose was sequentially clamped at approximately 5, 4.2 and 3.1 mmol/l and allowed to return to normoglycaemia. Subjects wore two s.c. glucose sensors (Medtronic MiniMed, Northridge, CA, USA) that had been inserted for more than 12 h. A two-compartment model was used to quantify the delay and gradient. The delay during the fall in plasma glucose was not different from the delay during recovery (8.3+/-0.67 vs 6.3+/-1.1 min; p=0.27) and no differences were observed in the ratio of sensor current to plasma glucose at basal insulin (2.7+/-0.25 nA.mmol(-1).l) compared with any of the hyperinsulinaemic clamp phases (2.8+/-0.18, 2.7+/-0.021, 2.9+/-0.21; p=NS). The ratio was significantly elevated following recovery to normoglycaemia (3.1+/-0.2 nA.mmol(-1).l; p<0.001). The elevated ratio suggests that the plasma to ISF glucose gradient was decreased following hypoglycaemia, possibly due to increased skin blood flow. Recovery from hypoglycaemia is not accompanied by a protracted delay and insulin does not increase the plasma to s.c. ISF glucose gradient.

Method and apparatus for controlling fuel/air mixture in a lean burn engine

DOEpatents

Kubesh, John Thomas; Dodge, Lee Gene; Podnar, Daniel James

1998-04-07

The system for controlling the fuel/air mixture supplied to a lean burn engine when operating on natural gas, gasoline, hydrogen, alcohol, propane, butane, diesel or any other fuel as desired. As specific humidity of air supplied to the lean burn engine increases, the oxygen concentration of exhaust gas discharged by the engine for a given equivalence ratio will decrease. Closed loop fuel control systems typically attempt to maintain a constant exhaust gas oxygen concentration. Therefore, the decrease in the exhaust gas oxygen concentration resulting from increased specific humidity will often be improperly attributed to an excessive supply of fuel and the control system will incorrectly reduce the amount of fuel supplied to the engine. Also, the minimum fuel/air equivalence ratio for a lean burn engine to avoid misfiring will increase as specific humidity increases. A relative humidity sensor to allow the control system to provide a more enriched fuel/air mixture at high specific humidity levels. The level of specific humidity may be used to compensate an output signal from a universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor for changing oxygen concentrations at a desired equivalence ratio due to variation in specific humidity specific humidity. As a result, the control system will maintain the desired efficiency, low exhaust emissions and power level for the associated lean burn engine regardless of the specific humidity level of intake air supplied to the lean burn engine.

Moving belt metal detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Carl V.; Mendat, Deborah P.; Huynh, Toan B.

2006-05-01

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed a prototype metal detection survey system that will increase the search speed of conventional technology while maintaining high sensitivity. Higher search speeds will reduce the time to clear roads of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) and to locate unexploded ordnance (UXO) at Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, thus reducing remediation costs. The new survey sensor system is called the moving belt metal detector (MBMD) and operates by both increasing sensor speed over the ground while maintaining adequate sensor dwell time over the target for good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reducing motion-induced sensor noise. The MBMD uses an array of metal detection sensors mounted on a flexible belt similar to a tank track. The belt motion is synchronized with the forward survey speed so individual sensor elements remain stationary relative to the ground. A single pulsed transmitter coil is configured to provide a uniform magnetic field along the length of the receivers in ground contact. Individual time-domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) receivers are designed to sense a single time-gate measurement of the total metal content. Each sensor module consists of a receiver coil, amplifier, digitizing electronics and a low power UHF wireless transmitter. This paper presents the survey system design concepts and metal detection data from various targets at several survey speeds. Although the laboratory prototype is designed to demonstrate metal detection survey speeds up to 10 m/s, higher speeds are achievable with a larger sensor array. In addition, the concept can be adapted to work with other sensor technologies not previously considered for moving platforms.

In-vivo studies of reflectance pulse oximeter sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Jian; Takatani, Setsuo; Noon, George P.; Nose, Yukihiko

1993-08-01

Reflectance oximetry can offer an advantage of being applicable to any portion of the body. However, the major problem of reflectance oximetry is low pulsatile signal level which prevents prolonged clinical application during extreme situations, such as hypothermia and vasoconstriction. In order to improve the pulsatile signal level of reflectance pulse oximeter and thus its accuracy, three different sensors, with the separation distances (SPD) between light emitting diode (LED) and photodiode being 3, 5, and 7 mm respectively, were studied on nine healthy volunteers. With the increase of the SPD, it was found that both the red (660 nm) and near-infrared (830 nm) pulsatile to average signal ratio (AC/DC) increased, and the standard deviations of (AC/DC)red/(AC/DC)infrared ratio decreased, in spite of the decrease of the absolute signal level. Further clinical studies of 3 mm and 7 mm SPD sensors on seven patients also showed that the (AC/DC)red/(AC/DC)infrared ratio measured by the 7 mm sensor were less disturbed than the 3 mm sensor during the surgery. A theoretical study based on the three-dimensional photon diffusion theory supports the experimental and clinical results. As a conclusion, the 7 mm sensor has the highest signal-to- noise ratio among three different sensors. A new 7 mm SPD reflectance sensor, with the increased number of LEDs around the photodiode, was designed to increase the AC/DC ratio, as well as to increase the absolute signal level.

High resistivity CMOS pixel sensors and their application to the STAR PXL detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorokhov, A.; Bertolone, G.; Baudot, J.; Colledani, C.; Claus, G.; Degerli, Y.; de Masi, R.; Deveaux, M.; Dozière, G.; Dulinski, W.; Gélin, M.; Goffe, M.; Himmi, A.; Hu-Guo, Ch.; Jaaskelainen, K.; Koziel, M.; Morel, F.; Santos, C.; Specht, M.; Valin, I.; Voutsinas, G.; Winter, M.

2011-09-01

CMOS pixel sensors are foreseen to equip the vertex detector (called PXL) of the upgraded inner tracking system of the STAR experiment at RHIC. The sensors (called ULTIMATE) are being designed and their architecture is being optimized for the PXL specifications, extrapolating from the MIMOSA-26 sensor realized for the EUDET beam telescope.The paper gives an overview of the ULTIMATE sensor specifications and of the adaptation of its forerunner, MIMOSA-26, to the PXL specifications.One of the main changes between MIMOSA-26 and ULTIMATE is the use of a high resistivity epitaxial layer. Recent performance assessments obtained with MIMOSA-26 sensors manufactured on such an epitaxial layer are presented, as well as results of beam tests obtained with a prototype probing improved versions of the MIMOSA-26 pixel design. They show drastic improvements of the pixel signal-to-noise ratio and of the sensor radiation tolerance with respect to the performances achieved with a standard, i.e. low resistivity, layer.

Fabrication of fiber-optic localized surface plasmon resonance sensor and its application to detect antibody-antigen reaction of interferon-gamma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Hyeon-Ho; Erdene, Norov; Lee, Seung-Ki; Jeong, Dae-Hong; Park, Jae-Hyoung

2011-12-01

A fiber-optic localized surface plasmon (FO LSPR) sensor was fabricated by gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) immobilized on the end-face of an optical fiber. When Au NPs were formed on the end-face of an optical fiber by chemical reaction, Au NPs aggregation occurred and the Au NPs were immobilized in various forms such as monomers, dimers, trimers, etc. The component ratio of the Au NPs on the end-face of the fabricated FO LSPR sensor was slightly changed whenever the sensors were fabricated in the same condition. Including this phenomenon, the FO LSPR sensor was fabricated with high sensitivity by controlling the density of Au NPs. Also, the fabricated sensors were measured for the resonance intensity for the different optical systems and analyzed for the effect on sensitivity. Finally, for application as a biosensor, the sensor was used for detecting the antibody-antigen reaction of interferon-gamma.

Accuracy of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor using a coherent wound fibre image bundle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Jessica R.; Goodwin, Michael; Lawrence, Jon

2018-03-01

Shack-Hartmannwavefront sensors using wound fibre image bundles are desired for multi-object adaptive optical systems to provide large multiplex positioned by Starbugs. The use of a large-sized wound fibre image bundle provides the flexibility to use more sub-apertures wavefront sensor for ELTs. These compact wavefront sensors take advantage of large focal surfaces such as the Giant Magellan Telescope. The focus of this paper is to study the wound fibre image bundle structure defects effect on the centroid measurement accuracy of a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. We use the first moment centroid method to estimate the centroid of a focused Gaussian beam sampled by a simulated bundle. Spot estimation accuracy with wound fibre image bundle and its structure impact on wavefront measurement accuracy statistics are addressed. Our results show that when the measurement signal-to-noise ratio is high, the centroid measurement accuracy is dominated by the wound fibre image bundle structure, e.g. tile angle and gap spacing. For the measurement with low signal-to-noise ratio, its accuracy is influenced by the read noise of the detector instead of the wound fibre image bundle structure defects. We demonstrate this both with simulation and experimentally. We provide a statistical model of the centroid and wavefront error of a wound fibre image bundle found through experiment.

Self-Evaluation of PANDA-FBG Based Sensing System for Dynamic Distributed Strain and Temperature Measurement.

PubMed

Zhu, Mengshi; Murayama, Hideaki; Wada, Daichi

2017-10-12

A novel method is introduced in this work for effectively evaluating the performance of the PANDA type polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PANDA-FBG) distributed dynamic strain and temperature sensing system. Conventionally, the errors during the measurement are unknown or evaluated by using other sensors such as strain gauge and thermocouples. This will make the sensing system complicated and decrease the efficiency since more than one kind of sensor is applied for the same measurand. In this study, we used the approximately constant ratio of primary errors in strain and temperature measurement and realized the self-evaluation of the sensing system, which can significantly enhance the applicability, as well as the reliability in strategy making.

Sensor performance analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, H. E.; Ostrow, H.; Ressler, G. M.

1990-01-01

The theory is described and the equations required to design are developed and the performance of electro-optical sensor systems that operate from the visible through the thermal infrared spectral regions are analyzed. Methods to compute essential optical and detector parameters, signal-to-noise ratio, MTF, and figures of merit such as NE delta rho and NE delta T are developed. A set of atmospheric tables are provided to determine scene radiance in the visible spectral region. The Planck function is used to determine radiance in the infrared. The equations developed were incorporated in a spreadsheet so that a wide variety of sensor studies can be rapidly and efficiently conducted.

Multiplexed fiber optic temperature-sensing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Anbo; Wang, George Z.; Murphy, Kent A.; Miller, Mark S.; Claus, Richard O.

1993-03-01

A multiplexed temperature sensing system is constructed by cascading three temperature sensors along one multimode fiber such that each individual sensor responds to its local temperature disturbance. The sensing element of each sensor is a dielectric edge filter with a specific cutoff wavelength. White light serves as the light source. The performance of this sensor is based on the temperature dependence of the reflection or transmission spectrum of each filter. The reflected or transmitted light from the filter is then sent to two dielectric bandpass filters, which are selected for each particular edge filter and referred to as the sensing and reference filters, respectively. A photometer is placed behind each bandpass filter. The ratio of the sensing filter power to the reference filter power is a function of temperature. Since the cutoff wavelengths of these edge filters (sensors) along the fiber are well separated, the multiplexed signals are divided by different pairs of bandpass filters. In the corresponding experiments, three edge filters were cascaded and 100/104 micrometers graded index fibers were used. A resolution of each temperature sensor was determined to be +/- 0.2 degree(s)C over the temperature range of 30 degree(s)C to 100 degree(s)C.

Integrated control and health management. Orbit transfer rocket engine technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzmann, Wilfried A.; Hayden, Warren R.

1988-01-01

To insure controllability of the baseline design for a 7500 pound thrust, 10:1 throttleable, dual expanded cycle, Hydrogen-Oxygen, orbit transfer rocket engine, an Integrated Controls and Health Monitoring concept was developed. This included: (1) Dynamic engine simulations using a TUTSIM derived computer code; (2) analysis of various control methods; (3) Failure Modes Analysis to identify critical sensors; (4) Survey of applicable sensors technology; and, (5) Study of Health Monitoring philosophies. The engine design was found to be controllable over the full throttling range by using 13 valves, including an oxygen turbine bypass valve to control mixture ratio, and a hydrogen turbine bypass valve, used in conjunction with the oxygen bypass to control thrust. Classic feedback control methods are proposed along with specific requirements for valves, sensors, and the controller. Expanding on the control system, a Health Monitoring system is proposed including suggested computing methods and the following recommended sensors: (1) Fiber optic and silicon bearing deflectometers; (2) Capacitive shaft displacement sensors; and (3) Hot spot thermocouple arrays. Further work is needed to refine and verify the dynamic simulations and control algorithms, to advance sensor capabilities, and to develop the Health Monitoring computational methods.

Improvement of signal to noise ratio of time domain mutliplexing fiber Bragg grating sensor network with Golay complementary codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elgaud, M. M.; Zan, M. S. D.; Abushagur, A. G.; Bakar, A. Ashrif A.

2017-07-01

This paper reports the employment of autocorrelation properties of Golay complementary codes (GCC) to enhance the performance of the time domain multiplexing fiber Bragg grating (TDM-FBG) sensing network. By encoding the light from laser with a stream of non-return-to-zero (NRZ) form of GCC and launching it into the sensing area that consists of the FBG sensors, we have found that the FBG signals can be decoded correctly with the autocorrelation calculations, confirming the successful demonstration of coded TDM-FBG sensor network. OptiGrating and OptiSystem simulators were used to design customized FBG sensors and perform the coded TDM-FBG sensor simulations, respectively. Results have substantiated the theoretical dependence of SNR enhancement on the code length of GCC, where the maximum SNR improvement of about 9 dB is achievable with the use of 256 bits of GCC compared to that of 4 bits case. Furthermore, the GCC has also extended the strain exposure up to 30% higher compared to the maximum of the conventional single pulse case. The employment of GCC in the TDM-FBG sensor system provides overall performance enhancement over the conventional single pulse case, under the same conditions.

Room temperature infrared imaging sensors based on highly purified semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Wei, Nan; Zhao, Qingliang; Zhang, Dehui; Wang, Sheng; Peng, Lian-Mao

2015-04-21

High performance infrared (IR) imaging systems usually require expensive cooling systems, which are highly undesirable. Here we report the fabrication and performance characteristics of room temperature carbon nanotube (CNT) IR imaging sensors. The CNT IR imaging sensor is based on aligned semiconducting CNT films with 99% purity, and each pixel or device of the imaging sensor consists of aligned strips of CNT asymmetrically contacted by Sc and Pd. We found that the performance of the device is dependent on the CNT channel length. While short channel devices provide a large photocurrent and a rapid response of about 110 μs, long channel length devices exhibit a low dark current and a high signal-to-noise ratio which are critical for obtaining high detectivity. In total, 36 CNT IR imagers are constructed on a single chip, each consists of 3 × 3 pixel arrays. The demonstrated advantages of constructing a high performance IR system using purified semiconducting CNT aligned films include, among other things, fast response, excellent stability and uniformity, ideal linear photocurrent response, high imaging polarization sensitivity and low power consumption.

Combustion Sensors: Gas Turbine Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Human, Mel

2002-01-01

This report documents efforts to survey the current research directions in sensor technology for gas turbine systems. The work is driven by the current and future requirements on system performance and optimization. Accurate real time measurements of velocities, pressure, temperatures, and species concentrations will be required for objectives such as combustion instability attenuation, pollutant reduction, engine health management, exhaust profile control via active control, etc. Changing combustor conditions - engine aging, flow path slagging, or rapid maneuvering - will require adaptive responses; the effectiveness of such will be only as good as the dynamic information available for processing. All of these issues point toward the importance of continued sensor development. For adequate control of the combustion process, sensor data must include information about the above mentioned quantities along with equivalence ratios and radical concentrations, and also include both temporal and spatial velocity resolution. Ultimately these devices must transfer from the laboratory to field installations, and thus must become low weight and cost, reliable and maintainable. A primary conclusion from this study is that the optics-based sensor science will be the primary diagnostic in future gas turbine technologies.

EDITORIAL: Nanotechnology impact on sensors Nanotechnology impact on sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brugger, Jürgen

2009-10-01

A sensor is a device that responds to a stimulus by generating a functional output induced by a change in some intrinsic properties. We are surrounded by sensors and sensing networks that monitor a multitude of parameters in view of enhancing our safety and quality of life. Sensors assist us in health care and diagnostics, they monitor our environment, our aeroplanes and automobiles, our mobile phones, game consoles and watches, and last but not least, many of our human body functions. Modern sensing systems have greatly benefited in recent decades from advances in microelectronics and microengineering, mainly in view of making sensors smaller, cheaper, more sensitive, more selective, and with a better signal-to-noise ratio, following classical scaling rules. So how about nanotechnology-enabled sensing? Nanoscale features have a great impact on many (though not all) sensing systems, in particular where the surface-to-volume ratio plays a fundamental role, such as in certain chemical and gas sensors. The high surface-to-volume ratios of nanoporous and nanostructured materials have led to their implementation in sensing systems since sensing research first began to engage with the nanotechnology. The surface plasmon resonances of nanostructures have also enriched the scope for developing novel sensing devices. On the other hand, sensors where bulk properties dominate, such as inertial sensors, are less likely to benefit from extreme scaling. Advances in thin film techniques and chemical synthesis have allowed material properties to be tailored to sensing requirements for enhanced performance. These bottom-up fabrication techniques enable parallel fabrication of ordered nanostructures, often in domain-like areas with molecular precision. At the same time the progress in top-down methods such as scanning probe lithography, nanoimprint lithography, soft-lithography and stencil lithography have also facilitated research into sensing and actuating nanotechnology. Although radically different from each other, these techniques represent a formidable toolset for structuring materials at the nanoscale in a multitude of fashions. The availability of these new nanopatterning techniques are increasingly implemented in the manufacturing of advanced sensor systems, and we can expect in the next decade an increased emergence of micro- and nanosensor systems that implement novel nano-functionalities thanks to cost-effective fabrication. Moreover, some of these techniques are desktop tools that can be used on your kitchen table at home. Thus, over the past 20 years we have witnessed a democratization of nanotechnology. More and more researchers, engineers, and even schoolchildren, can benefit from and use these new methods and devise novel applications for nanosystems. This is certainly beneficial to expediting a further dramatic increase in knowledge and the development of actual devices and applications that put gains in our understanding of nanosystems into practice. Nanotechnology is a relatively young discipline compared to classical engineering, and it is inherently interdisciplinary. It seems that in many fields we are actually just beginning to venture into these new dimensions. Challenges remain, however, in all aspects of nanotechnology. We need to improve imaging performance by enabling faster (video rate) coverage of larger surfaces, eventually down to the molecular scale. We also need to perfect nanopatterning methods to improve resolution, overlay and throughput capabilities. Future nanomanufacturing will most likely rely on combinations of top-down engineering and bottom-up self-assembly. Last but not least, we need to find ways for the mutual integration of multiple length-scale devices (nano/micro/macro) so that we can program a 'nano-functionality' into a microsystem exactly where it is needed. Such improvements will ultimately lead to improved sensors and contribute not only to improvements in our quality of life but also to building energy-saving systems that can be fabricated with low-waste manufacturing methods.

Pithy Review on Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks and Least Routing Time Opportunistic Technique in WSN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salman Arafath, Mohammed; Rahman Khan, Khaleel Ur; Sunitha, K. V. N.

2018-01-01

Nowadays due to most of the telecommunication standard development organizations focusing on using device-to-device communication so that they can provide proximity-based services and add-on services on top of the available cellular infrastructure. An Oppnets and wireless sensor network play a prominent role here. Routing in these networks plays a significant role in fields such as traffic management, packet delivery etc. Routing is a prodigious research area with diverse unresolved issues. This paper firstly focuses on the importance of Opportunistic routing and its concept then focus is shifted to prime aspect i.e. on packet reception ratio which is one of the highest QoS Awareness parameters. This paper discusses the two important functions of routing in wireless sensor networks (WSN) namely route selection using least routing time algorithm (LRTA) and data forwarding using clustering technique. Finally, the simulation result reveals that LRTA performs relatively better than the existing system in terms of average packet reception ratio and connectivity.

Utilizing Near-IR Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy to Study Detonation and Combustion Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

debris, such as soot . Velocity curves for the other equivalence ratios studied in this experiment are shown in Appendix A. Some of these curves show a...James R. Gord. “Measurements of OH mole fraction and temperature up to 20 kHz by using a diode-laser based UV absorption sensor ”. Applied Optics, 44...Davidson, and R.K. Hanson. “CO concentration and temperature sensor for combustion gases using quantum-cascade laser absorption near 4.7µm”. Applied

Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Flames in Hypersonic Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

kg and 1 MPa at a stagnation condition. A settling chamber upstream of the C/D nozzle has a pressure sensor and an optical access window for...are recorded by a pressure sensor attached on the reservoir. Overall fuel equivalence ratio () in the combustor is estimated by the ratio of...freestream flow direction and 22.5° ramp (back step) angle. Five pressure sensors (Kulite) and five temperature sensors (MEDTHERM coaxial thermocouple

Fabrication of a highly sensitive penicillin sensor based on charge transfer techniques.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Ro; Rahman, M M; Sawada, Kazuaki; Ishida, Makoto

2009-03-15

A highly sensitive penicillin biosensor based on a charge-transfer technique (CTTPS) has been fabricated and demonstrated in this paper. CTTPS comprised a charge accumulation technique for penicilloic acid and H(+) ions perception system. With the proposed CTTPS, it is possible to amplify the sensing signals without external amplifier by using the charge accumulation cycles. The fabricated CTTPS exhibits excellent performance for penicillin detection and exhibit a high-sensitivity (47.852 mV/mM), high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), large span (1445 mV), wide linear range (0-25 mM), fast response time (<3s), and very good reproducibility. A very lower detection limit of about 0.01 mM was observed from the proposed sensor. Under optimum conditions, the proposed CTTPS outstripped the performance of the widely used ISFET penicillin sensor and exhibited almost eight times greater sensitivity as compared to ISFET (6.56 mV/mM). The sensor system is implemented for the measurement of the penicillin concentration in penicillin fermentation broth.

A Real-Time Health Monitoring System for Remote Cardiac Patients Using Smartphone and Wearable Sensors.

PubMed

Kakria, Priyanka; Tripathi, N K; Kitipawang, Peerapong

2015-01-01

Online telemedicine systems are useful due to the possibility of timely and efficient healthcare services. These systems are based on advanced wireless and wearable sensor technologies. The rapid growth in technology has remarkably enhanced the scope of remote health monitoring systems. In this paper, a real-time heart monitoring system is developed considering the cost, ease of application, accuracy, and data security. The system is conceptualized to provide an interface between the doctor and the patients for two-way communication. The main purpose of this study is to facilitate the remote cardiac patients in getting latest healthcare services which might not be possible otherwise due to low doctor-to-patient ratio. The developed monitoring system is then evaluated for 40 individuals (aged between 18 and 66 years) using wearable sensors while holding an Android device (i.e., smartphone under supervision of the experts). The performance analysis shows that the proposed system is reliable and helpful due to high speed. The analyses showed that the proposed system is convenient and reliable and ensures data security at low cost. In addition, the developed system is equipped to generate warning messages to the doctor and patient under critical circumstances.

A Real-Time Health Monitoring System for Remote Cardiac Patients Using Smartphone and Wearable Sensors

PubMed Central

Kakria, Priyanka; Tripathi, N. K.; Kitipawang, Peerapong

2015-01-01

Online telemedicine systems are useful due to the possibility of timely and efficient healthcare services. These systems are based on advanced wireless and wearable sensor technologies. The rapid growth in technology has remarkably enhanced the scope of remote health monitoring systems. In this paper, a real-time heart monitoring system is developed considering the cost, ease of application, accuracy, and data security. The system is conceptualized to provide an interface between the doctor and the patients for two-way communication. The main purpose of this study is to facilitate the remote cardiac patients in getting latest healthcare services which might not be possible otherwise due to low doctor-to-patient ratio. The developed monitoring system is then evaluated for 40 individuals (aged between 18 and 66 years) using wearable sensors while holding an Android device (i.e., smartphone under supervision of the experts). The performance analysis shows that the proposed system is reliable and helpful due to high speed. The analyses showed that the proposed system is convenient and reliable and ensures data security at low cost. In addition, the developed system is equipped to generate warning messages to the doctor and patient under critical circumstances. PMID:26788055

Comparison of wavefront sensor models for simulation of adaptive optics.

PubMed

Wu, Zhiwen; Enmark, Anita; Owner-Petersen, Mette; Andersen, Torben

2009-10-26

The new generation of extremely large telescopes will have adaptive optics. Due to the complexity and cost of such systems, it is important to simulate their performance before construction. Most systems planned will have Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. Different mathematical models are available for simulation of such wavefront sensors. The choice of wavefront sensor model strongly influences computation time and simulation accuracy. We have studied the influence of three wavefront sensor models on performance calculations for a generic, adaptive optics (AO) system designed for K-band operation of a 42 m telescope. The performance of this AO system has been investigated both for reduced wavelengths and for reduced r(0) in the K band. The telescope AO system was designed for K-band operation, that is both the subaperture size and the actuator pitch were matched to a fixed value of r(0) in the K-band. We find that under certain conditions, such as investigating limiting guide star magnitude for large Strehl-ratios, a full model based on Fraunhofer propagation to the subimages is significantly more accurate. It does however require long computation times. The shortcomings of simpler models based on either direct use of average wavefront tilt over the subapertures for actuator control, or use of the average tilt to move a precalculated point spread function in the subimages are most pronounced for studies of system limitations to operating parameter variations. In the long run, efficient parallelization techniques may be developed to overcome the problem.

Small CO2 Sensors Operate at Lower Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Xu, Jennifer C.

2009-01-01

Solid-electrolyte-based amperometric sensors for measuring concentrations of CO2 in air are being developed for use in detection of fires, environmental monitoring, and other applications where liquid-based electrochemical cells are problematic. These sensors are small (sizes of the order of a millimeter), are robust, are amenable to batch fabrication at relatively low cost, and exhibit short response times (seconds) and wide detection ranges. A sensor of this type at a previous stage of development included a solid electrolyte of Na3Zr2Si2PO12 deposited mainly between interdigitated Pt electrodes on an alumina substrate, all overcoated with an auxiliary solid electrolyte of (Na2CO3:BaCO3 in a molar ratio of 1:1.7). It was necessary to heat this device to a temperature as high as 600 C to obtain the desired sensitivity and rapid response. Heating sensors increases the power consumption of the sensor system and complicates the use of the sensor in some applications. Thus, decreasing a sensor s power consumption while maintaining its performance is a technical goal of ongoing development.

A novel capacitance sensor for fireside corrosion measurement.

PubMed

Ban, Heng; Li, Zuoping

2009-11-01

Fireside corrosion in coal-fired power plants is a leading mechanism for boiler tube failures. Online monitoring of fireside corrosion can provide timely data to plant operators for mitigation implementation. This paper presents a novel sensor concept for measuring metal loss based on electrical capacitance. Laboratory-scale experiments demonstrated the feasibility of design, fabrication, and operation of the sensor. The fabrication of the prototype sensor involved sputtering deposition of a thin metal coating with varying thickness on a ceramic substrate. Corrosion metal loss resulted in a proportional decrease in electrical capacitance of the sensor. Laboratory experiments using a muffle furnace with an oxidation environment demonstrated that low carbon steel coatings on ceramic substrate survived cyclic temperatures over 500 degrees C. Measured corrosion rates of sputtered coating in air had an Arrhenius exponential dependence on temperature, with metal thickness loss ranging from 2.0 nm/h at 200 degrees C to 2.0 microm/h at 400 degrees C. Uncertainty analysis indicated that the overall measurement uncertainty was within 4%. The experimental system showed high signal-to-noise ratio, and the sensor could measure submicrometer metal thickness changes. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sensor concept and measurement system are capable of short term, online monitoring of metal loss, indicating the potential for the sensor to be used for fireside corrosion monitoring and other metal loss measurement.

A novel capacitance sensor for fireside corrosion measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ban, Heng; Li, Zuoping

2009-11-01

Fireside corrosion in coal-fired power plants is a leading mechanism for boiler tube failures. Online monitoring of fireside corrosion can provide timely data to plant operators for mitigation implementation. This paper presents a novel sensor concept for measuring metal loss based on electrical capacitance. Laboratory-scale experiments demonstrated the feasibility of design, fabrication, and operation of the sensor. The fabrication of the prototype sensor involved sputtering deposition of a thin metal coating with varying thickness on a ceramic substrate. Corrosion metal loss resulted in a proportional decrease in electrical capacitance of the sensor. Laboratory experiments using a muffle furnace with an oxidation environment demonstrated that low carbon steel coatings on ceramic substrate survived cyclic temperatures over 500 °C. Measured corrosion rates of sputtered coating in air had an Arrhenius exponential dependence on temperature, with metal thickness loss ranging from 2.0 nm/h at 200 °C to 2.0 μm/h at 400 °C. Uncertainty analysis indicated that the overall measurement uncertainty was within 4%. The experimental system showed high signal-to-noise ratio, and the sensor could measure submicrometer metal thickness changes. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sensor concept and measurement system are capable of short term, online monitoring of metal loss, indicating the potential for the sensor to be used for fireside corrosion monitoring and other metal loss measurement.

Fiber ring laser sensor based on Fabry-Perot cavity interferometer for temperature sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Hui; Ma, Lei; Xiong, Hui; Zhang, Yunshan; Li, Yong Tao

2018-01-01

A ring laser temperature sensor based on a novel reflective fiber Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometer air cavity is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The reflective F-P air cavity, which consists of a segment of glass capillary inserted between two single-mode fibers, is utilized as a sensing element as well as as a filter in the fiber ring cavity. As temperature increases, the reflection spectra of the F-P sensor move towards the longer wavelength, and then cause lasing wavelength shifts. By monitoring the variation of lasing wavelength, we obtain a temperature sensor system with a high temperature sensitivity of 0.249 nm °C-1, a narrow 3 dB bandwidth of 0.1514 nm, and a high signal-to-noise ratio of 52 dB. Moreover, it is convenient to fabricate the sensor head, and the stability is very good, giving it a wide range of applications.

Calibration-free optical chemical sensors

DOEpatents

DeGrandpre, Michael D.

2006-04-11

An apparatus and method for taking absorbance-based chemical measurements are described. In a specific embodiment, an indicator-based pCO₂ (partial pressure of CO₂) sensor displays sensor-to-sensor reproducibility and measurement stability. These qualities are achieved by: 1) renewing the sensing solution, 2) allowing the sensing solution to reach equilibrium with the analyte, and 3) calculating the response from a ratio of the indicator solution absorbances which are determined relative to a blank solution. Careful solution preparation, wavelength calibration, and stray light rejection also contribute to this calibration-free system. Three pCO₂ sensors were calibrated and each had response curves which were essentially identical within the uncertainty of the calibration. Long-term laboratory and field studies showed the response had no drift over extended periods (months). The theoretical response, determined from thermodynamic characterization of the indicator solution, also predicted the observed calibration-free performance.

A Theoretical Study and Numerical Simulation of a Quasi-Distributed Sensor Based on the Low-Finesse Fabry-Perot Interferometer: Frequency-Division Multiplexing.

PubMed

Guillen Bonilla, José Trinidad; Guillen Bonilla, Alex; Rodríguez Betancourtt, Verónica M; Guillen Bonilla, Héctor; Casillas Zamora, Antonio

2017-04-14

The application of the sensor optical fibers in the areas of scientific instrumentation and industrial instrumentation is very attractive due to its numerous advantages. In the industry of civil engineering for example, quasi-distributed sensors made with optical fiber are used for reliable strain and temperature measurements. Here, a quasi-distributed sensor in the frequency domain is discussed. The sensor consists of a series of low-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometers where each Fabry-Perot interferometer acts as a local sensor. Fabry-Perot interferometers are formed by pairs of identical low reflective Bragg gratings imprinted in a single mode fiber. All interferometer sensors have different cavity length, provoking frequency-domain multiplexing. The optical signal represents the superposition of all interference patterns which can be decomposed using the Fourier transform. The frequency spectrum was analyzed and sensor's properties were defined. Following that, a quasi-distributed sensor was numerically simulated. Our sensor simulation considers sensor properties, signal processing, noise system, and instrumentation. The numerical results show the behavior of resolution vs. signal-to-noise ratio. From our results, the Fabry-Perot sensor has high resolution and low resolution. Both resolutions are conceivable because the Fourier Domain Phase Analysis (FDPA) algorithm elaborates two evaluations of Bragg wavelength shift.

Fault detection and diagnosis in a spacecraft attitude determination system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirmoradi, F. N.; Sassani, F.; de Silva, C. W.

2009-09-01

This paper presents a new scheme for fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in spacecraft attitude determination (AD) sensors. An integrated attitude determination system, which includes measurements of rate and angular position using rate gyros and vector sensors, is developed. Measurement data from all sensors are fused by a linearized Kalman filter, which is designed based on the system kinematics, to provide attitude estimation and the values of the gyro bias. Using this information the erroneous sensor measurements are corrected, and unbounded sensor measurement errors are avoided. The resulting bias-free data are used in the FDD scheme. The FDD algorithm uses model-based state estimation, combining the information from the rotational dynamics and kinematics of a spacecraft with the sensor measurements to predict the future sensor outputs. Fault isolation is performed through extended Kalman filters (EKFs). The innovation sequences of EKFs are monitored by several statistical tests to detect the presence of a failure and to localize the failures in all AD sensors. The isolation procedure is developed in two phases. In the first phase, two EKFs are designed, which use subsets of measurements to provide state estimates and form residuals, which are used to verify the source of the fault. In the second phase of isolation, testing of multiple hypotheses is performed. The generalized likelihood ratio test is utilized to identify the faulty components. In the scheme developed in this paper a relatively small number of hypotheses is used, which results in faster isolation and highly distinguishable fault signatures. An important feature of the developed FDD scheme is that it can provide attitude estimations even if only one type of sensors is functioning properly.

Improving the Response of a Wheel Speed Sensor by Using a RLS Lattice Algorithm

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Wilmar

2006-01-01

Among the complete family of sensors for automotive safety, consumer and industrial application, speed sensors stand out as one of the most important. Actually, speed sensors have the diversity to be used in a broad range of applications. In today's automotive industry, such sensors are used in the antilock braking system, the traction control system and the electronic stability program. Also, typical applications are cam and crank shaft position/speed and wheel and turbo shaft speed measurement. In addition, they are used to control a variety of functions, including fuel injection, ignition timing in engines, and so on. However, some types of speed sensors cannot respond to very low speeds for different reasons. What is more, the main reason why such sensors are not good at detecting very low speeds is that they are more susceptible to noise when the speed of the target is low. In short, they suffer from noise and generally only work at medium to high speeds. This is one of the drawbacks of the inductive (magnetic reluctance) speed sensors and is the case under study. Furthermore, there are other speed sensors like the differential Hall Effect sensors that are relatively immune to interference and noise, but they cannot detect static fields. This limits their operations to speeds which give a switching frequency greater than a minimum operating frequency. In short, this research is focused on improving the performance of a variable reluctance speed sensor placed in a car under performance tests by using a recursive least-squares (RLS) lattice algorithm. Such an algorithm is situated in an adaptive noise canceller and carries out an optimal estimation of the relevant signal coming from the sensor, which is buried in a broad-band noise background where we have little knowledge of the noise characteristics. The experimental results are satisfactory and show a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio at the system output.

Eye motion triggered self-powered mechnosensational communication system using triboelectric nanogenerator.

PubMed

Pu, Xianjie; Guo, Hengyu; Chen, Jie; Wang, Xue; Xi, Yi; Hu, Chenguo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-07-01

Mechnosensational human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can greatly extend communication channels between human and external devices in a natural way. The mechnosensational HMIs based on biopotential signals have been developing slowly owing to the low signal-to-noise ratio and poor stability. In eye motions, the corneal-retinal potential caused by hyperpolarization and depolarization is very weak. However, the mechanical micromotion of the skin around the corners of eyes has never been considered as a good trigger signal source. We report a novel triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based micromotion sensor enabled by the coupling of triboelectricity and electrostatic induction. By using an indium tin oxide electrode and two opposite tribomaterials, the proposed flexible and transparent sensor is capable of effectively capturing eye blink motion with a super-high signal level (~750 mV) compared with the traditional electrooculogram approach (~1 mV). The sensor is fixed on a pair of glasses and applied in two real-time mechnosensational HMIs-the smart home control system and the wireless hands-free typing system with advantages of super-high sensitivity, stability, easy operation, and low cost. This TENG-based micromotion sensor is distinct and unique in its fundamental mechanism, which provides a novel design concept for intelligent sensor technique and shows great potential application in mechnosensational HMIs.

Eye motion triggered self-powered mechnosensational communication system using triboelectric nanogenerator

PubMed Central

Pu, Xianjie; Guo, Hengyu; Chen, Jie; Wang, Xue; Xi, Yi; Hu, Chenguo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-01-01

Mechnosensational human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can greatly extend communication channels between human and external devices in a natural way. The mechnosensational HMIs based on biopotential signals have been developing slowly owing to the low signal-to-noise ratio and poor stability. In eye motions, the corneal-retinal potential caused by hyperpolarization and depolarization is very weak. However, the mechanical micromotion of the skin around the corners of eyes has never been considered as a good trigger signal source. We report a novel triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)–based micromotion sensor enabled by the coupling of triboelectricity and electrostatic induction. By using an indium tin oxide electrode and two opposite tribomaterials, the proposed flexible and transparent sensor is capable of effectively capturing eye blink motion with a super-high signal level (~750 mV) compared with the traditional electrooculogram approach (~1 mV). The sensor is fixed on a pair of glasses and applied in two real-time mechnosensational HMIs—the smart home control system and the wireless hands-free typing system with advantages of super-high sensitivity, stability, easy operation, and low cost. This TENG-based micromotion sensor is distinct and unique in its fundamental mechanism, which provides a novel design concept for intelligent sensor technique and shows great potential application in mechnosensational HMIs. PMID:28782029

A comparison of data sources for the surveillance of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome in Massachusetts.

PubMed

Davis, Letitia; Wellman, Helen; Hart, James; Cleary, Robert; Gardstein, Betsey M; Sciuchetti, Paul

2004-09-01

This study examined whether a state surveillance system for work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (WR-CTS) based on workers' compensation claims (Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks, SENSOR) and the Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) identified the same industries, occupations, sources of injury, and populations for intervention. Trends in counts, rates, and female/male ratios of WR-CTS during 1994-1997, and age distributions were compared across three data sources: SENSOR, Massachusetts SOII, and National SOII. SENSOR and National SOII data on WR-CTS were compared by industry, occupation, and injury source. Due to small sample size and subsequent gaps in available information, state SOII data on WR-CTS were of little use in identifying specific industries and occupations for intervention. SENSOR and National SOII data on the frequency of WR-CTS cases identified many similar occupations and industries, and both surveillance systems pointed to computer use as a risk factor for WR-CTS. Some high rate industries identified by SENSOR were not identified using National SOII rates even when national findings were restricted to take into account the distribution of the Massachusetts workforce. Use of national SOII data on rates of WR-CTS for identifying state industry priorities for WR-CTS prevention should be undertaken with caution. Options for improving state SOII data and use of other state data systems should be pursued.

High-sensitivity explosives detection using dual-excitation-wavelength resonance-Raman detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yellampalle, Balakishore; McCormick, William B.; Wu, Hai-Shan; Sluch, Mikhail; Martin, Robert; Ice, Robert V.; Lemoff, Brian

2014-05-01

A key challenge for standoff explosive sensors is to distinguish explosives, with high confidence, from a myriad of unknown background materials that may have interfering spectral peaks. To meet this challenge a sensor needs to exhibit high specificity and high sensitivity in detection at low signal-to-noise ratio levels. We had proposed a Dual-Excitation- Wavelength Resonance-Raman Detector (DEWRRED) to address this need. In our previous work, we discussed various components designed at WVHTCF for a DEWRRED sensor. In this work, we show a completely assembled laboratory prototype of a DEWRRED sensor and utilize it to detect explosives from two standoff distances. The sensor system includes two novel, compact CW deep-Ultraviolet (DUV) lasers, a compact dual-band high throughput DUV spectrometer, and a highly-sensitive detection algorithm. We choose DUV excitation because Raman intensities from explosive traces are enhanced and fluorescence and solar background are not present. The DEWRRED technique exploits the excitation wavelength dependence of Raman signal strength, arising from complex interplay of resonant enhancement, self-absorption and laser penetration depth. We show measurements from >10 explosives/pre-cursor materials at different standoff distances. The sensor showed high sensitivity in explosive detection even when the signalto- noise ratio was close to one (~1.6). We measured receiver-operating-characteristics, which show a clear benefit in using the dual-excitation-wavelength technique as compared to a single-excitation-wavelength technique. Our measurements also show improved specificity using the amplitude variation information in the dual-excitation spectra.

Performance of PHOTONIS' low light level CMOS imaging sensor for long range observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourree, Loig E.

2014-05-01

Identification of potential threats in low-light conditions through imaging is commonly achieved through closed-circuit television (CCTV) and surveillance cameras by combining the extended near infrared (NIR) response (800-10000nm wavelengths) of the imaging sensor with NIR LED or laser illuminators. Consequently, camera systems typically used for purposes of long-range observation often require high-power lasers in order to generate sufficient photons on targets to acquire detailed images at night. While these systems may adequately identify targets at long-range, the NIR illumination needed to achieve such functionality can easily be detected and therefore may not be suitable for covert applications. In order to reduce dependency on supplemental illumination in low-light conditions, the frame rate of the imaging sensors may be reduced to increase the photon integration time and thus improve the signal to noise ratio of the image. However, this may hinder the camera's ability to image moving objects with high fidelity. In order to address these particular drawbacks, PHOTONIS has developed a CMOS imaging sensor (CIS) with a pixel architecture and geometry designed specifically to overcome these issues in low-light level imaging. By combining this CIS with field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based image processing electronics, PHOTONIS has achieved low-read noise imaging with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio at quarter moon illumination, all at standard video frame rates. The performance of this CIS is discussed herein and compared to other commercially available CMOS and CCD for long-range observation applications.

System for monitoring an industrial process and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, K.C.; Hoyer, K.K.; Humenik, K.E.

1995-10-17

A method and system for monitoring an industrial process and a sensor are disclosed. The method and system include generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. One of the signals can be an artificial signal generated by an auto regressive moving average technique. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the two pairs of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test. 17 figs.

System for monitoring an industrial process and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, K.C.; Hoyer, K.K.; Humenik, K.E.

1997-05-13

A method and system are disclosed for monitoring an industrial process and a sensor. The method and system include generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. One of the signals can be an artificial signal generated by an auto regressive moving average technique. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the two pairs of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test. 17 figs.

System for monitoring an industrial process and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Hoyer, Kristin K.; Humenik, Keith E.

1995-01-01

A method and system for monitoring an industrial process and a sensor. The method and system include generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. One of the signals can be an artificial signal generated by an auto regressive moving average technique. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the two pairs of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test.

System for monitoring an industrial process and determining sensor status

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Hoyer, Kristin K.; Humenik, Keith E.

1997-01-01

A method and system for monitoring an industrial process and a sensor. The method and system include generating a first and second signal characteristic of an industrial process variable. One of the signals can be an artificial signal generated by an auto regressive moving average technique. After obtaining two signals associated with one physical variable, a difference function is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the two pairs of signals over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function. A residual function is obtained by subtracting the composite function from the difference function and the residual function (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test.

The Role of Energy Reservoirs in Distributed Computing: Manufacturing, Implementing, and Optimizing Energy Storage in Energy-Autonomous Sensor Nodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowell, Martin Andrew

The world already hosts more internet connected devices than people, and that ratio is only increasing. These devices seamlessly integrate with peoples lives to collect rich data and give immediate feedback about complex systems from business, health care, transportation, and security. As every aspect of global economies integrate distributed computing into their industrial systems and these systems benefit from rich datasets. Managing the power demands of these distributed computers will be paramount to ensure the continued operation of these networks, and is elegantly addressed by including local energy harvesting and storage on a per-node basis. By replacing non-rechargeable batteries with energy harvesting, wireless sensor nodes will increase their lifetimes by an order of magnitude. This work investigates the coupling of high power energy storage with energy harvesting technologies to power wireless sensor nodes; with sections covering device manufacturing, system integration, and mathematical modeling. First we consider the energy storage mechanism of supercapacitors and batteries, and identify favorable characteristics in both reservoir types. We then discuss experimental methods used to manufacture high power supercapacitors in our labs. We go on to detail the integration of our fabricated devices with collaborating labs to create functional sensor node demonstrations. With the practical knowledge gained through in-lab manufacturing and system integration, we build mathematical models to aid in device and system design. First, we model the mechanism of energy storage in porous graphene supercapacitors to aid in component architecture optimization. We then model the operation of entire sensor nodes for the purpose of optimally sizing the energy harvesting and energy reservoir components. In consideration of deploying these sensor nodes in real-world environments, we model the operation of our energy harvesting and power management systems subject to spatially and temporally varying energy availability in order to understand sensor node reliability. Looking to the future, we see an opportunity for further research to implement machine learning algorithms to control the energy resources of distributed computing networks.

New buoy observation system for tsunami and crustal deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Narumi; Ishihara, Yasuhisa; Ochi, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Tatsuya; Tahara, Jun'ichiro; Maeda, Yosaku; Kido, Motoyuki; Ohta, Yusaku; Mutoh, Katsuhiko; Hashimoto, Gosei; Kogure, Satoshi; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki

2014-09-01

We have developed a new system for real-time observation of tsunamis and crustal deformation using a seafloor pressure sensor, an array of seafloor transponders and a Precise Point Positioning (PPP ) system on a buoy. The seafloor pressure sensor and the PPP system detect tsunamis, and the pressure sensor and the transponder array measure crustal deformation. The system is designed to be capable of detecting tsunami and vertical crustal deformation of ±8 m with a resolution of less than 5 mm. A noteworthy innovation in our system is its resistance to disturbance by strong ocean currents. Seismogenic zones near Japan lie in areas of strong currents like the Kuroshio, which reaches speeds of approximately 5.5 kt (2.8 m/s) around the Nankai Trough. Our techniques include slack mooring and new acoustic transmission methods using double pulses for sending tsunami data. The slack ratio can be specified for the environment of the deployment location. We can adjust slack ratios, rope lengths, anchor weights and buoy sizes to control the ability of the buoy system to maintain freeboard. The measured pressure data is converted to time difference of a double pulse and this simple method is effective to save battery to transmit data. The time difference of the double pulse has error due to move of the buoy and fluctuation of the seawater environment. We set a wire-end station 1,000 m beneath the buoy to minimize the error. The crustal deformation data is measured by acoustic ranging between the buoy and six transponders on the seafloor. All pressure and crustal deformation data are sent to land station in real-time using iridium communication.

Alpha-ray detection with a MgB 2 transition edge sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okayasu, S.; Katagiri, M.; Hojou, K.; Morii, Y.; Miki, S.; Shimakage, H.; Wang, Z.; Ishida, T.

2008-09-01

We have been investigating for neutron detection with the MgB 2 transition edge sensor (TES). For the purpose, we have been developing a low noise measurement system for the detection. To confirm the performance of the detecting sensor, alpha ray detection from an americium-241 ( 241Am) alpha-ray source was achieved. A short microfabricated sample with 10 μm length and 1 μm width is used to improve the S/N ratio. The detection is achieved under a constant current condition in the range between 1 and 6 μA bias current, and the resistivity changes at the sample due to the alpha ray irradiation is detected just on the transition edge.

Discretization in time gives rise to noise-induced improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio in static nonlinearities.

PubMed

Davidović, A; Huntington, E H; Frater, M R

2009-07-01

For some nonlinear systems the performance can improve with an increasing noise level. Such noise-induced improvement in static nonlinearities is of great interest for practical applications since many systems can be modeled in that way (e.g., sensors, quantizers, limiters, etc.). We present experimental evidence that noise-induced performance improvement occurs in those systems as a consequence of discretization in time with the achievable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain increasing with decreasing ratio of input noise bandwidth and total measurement bandwidth. By modifying the input noise bandwidth, noise-induced improvement with SNR gain larger than unity is demonstrated in a system where it was not previously thought possible. Our experimental results bring closer two different theoretical models for the same class of nonlinearities and shed light on the behavior of static nonlinear discrete-time systems.

Improvement of immunoassay detection system by using alternating current magnetic susceptibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawabata, R.; Mizoguchi, T.; Kandori, A.

2016-03-01

A major goal with this research was to develop a low-cost and highly sensitive immunoassay detection system by using alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility. We fabricated an improved prototype of our previously developed immunoassay detection system and evaluated its performance. The prototype continuously moved sample containers by using a magnetically shielded brushless motor, which passes between two anisotropic magneto resistance (AMR) sensors. These sensors detected the magnetic signal in the direction where each sample container passed them. We used the differential signal obtained from each AMR sensor's output to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the magnetic signal measurement. Biotin-conjugated polymer beads with avidin-coated magnetic particles were prepared to examine the calibration curve, which represents the relation between AC magnetic susceptibility change and polymer-bead concentration. For the calibration curve measurement, we, respectively, measured the magnetic signal caused by the magnetic particles by using each AMR sensor installed near the upper or lower part in the lateral position of the passing sample containers. As a result, the SNR of the prototype was 4.5 times better than that of our previous system. Moreover, the data obtained from each AMR sensor installed near the upper part in the lateral position of the passing sample containers exhibited an accurate calibration curve that represented good correlation between AC magnetic susceptibility change and polymer-bead concentration. The conclusion drawn from these findings is that our improved immunoassay detection system will enable a low-cost and highly sensitive immunoassay.

Real-Time Telemetry System for Amperometric and Potentiometric Electrochemical Sensors

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Song; Huang, Hong-Yi; Chen, Shu-Chun; Ho, Kuo-Chuan; Lin, Chia-Yu; Chou, Tse-Chuan; Hu, Chih-Hsien; Wang, Wen-Fong; Wu, Cheng-Feng; Luo, Ching-Hsing

2011-01-01

A real-time telemetry system, which consists of readout circuits, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphical user interface (GUI), and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, is proposed for amperometric and potentiometric electrochemical sensors. By integrating the proposed system with the electrochemical sensors, analyte detection can be conveniently performed. The data is displayed in real-time on a GUI and optionally uploaded to a database via the Internet, allowing it to be accessed remotely. An MCU was implemented using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to filter noise, transmit data, and provide control over peripheral devices to reduce power consumption, which in sleep mode is 70 mW lower than in operating mode. The readout circuits, which were implemented in the TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process, include a potentiostat and an instrumentation amplifier (IA). The measurement results show that the proposed potentiostat has a detectable current range of 1 nA to 100 μA, and linearity with an R2 value of 0.99998 in each measured current range. The proposed IA has a common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) greater than 90 dB. The proposed system was integrated with a potentiometric pH sensor and an amperometric nitrite sensor for in vitro experiments. The proposed system has high linearity (an R2 value greater than 0.99 was obtained in each experiment), a small size of 5.6 cm × 8.7 cm, high portability, and high integration. PMID:22164093

Improvement of immunoassay detection system by using alternating current magnetic susceptibility.

PubMed

Kawabata, R; Mizoguchi, T; Kandori, A

2016-03-01

A major goal with this research was to develop a low-cost and highly sensitive immunoassay detection system by using alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility. We fabricated an improved prototype of our previously developed immunoassay detection system and evaluated its performance. The prototype continuously moved sample containers by using a magnetically shielded brushless motor, which passes between two anisotropic magneto resistance (AMR) sensors. These sensors detected the magnetic signal in the direction where each sample container passed them. We used the differential signal obtained from each AMR sensor's output to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the magnetic signal measurement. Biotin-conjugated polymer beads with avidin-coated magnetic particles were prepared to examine the calibration curve, which represents the relation between AC magnetic susceptibility change and polymer-bead concentration. For the calibration curve measurement, we, respectively, measured the magnetic signal caused by the magnetic particles by using each AMR sensor installed near the upper or lower part in the lateral position of the passing sample containers. As a result, the SNR of the prototype was 4.5 times better than that of our previous system. Moreover, the data obtained from each AMR sensor installed near the upper part in the lateral position of the passing sample containers exhibited an accurate calibration curve that represented good correlation between AC magnetic susceptibility change and polymer-bead concentration. The conclusion drawn from these findings is that our improved immunoassay detection system will enable a low-cost and highly sensitive immunoassay.

Real-time telemetry system for amperometric and potentiometric electrochemical sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Song; Huang, Hong-Yi; Chen, Shu-Chun; Ho, Kuo-Chuan; Lin, Chia-Yu; Chou, Tse-Chuan; Hu, Chih-Hsien; Wang, Wen-Fong; Wu, Cheng-Feng; Luo, Ching-Hsing

2011-01-01

A real-time telemetry system, which consists of readout circuits, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphical user interface (GUI), and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, is proposed for amperometric and potentiometric electrochemical sensors. By integrating the proposed system with the electrochemical sensors, analyte detection can be conveniently performed. The data is displayed in real-time on a GUI and optionally uploaded to a database via the Internet, allowing it to be accessed remotely. An MCU was implemented using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to filter noise, transmit data, and provide control over peripheral devices to reduce power consumption, which in sleep mode is 70 mW lower than in operating mode. The readout circuits, which were implemented in the TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process, include a potentiostat and an instrumentation amplifier (IA). The measurement results show that the proposed potentiostat has a detectable current range of 1 nA to 100 μA, and linearity with an R2 value of 0.99998 in each measured current range. The proposed IA has a common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) greater than 90 dB. The proposed system was integrated with a potentiometric pH sensor and an amperometric nitrite sensor for in vitro experiments. The proposed system has high linearity (an R2 value greater than 0.99 was obtained in each experiment), a small size of 5.6 cm × 8.7 cm, high portability, and high integration.

An AC modulated near infrared gain calibration system for a “Violin-Mode” transimpedance amplifier, intended for advanced LIGO suspensions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lockerbie, N. A.; Tokmakov, K. V.

The background to this work was a prototype shadow sensor, which was designed for retro-fitting to an advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) test-mass/mirror suspension, in which a 40 kg test-mass/mirror is suspended by four approximately 600 mm long by 0.4 mm diameter fused-silica suspension fibres. The shadow sensor comprised a LED source of Near InfraRed (NIR) radiation, and a “tall-thin” rectangular silicon photodiode detector, which together were to bracket the fibre under test. The photodiode was positioned so as to be sensitive (primarily) to transverse “Violin-Mode” vibrations of such a fibre, via the oscillatory movement of the shadowmore » cast by the fibre, as this moved across the face of the detector. In this prototype shadow sensing system the photodiode was interfaced to a purpose-built transimpedance amplifier, this having both AC and DC outputs. A quasi-static calibration was made of the sensor’s DC responsivity, i.e., incremental rate of change of output voltage versus fibre position, by slowly scanning a fused-silica fibre sample transversely through the illuminating beam. The work reported here concerns the determination of the sensor’s more important AC (Violin-Mode) responsivity. Recognition of the correspondence between direct AC modulation of the source, and actual Violin-Mode signals, and of the transformative role of the AC/DC gain ratio for the amplifier, at any modulation frequency, f, resulted in the construction of the AC/DC calibration source described here. A method for determining in practice the transimpedance AC/DC gain ratio of the photodiode and amplifier, using this source, is illustrated by a specific numerical example, and the gain ratio for the prototype sensing system is reported over the frequency range 1 Hz–300 kHz. In fact, a maximum DC responsivity of 1.26 kV.m{sup −1} was measured using the prototype photodiode sensor and amplifier discussed here. Therefore, the measured AC/DC transimpedance gain ratio of 922.5 for this sensor, at 500 Hz, translated into a maximum Violin-Mode (AC) responsivity of (1.16 ± 0.05) MV m{sup −1}, at that frequency.« less

Observations of Gas Emissions from Cascade Range Volcanoes (USA) using a Portable Real-Time Sensor Package and Evacuated Flasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, P. J.; Werner, C. A.; Evans, W.; Ingebritsen, S.; Tucker, D.

2012-12-01

Degassing from most Cascade Range Volcanoes, USA, is characterized by low-temperature hydrothermal emissions. It is important to monitor these emissions as part of a comprehensive monitoring strategy yet access is often difficult and most features are sampled by the USGS only once per year at best. In an effort to increase the sampling frequency of major gas species and in preparation for building permanent, autonomous units, we built a portable sensor package capable of measuring H2O, CO2, SO2, and H2S in volcanic gas plumes. Here we compare results from the portable sensor package with gas analyses from direct samples obtained using a titanium tube and evacuated glass flasks collected at the same time. The sensor package is housed in a small, rugged case, weighs 5 kg, and includes sensors for measuring H2O (0-16 parts per thousand), CO2 (0-5000 ppmv), SO2 (0-100 ppm), and H2S (0-20 ppm) gases. Additional temperature and pressure sensors, a micro air pump, datalogger, and an internal battery are also incorporated. H2O and CO2 are measured using an infrared spectrometer (Licor 840) and sulfur-containing gases are measured using electrochemical sensors equipped with filters to mitigate cross-sensitivities. Data are collected at a 1 Hz sampling rate and can be recorded and displayed in real-time using a netbook computer or can be saved to the onboard datalogger. The data display includes timeseries of H2O, CO2, SO2, and H2S mixing ratios, the four-component bulk composition of the plume, and automated calculation of gas ratios commonly used in volcanic gas monitoring, such as H2O/CO2, CO2/SO2, and CO2/H2S . In the Cascade Range, the sensor package has been tested at Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and in Lassen Volcanic National Park. In each case, the instrument was placed 5 to 30 meters from the fumarole or fumarole field and emissions were sampled for 5 to 30 minutes. No SO2 was detected at any location. At Mt. Hood the sensor package yielded average CO2/H2S ratios from 10 to 16 in fumarole plumes versus flask CO2/H2S ratios (n = 2) of 13 and 16 on 9 July 2011, and on 28 July 2012 the sensor package yielded an average CO2/H2S ratio of 12 versus flask ratios (n = 2) of 13 (both sets of flask samples obtained in the Crater Rock area). At Mt. Baker, the sensor package yielded average CO2/H2S ratios from 19 to 22 whereas flask ratios (n = 3) were higher, from 25 to 32 (both fumarole-plume and flask samples obtained in the Sherman Crater area) on 22 July 2011. The mismatch falls slightly outside expected analytical uncertainty for the sensor package (about 20% relative for CO2/H2S ratios). However, flask samples collected in Sherman Crater in 2006 and 2007 (n = 5) yielded CO2/H2S ratios from 18 to 29, which nearly spans the range of observations in 2011. Therefore, one explanation for the small mismatch between the results of the sensor package and direct samples is that the sensor package measures bulk plume compositions that may integrate emissions from several chemically distinct fumaroles and the direct samples better represent the composition of discrete vents. Overall, the sensor package and evacuated flask data show good agreement and demonstrate that the real-time technique is a viable means for monitoring major volcanic gas species.

A Theoretical Study and Numerical Simulation of a Quasi-Distributed Sensor Based on the Low-Finesse Fabry-Perot Interferometer: Frequency-Division Multiplexing

PubMed Central

Guillen Bonilla, José Trinidad; Guillen Bonilla, Alex; Rodríguez Betancourtt, Verónica M.; Guillen Bonilla, Héctor; Casillas Zamora, Antonio

2017-01-01

The application of the sensor optical fibers in the areas of scientific instrumentation and industrial instrumentation is very attractive due to its numerous advantages. In the industry of civil engineering for example, quasi-distributed sensors made with optical fiber are used for reliable strain and temperature measurements. Here, a quasi-distributed sensor in the frequency domain is discussed. The sensor consists of a series of low-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometers where each Fabry-Perot interferometer acts as a local sensor. Fabry-Perot interferometers are formed by pairs of identical low reflective Bragg gratings imprinted in a single mode fiber. All interferometer sensors have different cavity length, provoking frequency-domain multiplexing. The optical signal represents the superposition of all interference patterns which can be decomposed using the Fourier transform. The frequency spectrum was analyzed and sensor’s properties were defined. Following that, a quasi-distributed sensor was numerically simulated. Our sensor simulation considers sensor properties, signal processing, noise system, and instrumentation. The numerical results show the behavior of resolution vs. signal-to-noise ratio. From our results, the Fabry-Perot sensor has high resolution and low resolution. Both resolutions are conceivable because the Fourier Domain Phase Analysis (FDPA) algorithm elaborates two evaluations of Bragg wavelength shift. PMID:28420083

Flight testing of a fiber optic temperature sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finney, M. J.; Tregay, G. W.; Calabrese, P. R.

1993-01-01

A fiber optic temperature sensor (FOTS) system consisting of an optical probe, a flexible fiber optic cable, and an electro-optic signal processor was fabricated to measure the gas temperature in a turbine engine. The optical probe contained an emissive source embedded in a sapphire lightguide coupled to a fiber-optic jumper cable and was retrofitted into an existing thermocouple probe housing. The flexible fiber optic cable was constructed with 200 micron core, polyimide-coated fiber and was ruggedized for an aircraft environment. The electro-optic signal processing unit was used to ratio the intensities of two wavelength intervals and provided an analog output value of the indicated temperature. Subsequently, this optical sensor system was installed on a NASA Dryden F-15 Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control (HIDEC) Aircraft Engine and several flight tests were conducted. Over the course of flight testing, the FOTS system's response was proportional to the average of the existing thermocouples sensing the changes in turbine engine thermal conditions.

Distributed multifunctional sensor network for composite structural state sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Xinlin P.; Wang, Yishou; Gao, Limin; Kumar, Amrita

2012-04-01

Advanced fiber reinforced composite materials are becoming the main structural materials of next generation of aircraft because of their high strength and stiffness to weight ratios, and strong designability. In order to take full advantages of composite materials, there is a need to develop an embeddable multifunctional sensing system to allow a structure to "feel" and "think" its structural state. In this paper, the concept of multifunctional sensor network integrated with a structure, similar to the human nervous system, has been developed. Different types of network sensors are permanently integrated within a composite structure to sense structural strain, temperature, moisture, aerodynamic pressure; monitor external impact on the structure; and detect structural damages. Utilizing this revolutionary concept, future composite structures can be designed and manufactured to provide multiple modes of information, so that the structures have the capabilities for intelligent sensing, environmental adaptation and multi-functionality. The challenges for building such a structural state sensing system and some solutions to address the challenges are also discussed in the paper.

A flexible UV nanosensor based on reduced graphene oxide decorated ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenxing; Zhan, Xueying; Wang, Yajun; Muhammad, Safdar; Huang, Ying; He, Jun

2012-03-01

A low-cost, compatible with flexible electronics, high performance UV sensor has been achieved from a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) decorated hydrangea-like ZnO film on a PDMS substrate. The hydrangea-like ZnO UV sensor has the best UV sensing performance among devices made of three kinds of ZnO nanostructures synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and demonstrated a dramatic enhancement in on/off ratio and photoresponse current by introducing an appropriate weight ratio of RGO. The on/off ratio of the 0.05% RGO/ZnO sensor increases almost one order of magnitude compared to that of a pristine hydrangea-like ZnO UV sensor. While for the 5% RGO decorated ZnO sensor, the photoresponse current reaches as high as ~1 μA and exceeds 700 times that of a ZnO UV sensor. These results indicate that RGO is an appropriate material to enhance the performance of ZnO nanostructure UV sensors based on its unique features, especially the high optical transparency and excellent electronic conductivity. Our findings will make RGO/ZnO nanohybrids extraordinarily promising in optoelectronics, flexible electronics and sensor applications.

A flexible UV nanosensor based on reduced graphene oxide decorated ZnO nanostructures.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenxing; Zhan, Xueying; Wang, Yajun; Muhammad, Safdar; Huang, Ying; He, Jun

2012-04-21

A low-cost, compatible with flexible electronics, high performance UV sensor has been achieved from a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) decorated hydrangea-like ZnO film on a PDMS substrate. The hydrangea-like ZnO UV sensor has the best UV sensing performance among devices made of three kinds of ZnO nanostructures synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and demonstrated a dramatic enhancement in on/off ratio and photoresponse current by introducing an appropriate weight ratio of RGO. The on/off ratio of the 0.05% RGO/ZnO sensor increases almost one order of magnitude compared to that of a pristine hydrangea-like ZnO UV sensor. While for the 5% RGO decorated ZnO sensor, the photoresponse current reaches as high as ∼1 μA and exceeds 700 times that of a ZnO UV sensor. These results indicate that RGO is an appropriate material to enhance the performance of ZnO nanostructure UV sensors based on its unique features, especially the high optical transparency and excellent electronic conductivity. Our findings will make RGO/ZnO nanohybrids extraordinarily promising in optoelectronics, flexible electronics and sensor applications.

LUMOS--A Sensitive and Reliable Optode System for Measuring Dissolved Oxygen in the Nanomolar Range.

PubMed

Lehner, Philipp; Larndorfer, Christoph; Garcia-Robledo, Emilio; Larsen, Morten; Borisov, Sergey M; Revsbech, Niels-Peter; Glud, Ronnie N; Canfield, Donald E; Klimant, Ingo

2015-01-01

Most commercially available optical oxygen sensors target the measuring range of 300 to 2 μmol L-1. However these are not suitable for investigating the nanomolar range which is relevant for many important environmental situations. We therefore developed a miniaturized phase fluorimeter based measurement system called the LUMOS (Luminescence Measuring Oxygen Sensor). It consists of a readout device and specialized "sensing chemistry" that relies on commercially available components. The sensor material is based on palladium(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorphenyl)-porphyrin embedded in a Hyflon AD 60 polymer matrix and has a KSV of 6.25 x 10-3 ppmv-1. The applicable measurement range is from 1000 nM down to a detection limit of 0.5 nM. A second sensor material based on the platinum(II) analogue of the porphyrin is spectrally compatible with the readout device and has a measurement range of 20 μM down to 10 nM. The LUMOS device is a dedicated system optimized for a high signal to noise ratio, but in principle any phase flourimeter can be adapted to act as a readout device for the highly sensitive and robust sensing chemistry. Vise versa, the LUMOS fluorimeter can be used for read out of less sensitive optical oxygen sensors based on the same or similar indicator dyes, for example for monitoring oxygen at physiological conditions. The presented sensor system exhibits lower noise, higher resolution and higher sensitivity than the electrochemical STOX sensor previously used to measure nanomolar oxygen concentrations. Oxygen contamination in common sample containers has been investigated and microbial or enzymatic oxygen consumption at nanomolar concentrations is presented.

LUMOS - A Sensitive and Reliable Optode System for Measuring Dissolved Oxygen in the Nanomolar Range

PubMed Central

Lehner, Philipp; Larndorfer, Christoph; Garcia-Robledo, Emilio; Larsen, Morten; Borisov, Sergey M.; Revsbech, Niels-Peter; Glud, Ronnie N.; Canfield, Donald E.; Klimant, Ingo

2015-01-01

Most commercially available optical oxygen sensors target the measuring range of 300 to 2 μmol L-1. However these are not suitable for investigating the nanomolar range which is relevant for many important environmental situations. We therefore developed a miniaturized phase fluorimeter based measurement system called the LUMOS (Luminescence Measuring Oxygen Sensor). It consists of a readout device and specialized “sensing chemistry” that relies on commercially available components. The sensor material is based on palladium(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorphenyl)-porphyrin embedded in a Hyflon AD 60 polymer matrix and has a KSV of 6.25 x 10-3 ppmv-1. The applicable measurement range is from 1000 nM down to a detection limit of 0.5 nM. A second sensor material based on the platinum(II) analogue of the porphyrin is spectrally compatible with the readout device and has a measurement range of 20 μM down to 10 nM. The LUMOS device is a dedicated system optimized for a high signal to noise ratio, but in principle any phase flourimeter can be adapted to act as a readout device for the highly sensitive and robust sensing chemistry. Vise versa, the LUMOS fluorimeter can be used for read out of less sensitive optical oxygen sensors based on the same or similar indicator dyes, for example for monitoring oxygen at physiological conditions. The presented sensor system exhibits lower noise, higher resolution and higher sensitivity than the electrochemical STOX sensor previously used to measure nanomolar oxygen concentrations. Oxygen contamination in common sample containers has been investigated and microbial or enzymatic oxygen consumption at nanomolar concentrations is presented. PMID:26029920

Hyperspectral and multispectral satellite sensors for mapping chlorophyll content in a Mediterranean Pinus sylvestris L. plantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael Mª; Trujillo, Jesus; de la Orden, Manuel Sánchez; Hernández-Clemente, Rocío

2014-02-01

A new generation of narrow-band hyperspectral remote sensing data offers an alternative to broad-band multispectral data for the estimation of vegetation chlorophyll content. This paper examines the potential of some of these sensors comparing red-edge and simple ratio indices to develop a rapid and cost-effective system for monitoring Mediterranean pine plantations in Spain. Chlorophyll content retrieval was analyzed with the red-edge R750/R710 index and the simple ratio R800/R560 index using the PROSPECT-5 leaf model and the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) and experimental approach. Five sensors were used: AHS, CHRIS/Proba, Hyperion, Landsat and QuickBird. The model simulation results obtained with synthetic spectra demonstrated the feasibility of estimating Ca + b content in conifers using the simple ratio R800/R560 index formulated with different full widths at half maximum (FWHM) at the leaf level. This index yielded a r2 = 0.69 for a FWHM of 30 nm and r2 = 0.55 for a FWHM of 70 nm. Experimental results compared the regression coefficients obtained with various multispectral and hyperspectral images with different spatial resolutions at the stand level. The strongest relationships where obtained using high-resolution hyperspectral images acquired with the AHS sensor (r2 = 0.65) while coarser spatial and spectral resolution images yielded a lower root mean square error (QuickBird r2 = 0.42; Landsat r2 = 0.48; Hyperion r2 = 0.56; CHRIS/Proba r2 = 0.57). This study shows the need to estimate chlorophyll content in forest plantations at the stand level with high spatial and spectral resolution sensors. Nevertheless, these results also show the accuracy obtained with medium-resolution sensors when monitoring physiological processes. Generating biochemical maps at the stand level could play a critical rule in the early detection of forest decline processes enabling their use in precision forestry.

Multispectral Resource Sampler - An experimental satellite sensor for the mid-1980s

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnetzler, C. C.; Thompson, L. L.

1979-01-01

An experimental pushbroom scan sensor, the Multispectral Resource Sampler (MRS), being developed by NASA for a future earth orbiting flight is presented. This sensor will provide new earth survey capabilities beyond those of current sensor systems, with a ground resolution of 15 m over a swath width of 15 km in four bands. The four arrays are aligned on a common focal surface requiring no beamsplitters, thus causing a spatial separation on the ground which requires computer processing to register the bands. Along track pointing permits stereo coverage at variable base/height ratios and atmospheric correction experiments, while across track pointing will provide repeat coverage, from a Landsat-type orbit, of every 1 to 3 days. The MRS can be used for experiments in crop discrimination and status, rock discrimination, land use classification, and forestry.

Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications

DOE PAGES

Márquez, Francisco; Morant, Carmen

2015-01-15

A large part of the advances in nanotechnology have been directed towards the development of highspeed electronics, more efficient catalysts, and sensors. This latter group of applications has great relevance and unprecedented development potential for the coming years. Some of the main objectives for the development of sensors have focused on making more sensitive, effective and specific sensing devices. The improvement of these systems and the increase of specificity are clearly associated with a decrease in size of the components, which can lead to obtaining more rapid action, almost in real time. Nanomaterials currently used in sensor development include amore » long list of nanostructured systems, as for example: Metal nanotubes, nanowires, nanofibers, nanocomposites, nanorods, nanoparticles, nanostructured polymers, and different allotropes of carbon as carbon nanotubes, graphene or fullerenes, among others [1]. These nanomaterials are characterized by having unique physicochemical properties, including high electrical and thermal conductivity, extremely high surface area/volume ratio, high mechanical strength and even excellent catalytic properties [1] [2]. These materials, may exhibit relevant physicochemical behavior, such as quantization or electronic confinement effects, which can be used in the development of all kinds of sensors [2]. So far, sensors have been developed for determination and quantification of gases, radiation, biomolecules, microorganisms, etc. [2] [3]. The sensors developed so far usually use the system lock and key, wherein the selective receptor (lock) is selectively anchored to the analyte of interest (or key). This system has great limitations when analyzing the analyte in the presence of other analytes, which can alter the sensitivity or specificity of the measure, as occurs in sensors used in biomedical applications [3] [4]. One possible solution is based on the development of sensor arrays, consisting of a combination of different and specific sensors, which may enable simultaneous measurements of one or more analytes in a less favorable environment [5] in these cases. These sensors are now a reality, although there is still a long way to go before the levels of precision and accuracy are reached. Future challenges for the development and commercialization of efficient sensors are mainly focused on improving the specificity, reproducibility, and the ability to detect trace levels. We hope that in the coming years nanotechnology and nanomaterials allow reaching previously unimaginable advances in the development of these systems.« less

SCExAO: First Results and On-Sky Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier; Martinache, Frantz; Clergeon, Christophe; McElwain, Michael; Thalmann, Christian; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Singh, Garima; Kudo, Tomoyuki

2014-01-01

We present new on-sky results for the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics imager (SCExAO) verifying and quantifying the contrast gain enabled by key components: the closed-loop coronagraphic low-order wavefront sensor (CLOWFS) and focal plane wavefront control (``speckle nulling''). SCExAO will soon be coupled with a high-order, Pyramid wavefront sensor which will yield > 90% Strehl ratio and enable 106-107 contrast at small angular separations allowing us to image gas giant planets at solar system scales. Upcoming instruments like VAMPIRES, FIRST, and CHARIS will expand SCExAO's science capabilities.

Target detection using microwave irradiances from natural sources: A passive, local and global surveillance system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stacey, J. M.

1984-01-01

Detection of metal objects on or near the Earth's surface was investigated using existing, passive, microwave sensors operating from Earth orbit. The range equations are derived from basic microwave principles and theories and the expressions are given explicitly to estimate the signal to noise ratio for detecting metal targets operating as bistatic scatterers. Actual measurements are made on a range of metal objects observed from orbit using existing passive microwave receiving systems. The details of the measurements and the results are tabulated and discussed. The advantages of a passive microwave sensor as it is applied to surveillance of metal objects as viewed from aerial platforms or from orbit, are examined.

A Sensor-Based Method for Diagnostics of Machine Tool Linear Axes.

PubMed

Vogl, Gregory W; Weiss, Brian A; Donmez, M Alkan

2015-01-01

A linear axis is a vital subsystem of machine tools, which are vital systems within many manufacturing operations. When installed and operating within a manufacturing facility, a machine tool needs to stay in good condition for parts production. All machine tools degrade during operations, yet knowledge of that degradation is illusive; specifically, accurately detecting degradation of linear axes is a manual and time-consuming process. Thus, manufacturers need automated and efficient methods to diagnose the condition of their machine tool linear axes without disruptions to production. The Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems (PHM4SMS) project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a sensor-based method to quickly estimate the performance degradation of linear axes. The multi-sensor-based method uses data collected from a 'sensor box' to identify changes in linear and angular errors due to axis degradation; the sensor box contains inclinometers, accelerometers, and rate gyroscopes to capture this data. The sensors are expected to be cost effective with respect to savings in production losses and scrapped parts for a machine tool. Numerical simulations, based on sensor bandwidth and noise specifications, show that changes in straightness and angular errors could be known with acceptable test uncertainty ratios. If a sensor box resides on a machine tool and data is collected periodically, then the degradation of the linear axes can be determined and used for diagnostics and prognostics to help optimize maintenance, production schedules, and ultimately part quality.

A curved edge diffraction-utilized displacement sensor for spindle metrology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, ChaBum, E-mail: clee@tntech.edu; Zhao, Rui; Jeon, Seongkyul

This paper presents a new dimensional metrological sensing principle for a curved surface based on curved edge diffraction. Spindle error measurement technology utilizes a cylindrical or spherical target artifact attached to the spindle with non-contact sensors, typically a capacitive sensor (CS) or an eddy current sensor, pointed at the artifact. However, these sensors are designed for flat surface measurement. Therefore, measuring a target with a curved surface causes error. This is due to electric fields behaving differently between a flat and curved surface than between two flat surfaces. In this study, a laser is positioned incident to the cylindrical surfacemore » of the spindle, and a photodetector collects the total field produced by the diffraction around the target surface. The proposed sensor was compared with a CS within a range of 500 μm. The discrepancy between the proposed sensor and CS was 0.017% of the full range. Its sensing performance showed a resolution of 14 nm and a drift of less than 10 nm for 7 min of operation. This sensor was also used to measure dynamic characteristics of the spindle system (natural frequency 181.8 Hz, damping ratio 0.042) and spindle runout (22.0 μm at 2000 rpm). The combined standard uncertainty was estimated as 85.9 nm under current experiment conditions. It is anticipated that this measurement technique allows for in situ health monitoring of a precision spindle system in an accurate, convenient, and low cost manner.« less

A Sensor-Based Method for Diagnostics of Machine Tool Linear Axes

PubMed Central

Vogl, Gregory W.; Weiss, Brian A.; Donmez, M. Alkan

2017-01-01

A linear axis is a vital subsystem of machine tools, which are vital systems within many manufacturing operations. When installed and operating within a manufacturing facility, a machine tool needs to stay in good condition for parts production. All machine tools degrade during operations, yet knowledge of that degradation is illusive; specifically, accurately detecting degradation of linear axes is a manual and time-consuming process. Thus, manufacturers need automated and efficient methods to diagnose the condition of their machine tool linear axes without disruptions to production. The Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems (PHM4SMS) project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a sensor-based method to quickly estimate the performance degradation of linear axes. The multi-sensor-based method uses data collected from a ‘sensor box’ to identify changes in linear and angular errors due to axis degradation; the sensor box contains inclinometers, accelerometers, and rate gyroscopes to capture this data. The sensors are expected to be cost effective with respect to savings in production losses and scrapped parts for a machine tool. Numerical simulations, based on sensor bandwidth and noise specifications, show that changes in straightness and angular errors could be known with acceptable test uncertainty ratios. If a sensor box resides on a machine tool and data is collected periodically, then the degradation of the linear axes can be determined and used for diagnostics and prognostics to help optimize maintenance, production schedules, and ultimately part quality. PMID:28691039

Fiber-Optic Sensor And Smart Structures Research At Florida Institute Of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossman, Barry G.; Alavie, A. Tino; Ham, Fredric M.; Franke, Jorge E.; Thursby, Michael H.

1990-02-01

This paper discusses the fundamental issues being investigated by Florida Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) to implement the technology of smart structural systems for DoD, NASA, and commercial applications. Embedded sensors and actuators controlled by processors can provide a modification of the mechanical characteristics of composite structures to produce smart structures1-3. Recent advances in material science have spurred the development and use of composite materials in a wide range of applications from rotocraft blades and advanced tactical fighter aircraft to undersea and aerospace structures. Along with the advantages of an increased strength-to-weight ratio, the use of these materials has raised a number of questions related to understanding their failure mechanisms. Also, being able to predict structural failures far enough in advance to prevent them and to provide real-time structural health and damage monitoring has become a realistic possibility. Unfortunately, conventional sensors, actuators, and digital processors, although highly developed and well proven for other systems, may not be best suited for most smart structure applications. Our research has concentrated on few-mode and polarimetric single-fiber strain sensors4-7 and optically activated shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators controlled by artificial neural processors. We have constructed and characterized both few-mode and polarimetric sensors for a variety of fiber types, including standard single-mode, high-birefringence polarization preserving, and low-birefringence polarization insensitive fibers. We have investigated signal processing techniques for these sensors and have demonstrated active phase tracking for the high- and low-birefringence polarimetric sensors through the incorporation into the system of an electrooptic modulator designed and fabricated at F.I.T.. We have also started the design and testing of neural network architectures for processing the sensor signal outputs to calculate strain magnitude and actuator control signals for simple structures.

Motion Artifact Quantification and Sensor Fusion for Unobtrusive Health Monitoring.

PubMed

Hoog Antink, Christoph; Schulz, Florian; Leonhardt, Steffen; Walter, Marian

2017-12-25

Sensors integrated into objects of everyday life potentially allow unobtrusive health monitoring at home. However, since the coupling of sensors and subject is not as well-defined as compared to a clinical setting, the signal quality is much more variable and can be disturbed significantly by motion artifacts. One way of tackling this challenge is the combined evaluation of multiple channels via sensor fusion. For robust and accurate sensor fusion, analyzing the influence of motion on different modalities is crucial. In this work, a multimodal sensor setup integrated into an armchair is presented that combines capacitively coupled electrocardiography, reflective photoplethysmography, two high-frequency impedance sensors and two types of ballistocardiography sensors. To quantify motion artifacts, a motion protocol performed by healthy volunteers is recorded with a motion capture system, and reference sensors perform cardiorespiratory monitoring. The shape-based signal-to-noise ratio SNR S is introduced and used to quantify the effect on motion on different sensing modalities. Based on this analysis, an optimal combination of sensors and fusion methodology is developed and evaluated. Using the proposed approach, beat-to-beat heart-rate is estimated with a coverage of 99.5% and a mean absolute error of 7.9 ms on 425 min of data from seven volunteers in a proof-of-concept measurement scenario.

A novel fiber-optic measurement system for the evaluation of performances of neonatal pulmonary ventilators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battista, L.; Scorza, A.; Botta, F.; Sciuto, S. A.

2016-02-01

Published standards for the performance evaluation of pulmonary ventilators are mainly directed to manufacturers rather than to end-users and often considered inadequate or not comprehensive. In order to contribute to overcome the problems above, a novel measurement system was proposed and tested with waveforms of mechanical ventilation by means of experimental trials carried out with infant ventilators typically used in neonatal intensive care units: the main quantities of mechanical ventilation in newborns are monitored, i.e. air flow rate, differential pressure and volume from infant ventilator are measured by means of two novel fiber-optic sensors (OFSs) developed and characterized by the authors, while temperature and relative humidity of air mass are obtained by two commercial transducers. The proposed fiber-optic sensors (flow sensor Q-OFS, pressure sensor P-OFS) showed measurement ranges of air flow and pressure typically encountered in neonatal mechanical ventilation, i.e. the air flow rate Q ranged from 3 l min-1 to 18 l min-1 (inspiratory) and from  -3 l min-1 to  -18 l min-1 (expiratory), the differential pressure ΔP ranged from  -15 cmH2O to 15 cmH2O. In each experimental trial carried out with different settings of the ventilator, outputs of the OFSs are compared with data from two reference sensors (reference flow sensor RF, reference pressure sensor RP) and results are found consistent: flow rate Q showed a maximum error between Q-OFS and RF up to 13 percent, with an output ratio Q RF/Q OFS of not more than 1.06  ±  0.09 (least square estimation, 95 percent confidence level, R 2 between 0.9822 and 0.9931). On the other hand the maximum error between P-OFS and RP on differential pressure ΔP was lower than 10 percent, with an output ratio ΔP RP/ΔP OFS between 0.977  ±  0.022 and 1.0  ±  0.8 (least square estimation, 95 percent confidence level, R 2 between 0.9864 and 0.9876). Despite the possible improvements, results were encouraging and suggested the proposed measurement system can be considered suitable for performances evaluation of neonatal ventilators and useful for both end-users and manufacturers.

Semiconductor acceleration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueyanagi, Katsumichi; Kobayashi, Mitsuo; Goto, Tomoaki

1996-09-01

This paper reports a practical semiconductor acceleration sensor especially suited for automotive air bag systems. The acceleration sensor includes four beams arranged in a swastika structure. Two piezoresistors are formed on each beam. These eight piezoresistors constitute a Wheatstone bridge. The swastika structure of the sensing elements, an upper glass plate and a lower glass plate exhibit the squeeze film effect which enhances air dumping, by which the constituent silicon is prevented from breakdown. The present acceleration sensor has the following features. The acceleration force component perpendicular to the sensing direction can be cancelled. The cross-axis sensitivity is less than 3 percent. And, the erroneous offset caused by the differences between the thermal expansion coefficients of the constituent materials can be canceled. The high aspect ratio configuration realized by plasma etching facilitates reducing the dimensions and improving the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor. The present acceleration sensor is 3.9 mm by 3.9 mm in area and 1.2 mm in thickness. The present acceleration sensor can measure from -50 to +50 G with sensitivity of 0.275 mV/G and with non-linearity of less than 1 percent. The acceleration sensor withstands shock of 3000 G.

Exhaust emission control and diagnostics

DOEpatents

Mazur, Christopher John; Upadhyay, Devesh

2006-11-14

A diesel engine emission control system uses an upstream oxidation catalyst and a downstream SCR catalyst to reduce NOx in a lean exhaust gas environment. The engine and upstream oxidation catalyst are configured to provide approximately a 1:1 ratio of NO to NO2 entering the downstream catalyst. In this way, the downstream catalyst is insensitive to sulfur contamination, and also has improved overall catalyst NOx conversion efficiency. Degradation of the system is determined when the ratio provided is no longer near the desired 1:1 ratio. This condition is detected using measurements of engine operating conditions such as from a NOx sensor located downstream of the catalysts. Finally, control action to adjust an injected amount of reductant in the exhaust gas based on the actual NO to NO2 ratio upstream of the SCR catalyst and downstream of the oxidation catalyst.

A Mobile Anchor Assisted Localization Algorithm Based on Regular Hexagon in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Joel J. P. C.

2014-01-01

Localization is one of the key technologies in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), since it provides fundamental support for many location-aware protocols and applications. Constraints of cost and power consumption make it infeasible to equip each sensor node in the network with a global position system (GPS) unit, especially for large-scale WSNs. A promising method to localize unknown nodes is to use several mobile anchors which are equipped with GPS units moving among unknown nodes and periodically broadcasting their current locations to help nearby unknown nodes with localization. This paper proposes a mobile anchor assisted localization algorithm based on regular hexagon (MAALRH) in two-dimensional WSNs, which can cover the whole monitoring area with a boundary compensation method. Unknown nodes calculate their positions by using trilateration. We compare the MAALRH with HILBERT, CIRCLES, and S-CURVES algorithms in terms of localization ratio, localization accuracy, and path length. Simulations show that the MAALRH can achieve high localization ratio and localization accuracy when the communication range is not smaller than the trajectory resolution. PMID:25133212

CMOS Imaging Sensor Technology for Aerial Mapping Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Klaus; Welzenbach, Martin; Timm, Martin

2016-06-01

In June 2015 Leica Geosystems launched the first large format aerial mapping camera using CMOS sensor technology, the Leica DMC III. This paper describes the motivation to change from CCD sensor technology to CMOS for the development of this new aerial mapping camera. In 2002 the DMC first generation was developed by Z/I Imaging. It was the first large format digital frame sensor designed for mapping applications. In 2009 Z/I Imaging designed the DMC II which was the first digital aerial mapping camera using a single ultra large CCD sensor to avoid stitching of smaller CCDs. The DMC III is now the third generation of large format frame sensor developed by Z/I Imaging and Leica Geosystems for the DMC camera family. It is an evolution of the DMC II using the same system design with one large monolithic PAN sensor and four multi spectral camera heads for R,G, B and NIR. For the first time a 391 Megapixel large CMOS sensor had been used as PAN chromatic sensor, which is an industry record. Along with CMOS technology goes a range of technical benefits. The dynamic range of the CMOS sensor is approx. twice the range of a comparable CCD sensor and the signal to noise ratio is significantly better than with CCDs. Finally results from the first DMC III customer installations and test flights will be presented and compared with other CCD based aerial sensors.

Human Behavior Drift Detection in a Smart Home Environment.

PubMed

Masciadri, Andrea; Trofimova, Anna A; Matteucci, Matteo; Salice, Fabio

2017-01-01

The proposed system aims at elderly people independent living by providing an early indicator of habits changes which might be relevant for a diagnosis of diseases. It relies on Hidden Markov Model to describe the behavior observing sensors data, while Likelihood Ratio Test gives the variation within different time periods.

The Accuracy of Al and Cu Film Thickness Determinations and the Implications for Electron Probe Microanalysis.

PubMed

Matthews, Mike B; Kearns, Stuart L; Buse, Ben

2018-04-01

The accuracy to which Cu and Al coatings can be determined, and the effect this has on the quantification of the substrate, is investigated. Cu and Al coatings of nominally 5, 10, 15, and 20 nm were sputter coated onto polished Bi using two configurations of coater: One with the film thickness monitor (FTM) sensor colocated with the samples, and one where the sensor is located to one side. The FTM thicknesses are compared against those calculated from measured Cu Lα and Al Kα k-ratios using PENEPMA, GMRFilm, and DTSA-II. Selected samples were also cross-sectioned using focused ion beam. Both systems produced repeatable coatings, the thickest coating being approximately four times the thinnest coating. The side-located FTM sensor indicated thicknesses less than half those of the software modeled results, propagating on to 70% errors in substrate quantification at 5 kV. The colocated FTM sensor produced errors in film thickness and substrate quantification of 10-20%. Over the range of film thicknesses and accelerating voltages modeled both the substrate and coating k-ratios can be approximated by linear trends as functions of film thickness. The Al films were found to have a reduced density of ~2 g/cm2.

Sensitivity distribution of a vibration sensor based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer designed inside the window system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zboril, Ondrej; Nedoma, Jan; Cubik, Jakub; Novak, Martin; Bednarek, Lukas; Fajkus, Marcel; Vasinek, Vladimir

2016-04-01

Interferometric sensors are very accurate and sensitive sensors that due to the extreme sensitivity allow sensing vibration and acoustic signals. This paper describes a new method of implementation of Mach-Zehnder interferometer for sensing of vibrations caused by touching on the window panes. Window panes are part of plastic windows, in which the reference arm of the interferometer is mounted and isolated inside the frame, a measuring arm of the interferometer is fixed to the window pane and it is mounted under the cover of the window frame. It prevents visibility of the optical fiber and this arrangement is the basis for the safety system. For the construction of the vibration sensor standard elements of communication networks are used - optical fiber according to G.652D and 1x2 splitters with dividing ratio 1:1. Interferometer operated at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The paper analyses the sensitivity of the window in a 12x12 measuring points matrix, there is specified sensitivity distribution of the window pane.

A microprocessor-based position control system for a telescope secondary mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorell, K. R.; Barrows, W. F.; Clappier, R. R.; Lee, G. K.

1983-01-01

The pointing requirements for the Shuttle IR Telescope Facility (SIRTF), which consists of an 0.85-m cryogenically cooled IR telescope, call for an image stability of 0.25 arcsec. Attention is presently given to a microprocessor-based position control system developed for the control of the SIRTF secondary mirror, employing a special control law (to minimize energy dissipation), a precision capacitive position sensor, and a specially designed power amplifier/actuator combination. The microprocessor generates the command angular position and rate waveforms in order to maintain a 90 percent dwell time/10 percent transition time ratio independently of chop frequency or amplitude. Performance and test results of a prototype system designed for use with a demonstration model of the SIRTF focal plane fine guidance sensor are presented.

A Wearable Respiratory Biofeedback System Based on Generalized Body Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Liu, Guan-Zheng; Huang, Bang-Yu

2011-01-01

Abstract Wearable medical devices have enabled unobtrusive monitoring of vital signs and emerging biofeedback services in a pervasive manner. This article describes a wearable respiratory biofeedback system based on a generalized body sensor network (BSN) platform. The compact BSN platform was tailored for the strong requirements of overall system optimizations. A waist-worn biofeedback device was designed using the BSN. Extensive bench tests have shown that the generalized BSN worked as intended. In-situ experiments with 22 subjects indicated that the biofeedback device was discreet, easy to wear, and capable of offering wearable respiratory trainings. Pilot studies on wearable training patterns and resultant heart rate variability suggested that paced respirations at abdominal level and with identical inhaling/exhaling ratio were more appropriate for decreasing sympathetic arousal and increasing parasympathetic activities. PMID:21545293

All-carbon suspended nanowire sensors as a rapid highly-sensitive label-free chemiresistive biosensing platform.

PubMed

Thiha, Aung; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Muniandy, Shalini; Dinshaw, Ignatius Julian; Teh, Swe Jyan; Thong, Kwai Lin; Leo, Bey Fen; Madou, Marc

2018-06-01

Nanowire sensors offer great potential as highly sensitive electrochemical and electronic biosensors because of their small size, high aspect ratios, and electronic properties. Nevertheless, the available methods to fabricate carbon nanowires in a controlled manner remain limited to expensive techniques. This paper presents a simple fabrication technique for sub-100 nm suspended carbon nanowire sensors by integrating electrospinning and photolithography techniques. Carbon Microelectromechanical Systems (C-MEMS) fabrication techniques allow fabrication of high aspect ratio carbon structures by patterning photoresist polymers into desired shapes and subsequent carbonization of resultant structures by pyrolysis. In our sensor platform, suspended nanowires were deposited by electrospinning while photolithography was used to fabricate support structures. We have achieved suspended carbon nanowires with sub-100 nm diameters in this study. The sensor platform was then integrated with a microfluidic chip to form a lab-on-chip device for label-free chemiresistive biosensing. We have investigated this nanoelectronics label-free biosensor's performance towards bacterial sensing by functionalization with Salmonella-specific aptamer probes. The device was tested with varying concentrations of Salmonella Typhimurium to evaluate sensitivity and various other bacteria to investigate specificity. The results showed that the sensor is highly specific and sensitive in detection of Salmonella with a detection limit of 10 CFU mL -1 . Moreover, this proposed chemiresistive assay has a reduced turnaround time of 5 min and sample volume requirement of 5 µL which are much less than reported in the literature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multimode electromagnetic target discriminator: preliminary data results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Christopher J.; McMichael, Ian T.; Nelson, Carl V.

2004-09-01

This paper describes the Multi-mode Electromagnetic Target Discriminator (METD) sensor and presents preliminary results from recent field experiments. The METD sensor was developed for the US Army RDECOM NVESD by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The METD, based on the technology of the previously developed Electromagnetic Target Discriminator (ETD), is a spatial scanning electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor that uses both the time-domain (TD) and the frequency-domain (FD) for target detection and classification. Data is collected with a custom data acquisition system and wirelessly transmitted to a base computer. We show that the METD has a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the ability to detect voids created by plastic anti-tank (AT) mines, and is practical for near real-time data processing.

Development of viscosity sensor with long period fiber grating technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jyh-Dong; Wang, Jian-Neng; Chen, Shih-Huang; Wang, Juei-Mao

2009-03-01

In this paper, we describe the development of a viscosity sensing system using a simple and low-cost long-period fiber grating (LPFG) sensor. The LPFG sensor was extremely sensitive to the refractive index of the medium surrounding the cladding surface of the sensing grating, thus allowing it to be used as an ambient index sensor or chemical concentration indicator. Viscosity can be simply defined as resistance to flow of a liquid. We have measured asphalt binder, 100-190000 centistokes, in comparison with optical sensing results. The system sensing asphalt binders exhibited increase trend in the resonance wavelength shift when the refractive index of the medium changed. The prototype sensor consisted of a LPFG sensing component and a cone-shaped reservoir where gravitational force can cause asphalt binders flow through the capillary. Thus the measured time for a constant volume of asphalt binders can be converted into either absolute or kinematic viscosity. In addition, a rotational viscometer and a dynamic shear rheometer were also used to evaluate the viscosity of this liquid, the ratio between the applied shear stress and rate of shear, as well as the viscoelastic property including complex shear modulus and phase angle. The measured time could be converted into viscosity of asphalt binder based on calculation. This simple LPFG viscosity sensing system is hopefully expected to benefit the viscosity measurement for the field of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Solar-diffuser panel and ratioing radiometer approach to satellite sensor on-board calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, Philip N.; Palmer, James M.

1991-01-01

The use of a solar-diffuser panel is a desirable approach to the on-board absolute radiometric calibration of satellite multispectral sensors used for earth observation in the solar reflective spectral range. It provides a full aperture, full field, end-to-end calibration near the top of the sensor's dynamic range and across its entire spectral response range. A serious drawback is that the panel's reflectance, and the response of any simple detector used to monitor its reflectance may change with time. This paper briefly reviews some preflight and on-board methods for absolute calibration and introduces the ratioing-radiometer concept in which the radiance of the panel is ratioed with respect to the solar irradiance at the time the multispectral sensor is viewing the panel in its calibration mode.

Temperature- and phase-independent lateral force sensor based on a core-offset multi-mode fiber interferometer.

PubMed

Dong, Bo; Zhou, Da-Peng; Wei, Li; Liu, Wing-Ki; Lit, John W Y

2008-11-10

A novel lateral force sensor based on a core-offset multi-mode fiber (MMF) interferometer is reported. High extinction ratio can be obtained by misaligning a fused cross section between the single-mode fiber (SMF) and MMF. With the variation of the lateral force applied to a short section of the MMF, the extinction ratio changes while the interference phase remains almost constant. The change of the extinction ratio is independent of temperature variations. The proposed force sensor has the advantages of temperature- and phase-independency, high extinction ratio sensitivity, good repeatability, low cost, and simple structure. Moreover, the core-offset MMF interferometer is expected to have applications in fiber filters and tunable phase-independent attenuators.

Fused Filament Fabrication of Prosthetic Components for Trans-Humeral Upper Limb Prosthetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathers, Steven M.

Presented below is the design and fabrication of prosthetic components consisting of an attachment, tactile sensing, and actuator systems with Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique. The attachment system is a thermoplastic osseointegrated upper limb prosthesis for average adult trans-humeral amputation with mechanical properties greater than upper limb skeletal bone. The prosthetic designed has: a one-step surgical process, large cavities for bone tissue ingrowth, uses a material that has an elastic modulus less than skeletal bone, and can be fabricated on one system. FFF osseointegration screw is an improvement upon the current two-part osseointegrated prosthetics that are composed of a fixture and abutment. The current prosthetic design requires two invasive surgeries for implantation and are made of titanium, which has an elastic modulus greater than bone. An elastic modulus greater than bone causes stress shielding and overtime can cause loosening of the prosthetic. The tactile sensor is a thermoplastic piezo-resistive sensor for daily activities for a prosthetic's feedback system. The tactile sensor is manufactured from a low elastic modulus composite comprising of a compressible thermoplastic elastomer and conductive carbon. Carbon is in graphite form and added in high filler ratios. The printed sensors were compared to sensors that were fabricated in a gravity mold to highlight the difference in FFF sensors to molded sensors. The 3D printed tactile sensor has a thickness and feel similar to human skin, has a simple fabrication technique, can detect forces needed for daily activities, and can be manufactured in to user specific geometries. Lastly, a biomimicking skeletal muscle actuator for prosthetics was developed. The actuator developed is manufactured with Fuse Filament Fabrication using a shape memory polymer composite that has non-linear contractile and passive forces, contractile forces and strains comparable to mammalian skeletal muscle, reaction time under one second, low operating temperature, and has a low mass, volume, and material costs. The actuator improves upon current prosthetic actuators that provide rigid, linear force with high weight, cost, and noise.

Highly ordered nanowire arrays on plastic substrates for ultrasensitive flexible chemical sensors.

PubMed

McAlpine, Michael C; Ahmad, Habib; Wang, Dunwei; Heath, James R

2007-05-01

The development of a robust method for integrating high-performance semiconductors on flexible plastics could enable exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications. One area of vital relevance is chemical and biological sensing, which if implemented on biocompatible substrates, could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable monitoring systems. Semiconducting nanowires (and nanotubes) are particularly sensitive chemical sensors because of their high surface-to-volume ratios. Here, we present a scalable and parallel process for transferring hundreds of pre-aligned silicon nanowires onto plastic to yield highly ordered films for low-power sensor chips. The nanowires are excellent field-effect transistors, and, as sensors, exhibit parts-per-billion sensitivity to NO2, a hazardous pollutant. We also use SiO2 surface chemistries to construct a 'nano-electronic nose' library, which can distinguish acetone and hexane vapours via distributed responses. The excellent sensing performance coupled with bendable plastic could open up opportunities in portable, wearable or even implantable sensors.

Highly ordered nanowire arrays on plastic substrates for ultrasensitive flexible chemical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAlpine, Michael C.; Ahmad, Habib; Wang, Dunwei; Heath, James R.

2007-05-01

The development of a robust method for integrating high-performance semiconductors on flexible plastics could enable exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications. One area of vital relevance is chemical and biological sensing, which if implemented on biocompatible substrates, could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable monitoring systems. Semiconducting nanowires (and nanotubes) are particularly sensitive chemical sensors because of their high surface-to-volume ratios. Here, we present a scalable and parallel process for transferring hundreds of pre-aligned silicon nanowires onto plastic to yield highly ordered films for low-power sensor chips. The nanowires are excellent field-effect transistors, and, as sensors, exhibit parts-per-billion sensitivity to NO2, a hazardous pollutant. We also use SiO2 surface chemistries to construct a `nano-electronic nose' library, which can distinguish acetone and hexane vapours via distributed responses. The excellent sensing performance coupled with bendable plastic could open up opportunities in portable, wearable or even implantable sensors.

Highly ordered nanowire arrays on plastic substrates for ultrasensitive flexible chemical sensors

PubMed Central

McAlpine, Michael C.; Ahmad, Habib; Wang, Dunwei; Heath, James R.

2013-01-01

The development of a robust method for integrating high-performance semiconductors on flexible plastics could enable exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications. One area of vital relevance is chemical and biological sensing, which if implemented on biocompatible substrates, could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable monitoring systems. Semiconducting nanowires (and nanotubes) are particularly sensitive chemical sensors because of their high surface-to-volume ratios. Here, we present a scalable and parallel process for transferring hundreds of pre-aligned silicon nanowires onto plastic to yield highly ordered films for low-power sensor chips. The nanowires are excellent field-effect transistors, and, as sensors, exhibit parts-per-billion sensitivity to NO2, a hazardous pollutant. We also use SiO2 surface chemistries to construct a ‘nano-electronic nose’ library, which can distinguish acetone and hexane vapours via distributed responses. The excellent sensing performance coupled with bendable plastic could open up opportunities in portable, wearable or even implantable sensors. PMID:17450146

Design, Simulation and Characteristics Research of the Interface Circuit based on nano-polysilicon thin films pressure sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaosong; Zhao, Xiaofeng; Yin, Liang

2018-03-01

This paper presents a interface circuit for nano-polysilicon thin films pressure sensor. The interface circuit includes consist of instrument amplifier and Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC). The instrumentation amplifier with a high common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) is implemented by three stages current feedback structure. At the same time, in order to satisfy the high precision requirements of pressure sensor measure system, the 1/f noise corner of 26.5 mHz can be achieved through chopping technology at a noise density of 38.2 nV/sqrt(Hz).Ripple introduced by chopping technology adopt continuous ripple reduce circuit (RRL), which achieves the output ripple level is lower than noise. The ADC achieves 16 bits significant digit by adopting sigma-delta modulator with fourth-order single-bit structure and digital decimation filter, and finally achieves high precision integrated pressure sensor interface circuit.

C-MEMS for bio-sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yin; Agrawal, Richa; Wang, Chunlei

2015-05-01

Developing highly sensitive, selective, and reproducible miniaturized bio-sensing platforms require reliable biointerface which should be compatible with microfabrication techniques. In this study, we have fabricated pyrolyzed carbon arrays with high surface area as a bio-sensing electrode, and developed the surface functionalization methods to increase biomolecules immobilization efficiency and further understand electrochemical phenomena at biointerfaces. The carbon microelectrode arrays with high aspect ratio have been fabricated by carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) and nanomaterials such as graphene have been integrated to further increase surface area. To achieve the efficient covalent immobilization of biomolecules, various oxidation and reduction functionalization methods have been investigated. The oxidation treatment in this study includes vacuum ultraviolet, electrochemical activation, UV/Ozone and oxygen RIE. The reduction treatment includes direct amination and diazonium grafting. The developed bio-sensing platform was then applied for several applications, such as: DNA sensor; H2O2 sensor; aptamer sensor and HIV sensor.

Dielectrically-Loaded Cylindrical Resonator-Based Wireless Passive High-Temperature Sensor

PubMed Central

Xiong, Jijun; Wu, Guozhu; Tan, Qiulin; Wei, Tanyong; Wu, Dezhi; Shen, Sanmin; Dong, Helei; Zhang, Wendong

2016-01-01

The temperature sensor presented in this paper is based on a microwave dielectric resonator, which uses alumina ceramic as a substrate to survive in harsh environments. The resonant frequency of the resonator is determined by the relative permittivity of the alumina ceramic, which monotonically changes with temperature. A rectangular aperture etched on the surface of the resonator works as both an incentive and a coupling device. A broadband slot antenna fed by a coplanar waveguide is utilized as an interrogation antenna to wirelessly detect the sensor signal using a radio-frequency backscattering technique. Theoretical analysis, software simulation, and experiments verified the feasibility of this temperature-sensing system. The sensor was tested in a metal-enclosed environment, which severely interferes with the extraction of the sensor signal. Therefore, frequency-domain compensation was introduced to filter the background noise and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor signal. The extracted peak frequency was found to monotonically shift from 2.441 to 2.291 GHz when the temperature was varied from 27 to 800 °C, leading to an average absolute sensitivity of 0.19 MHz/°C. PMID:27916920

Multi-field coupled sensing network for health monitoring of composite bolted joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yishou; Qing, Xinlin; Dong, Liang; Banerjee, Sourav

2016-04-01

Advanced fiber reinforced composite materials are becoming the main structural materials of next generation of aircraft because of their high strength and stiffness to weight ratios, and excellent designability. As key components of large composite structures, joints play important roles to ensure the integrity of the composite structures. However, it is very difficult to analyze the strength and failure modes of composite joints due to their complex nonlinear coupling factors. Therefore, there is a need to monitor, diagnose, evaluate and predict the structure state of composite joints. This paper proposes a multi-field coupled sensing network for health monitoring of composite bolted joints. Major work of this paper includes: 1) The concept of multifunctional sensor layer integrated with eddy current sensors, Rogowski coil and arrayed piezoelectric sensors; 2) Development of the process for integrating the eddy current sensor foil, Rogowski coil and piezoelectric sensor array in multifunctional sensor layer; 3) A new concept of smart composite joint with multifunctional sensing capability. The challenges for building such a structural state sensing system and some solutions to address the challenges are also discussed in the study.

Evaluation of Digital Compressed Sensing for Real-Time Wireless ECG System with Bluetooth low Energy.

PubMed

Wang, Yishan; Doleschel, Sammy; Wunderlich, Ralf; Heinen, Stefan

2016-07-01

In this paper, a wearable and wireless ECG system is firstly designed with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). It can detect 3-lead ECG signals and is completely wireless. Secondly the digital Compressed Sensing (CS) is implemented to increase the energy efficiency of wireless ECG sensor. Different sparsifying basis, various compression ratio (CR) and several reconstruction algorithms are simulated and discussed. Finally the reconstruction is done by the android application (App) on smartphone to display the signal in real time. The power efficiency is measured and compared with the system without CS. The optimum satisfying basis built by 3-level decomposed db4 wavelet coefficients, 1-bit Bernoulli random matrix and the most suitable reconstruction algorithm are selected by the simulations and applied on the sensor node and App. The signal is successfully reconstructed and displayed on the App of smartphone. Battery life of sensor node is extended from 55 h to 67 h. The presented wireless ECG system with CS can significantly extend the battery life by 22 %. With the compact characteristic and long term working time, the system provides a feasible solution for the long term homecare utilization.

Spread Spectrum Based Energy Efficient Collaborative Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Ghani, Anwar; Naqvi, Husnain; Sher, Muhammad; Khan, Muazzam Ali; Khan, Imran; Irshad, Azeem

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks consist of resource limited devices. Most crucial of these resources is battery life, as in most applications like battle field or volcanic area monitoring, it is often impossible to replace or recharge the power source. This article presents an energy efficient collaborative communication system based on spread spectrum to achieve energy efficiency as well as immunity against jamming, natural interference, noise suppression and universal frequency reuse. Performance of the proposed system is evaluated using the received signal power, bit error rate (BER) and energy consumption. The results show a direct proportionality between the power gain and the number of collaborative nodes as well as BER and signal-to-noise ratio (Eb/N0). The analytical and simulation results of the proposed system are compared with SISO system. The comparison reveals that SISO perform better than collaborative communication in case of small distances whereas collaborative communication performs better than SISO in case of long distances. On the basis of these results it is safe to conclude that collaborative communication in wireless sensor networks using wideband systems improves the life time of nodes in the networks thereby prolonging the network's life time.

A mobile sensor network to map carbon dioxide emissions in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Joseph K.; Christen, Andreas; Ketler, Rick; Nesic, Zoran

2017-03-01

A method for directly measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using a mobile sensor network in cities at fine spatial resolution was developed and tested. First, a compact, mobile system was built using an infrared gas analyzer combined with open-source hardware to control, georeference, and log measurements of CO2 mixing ratios on vehicles (car, bicycles). Second, two measurement campaigns, one in summer and one in winter (heating season) were carried out. Five mobile sensors were deployed within a 1 × 12. 7 km transect across the city of Vancouver, BC, Canada. The sensors were operated for 3.5 h on pre-defined routes to map CO2 mixing ratios at street level, which were then averaged to 100 × 100 m grid cells. The averaged CO2 mixing ratios of all grids in the study area were 417.9 ppm in summer and 442.5 ppm in winter. In both campaigns, mixing ratios were highest in the grid cells of the downtown core and along arterial roads and lowest in parks and well vegetated residential areas. Third, an aerodynamic resistance approach to calculating emissions was used to derive CO2 emissions from the gridded CO2 mixing ratio measurements in conjunction with mixing ratios and fluxes collected from a 28 m tall eddy-covariance tower located within the study area. These measured emissions showed a range of -12 to 226 CO2 ha-1 h-1 in summer and of -14 to 163 kg CO2 ha-1 h-1 in winter, with an average of 35.1 kg CO2 ha-1 h-1 (summer) and 25.9 kg CO2 ha-1 h-1 (winter). Fourth, an independent emissions inventory was developed for the study area using buildings energy simulations from a previous study and routinely available traffic counts. The emissions inventory for the same area averaged to 22.06 kg CO2 ha-1 h-1 (summer) and 28.76 kg CO2 ha-1 h-1 (winter) and was used to compare against the measured emissions from the mobile sensor network. The comparison on a grid-by-grid basis showed linearity between CO2 mixing ratios and the emissions inventory (R2 = 0. 53 in summer and R2 = 0. 47 in winter). Also, 87 % (summer) and 94 % (winter) of measured grid cells show a difference within ±1 order of magnitude, and 49 % (summer) and 69 % (winter) show an error of less than a factor 2. Although associated with considerable errors at the individual grid cell level, the study demonstrates a promising method of using a network of mobile sensors and an aerodynamic resistance approach to rapidly map greenhouse gases at high spatial resolution across cities. The method could be improved by longer measurements and a refined calculation of the aerodynamic resistance.

Emission control apparatus for internal combustion engines with a controllably disabled clamping circuit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asano, M.

1979-08-28

The invention discloses an emission control apparatus for internal combustion engine includes an exhaust composition sensor to sense the mixture ratio, a circuit for clamping the mixture ratio to a predetermined constant value to prevent the mixture from becoming too rich or too lean when a failure should occur in the control loop, for example, in the exhaust composition sensor failure and a circuit for interrupting the clamping circuit when the engine operating condition is such that the sensor is caused to produce low voltage signals although the sensor is functioning properly.

Evaluating signal and noise spectral density of a qPlus sensor with an active feedback control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Manhee; An, Sangmin; Jhe, Wonho

2018-05-01

Q-control technique enables to actively change the quality factor of the probe oscillation in dynamic atomic force microscopy. The Q-control is realized by adding a self-feedback loop into the original actuation-detection system, in which a damping force with controllable damping coefficient in magnitude and sign is applied to the oscillating probe. While the applied force alters the total damping interaction and thus the overall `signal' of the probe motion, the added feedback system changes the `noise' of the motion as well. Here, we systematically investigate the signal, the noise, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the qPlus sensor under the active Q-control. We quantify the noise of the qPlus motion by measuring the noise spectral density, which is reproduced by a harmonic oscillator model including the thermal and the measurement noises. We show that the noise signal increases with the quality factor controlled, scaling as the square root of the quality factor. Because the overall signal is linearly proportional to the quality factor, the signal-to-noise ratio scales as the square root of the quality factor. The Q-controlled qPlus with a highly enhanced Q, up to 10,000 in air, leads to the minimum detectable force gradient of 0.001 N/m, which would enhance the capability of the qPlus sensor for atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy.

Characterizing Knee Loading Asymmetry in Individuals Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Inertial Sensors

PubMed Central

Sigward, Susan M.; Chan, Ming-Sheng M.; Lin, Paige E.

2016-01-01

Limitations in the ability to identify knee extensor loading deficits during gait in individuals following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLr) may underlie their persistence. A recent study suggested that shank angular velocity, directly output from inertial sensors, differed during gait between individuals post-ACLr and controls. However, it is not clear if this kinematic variable relates to knee moments calculated using joint kinematics and ground reaction forces. Heel rocker mechanics during loading response of gait, characterized by rapid shank rotation, require knee extensor control. Measures of shank angular velocity may be reflective of knee moments. This study investigated the relationship between shank angular velocity and knee extensor moment during gait in individuals (n=19) 96.7±16.8 days post-ACLr. Gait was assessed concurrently using inertial sensors and a marker-based motion system with force platforms. Peak angular velocity and knee extensor moment were strongly correlated (r=0.75, p<0.001) and between limb ratios of angular velocity predicted between limb ratios of extensor moment (r2=0.57 ,p<0.001) in the absence of between limb differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters. The strength of these relationships indicate that shank kinematic data offer meaningful information regarding knee loading and provide a potential alternative to full motion analysis systems for identification of altered knee loading following ACLr PMID:27395452

Piezoresistive Carbon-based Hybrid Sensor for Body-Mounted Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnykowycz, M.; Tschudin, M.; Clemens, F.

2017-02-01

For body-mounted sensor applications, the evolution of soft condensed matter sensor (SCMS) materials offer conformability andit enables mechanical compliance between the body surface and the sensing mechanism. A piezoresistive hybrid sensor and compliant meta-material sub-structure provided a way to engineer sensor physical designs through modification of the mechanical properties of the compliant design. A piezoresistive fiber sensor was produced by combining a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) matrix with Carbon Black (CB) particles in 1:1 mass ratio. Feedstock was extruded in monofilament fiber form (diameter of 300 microns), resulting in a highly stretchable sensor (strain sensor range up to 100%) with linear resistance signal response. The soft condensed matter sensor was integrated into a hybrid design including a 3D printed metamaterial structure combined with a soft silicone. An auxetic unit cell was chosen (with negative Poisson’s Ratio) in the design in order to combine with the soft silicon, which exhibits a high Poisson’s Ratio. The hybrid sensor design was subjected to mechanical tensile testing up to 50% strain (with gauge factor calculation for sensor performance), and then utilized for strain-based sensing applications on the body including gesture recognition and vital function monitoring including blood pulse-wave and breath monitoring. A 10 gesture Natural User Interface (NUI) test protocol was utilized to show the effectiveness of a single wrist-mounted sensor to identify discrete gestures including finger and hand motions. These hand motions were chosen specifically for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) applications. The blood pulse-wave signal was monitored with the hand at rest, in a wrist-mounted. In addition different breathing patterns were investigated, including normal breathing and coughing, using a belt and chest-mounted configuration.

Using advertisement light-panel and CMOS image sensor with frequency-shift-keying for visible light communication.

PubMed

Chow, Chi-Wai; Shiu, Ruei-Jie; Liu, Yen-Chun; Liao, Xin-Lan; Lin, Kun-Hsien; Wang, Yi-Chang; Chen, Yi-Yuan

2018-05-14

A frequency-shift-keying (FSK) visible light communication (VLC) system is proposed and demonstrated using advertisement light-panel as transmitter and mobile-phone image sensor as receiver. The developed application program (APP) in mobile-phone can retrieve the rolling shutter effect (RSE) pattern produced by the FSK VLC signal effectively. Here, we also define noise-ratio value (NRV) to evaluate the contrast of different advertisements displayed on the light-panel. Both mobile-phones under test can achieve success rate > 96% even when the transmission distance is up to 200 cm and the NRVs are low.

SCExAO: First Results and On-Sky Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier; Martinache, Frantz; Clergeon, Christophe; McElwain, Michael; Thalmann, Christian; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Singh, Garima; Kudo, Tomoyuki

2013-01-01

We present new on-sky results for the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics imager (SCExAO) verifying and quantifying the contrast gain enabled by key components: the closed-loop coronagraphic low-order wavefront sensor (CLOWFS) and focal plane wavefront control ("speckle nulling"). SCExAO will soon be coupled with a high-order, Pyramid wavefront sensor which will yield greater than 90% Strehl ratio and enable 10(exp 6) -10(exp 7) contrast at small angular separations allowing us to image gas giant planets at solar system scales. Upcoming instruments like VAMPIRES, FIRST, and CHARIS will expand SCExAO's science capabilities.

Partitioning evapotranspiration into evaporation and transpiration in a corn field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a main component of the hydrology cycle. It consists of soil water evaporation (E) and plant transpiration (T). Accurate partitioning of ET into E and T is challenging. We measured soil water E using heat pulse sensors and a micro-Bowen ratio system, T using stem flow gaug...

THz impulse radar for biomedical sensing: nonlinear system behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, E. R.; Sung, Shijun; Grundfest, W. S.; Taylor, Z. D.

2014-03-01

The THz impulse radar is an "RF-inspired" sensor system that has performed remarkably well since its initial development nearly six years ago. It was developed for ex vivo skin-burn imaging, and has since shown great promise in the sensitive detection of hydration levels in soft tissues of several types, such as in vivo corneal and burn samples. An intriguing aspect of the impulse radar is its hybrid architecture which combines the high-peak-power of photoconductive switches with the high-responsivity and -bandwidth (RF and video) of Schottky-diode rectifiers. The result is a very sensitive sensor system in which the post-detection signal-to-noise ratio depends super-linearly on average signal power up to a point where the diode is "turned on" in the forward direction, and then behaves quasi-linearly beyond that point. This paper reports the first nonlinear systems analysis done on the impulse radar using MATLAB.

Design and fabrication of an autonomous rendezvous and docking sensor using off-the-shelf hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimm, Gary E.; Bryan, Thomas C.; Howard, Richard T.; Book, Michael L.

1991-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed and tested an engineering model of an automated rendezvous and docking sensor system composed of a video camera ringed with laser diodes at two wavelengths and a standard remote manipulator system target that has been modified with retro-reflective tape and 830 and 780 mm optical filters. TRW has provided additional engineering analysis, design, and manufacturing support, resulting in a robust, low cost, automated rendezvous and docking sensor design. We have addressed the issue of space qualification using off-the-shelf hardware components. We have also addressed the performance problems of increased signal to noise ratio, increased range, increased frame rate, graceful degradation through component redundancy, and improved range calibration. Next year, we will build a breadboard of this sensor. The phenomenology of the background scene of a target vehicle as viewed against earth and space backgrounds under various lighting conditions will be simulated using the TRW Dynamic Scene Generator Facility (DSGF). Solar illumination angles of the target vehicle and candidate docking target ranging from eclipse to full sun will be explored. The sensor will be transportable for testing at the MSFC Flight Robotics Laboratory (EB24) using the Dynamic Overhead Telerobotic Simulator (DOTS).

Volcano Observations Using an Unmanned Autonomous Helicopter : seismic and GPS observations near the active summit area of Sakurajima and Kirishima volcano, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohminato, T.; Kaneko, T.; Koyama, T.; Watanabe, A.; Takeo, M.; Iguchi, M.; Honda, Y.

2012-04-01

Observations in the vicinity of summit area of active volcanoes are very important from various viewpoints such as understanding physical processes in the volcanic conduit. It is, however, highly difficult to install observation sensors near active vents because of the risk of sudden eruptions. We have been developing a safe volcano observation system based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). As an UAV, we adopted an unmanned autonomous helicopter manufactured by Yamaha-Motor Co., Ltd. We have also developed earthquake observation modules and GPS receiver modules that are exclusively designed for UAV installation at summit areas of active volcanoes. These modules are light weight, compact size, and solar powered. For data transmission, a commercial cellular-phone network is used. Our first application of the sensor installation by the UAV is Sakurajima, one of the most active volcanos in Japan. In November 2009, 2010, and 2011, we installed up to four seismic sensors within 2km from the active summit crater. In the 2010 and 2011 operations, we succeeded in pulling up and collecting the sensor modules by using the UAV. In the 2011 experiment, we installed two GPS receivers near the summit area of Sakurajima volcano. We also applied the UAV installation to another active volcano, Shinmoedake in Kirishima volcano group. Since the sub-plinian eruption in February 2011, entering the area 3km from the summit of Shinmoe-dake has been prohibited. In May and November 2011, we installed seismic sensors and GPS receivers in the off-limit zone. Although the ground coupling of the seismic modules is not perfect due to the way they are installed, the signal-to-noise ratio of the seismic signals recorded by these modules is fairly good. Despite the low antenna height of 50 cm from the ground surface, the location errors in horizontal and vertical GPS components are 1cm and 3cm, respectively. For seismic signals associated with eruptions at Sakurajima from November 2010 to November 2011, we measure temporal variation of the amplitude ratio among the summit stations. In order to correct the amplitude variation due to the source amplitude variation, the amplitude of the recorded signals are normalized by using the amplitude of a permanent station, located on the western flank of Sakurajima 5km from the summit. The daily average of the normalized amplitude ratios among the summit stations shows clear temporal variation. The amplitude ratio variation can be classified to three stages. In the first stage, the amplitude ratios among the summit stations are nearly constant. The 2nd stage is characterized by a gradual increase in the amplitude ratio. The third stage is slightly difficult to define but we can say that the amplitude ratios are almost constant with fluctuations larger than that in the first stage. These changes strongly suggest a change in the source depth, probably migration of the source to the shallower portion in the volcanic conduit. Small change in the source position would have been observed as a big change in the observed amplitude ratio due to the closeness of the sensors to the source.

Low-voltage 96 dB snapshot CMOS image sensor with 4.5 nW power dissipation per pixel.

PubMed

Spivak, Arthur; Teman, Adam; Belenky, Alexander; Yadid-Pecht, Orly; Fish, Alexander

2012-01-01

Modern "smart" CMOS sensors have penetrated into various applications, such as surveillance systems, bio-medical applications, digital cameras, cellular phones and many others. Reducing the power of these sensors continuously challenges designers. In this paper, a low power global shutter CMOS image sensor with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) ability is presented. This sensor features several power reduction techniques, including a dual voltage supply, a selective power down, transistors with different threshold voltages, a non-rationed logic, and a low voltage static memory. A combination of all these approaches has enabled the design of the low voltage "smart" image sensor, which is capable of reaching a remarkable dynamic range, while consuming very low power. The proposed power-saving solutions have allowed the maintenance of the standard architecture of the sensor, reducing both the time and the cost of the design. In order to maintain the image quality, a relation between the sensor performance and power has been analyzed and a mathematical model, describing the sensor Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Dynamic Range (DR) as a function of the power supplies, is proposed. The described sensor was implemented in a 0.18 um CMOS process and successfully tested in the laboratory. An SNR of 48 dB and DR of 96 dB were achieved with a power dissipation of 4.5 nW per pixel.

Low-Voltage 96 dB Snapshot CMOS Image Sensor with 4.5 nW Power Dissipation per Pixel

PubMed Central

Spivak, Arthur; Teman, Adam; Belenky, Alexander; Yadid-Pecht, Orly; Fish, Alexander

2012-01-01

Modern “smart” CMOS sensors have penetrated into various applications, such as surveillance systems, bio-medical applications, digital cameras, cellular phones and many others. Reducing the power of these sensors continuously challenges designers. In this paper, a low power global shutter CMOS image sensor with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) ability is presented. This sensor features several power reduction techniques, including a dual voltage supply, a selective power down, transistors with different threshold voltages, a non-rationed logic, and a low voltage static memory. A combination of all these approaches has enabled the design of the low voltage “smart” image sensor, which is capable of reaching a remarkable dynamic range, while consuming very low power. The proposed power-saving solutions have allowed the maintenance of the standard architecture of the sensor, reducing both the time and the cost of the design. In order to maintain the image quality, a relation between the sensor performance and power has been analyzed and a mathematical model, describing the sensor Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Dynamic Range (DR) as a function of the power supplies, is proposed. The described sensor was implemented in a 0.18 um CMOS process and successfully tested in the laboratory. An SNR of 48 dB and DR of 96 dB were achieved with a power dissipation of 4.5 nW per pixel. PMID:23112588

Spatial noise in microdisplays for near-to-eye applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastings, Arthur R., Jr.; Draper, Russell S.; Wood, Michael V.; Fellowes, David A.

2011-06-01

Spatial noise in imaging systems has been characterized and its impact on image quality metrics has been addressed primarily with respect to the introduction of this noise at the sensor component. However, sensor fixed pattern noise is not the only source of fixed pattern noise in an imaging system. Display fixed pattern noise cannot be easily mitigated in processing and, therefore, must be addressed. In this paper, a thorough examination of the amount and the effect of display fixed pattern noise is presented. The specific manifestation of display fixed pattern noise is dependent upon the display technology. Utilizing a calibrated camera, US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD has developed a microdisplay (μdisplay) spatial noise data collection capability. Noise and signal power spectra were used to characterize the display signal to noise ratio (SNR) as a function of spatial frequency analogous to the minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD) of a thermal sensor. The goal of this study is to establish a measurement technique to characterize μdisplay limiting performance to assist in proper imaging system specification.

Analysis and Calibration of Sources of Electronic Error in PSD Sensor Response

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Navarro, David; Lázaro-Galilea, José Luis; Bravo-Muñoz, Ignacio; Gardel-Vicente, Alfredo; Tsirigotis, Georgios

2016-01-01

In order to obtain very precise measurements of the position of agents located at a considerable distance using a sensor system based on position sensitive detectors (PSD), it is necessary to analyze and mitigate the factors that generate substantial errors in the system’s response. These sources of error can be divided into electronic and geometric factors. The former stem from the nature and construction of the PSD as well as the performance, tolerances and electronic response of the system, while the latter are related to the sensor’s optical system. Here, we focus solely on the electrical effects, since the study, analysis and correction of these are a prerequisite for subsequently addressing geometric errors. A simple calibration method is proposed, which considers PSD response, component tolerances, temperature variations, signal frequency used, signal to noise ratio (SNR), suboptimal operational amplifier parameters, and analog to digital converter (ADC) quantitation SNRQ, etc. Following an analysis of these effects and calibration of the sensor, it was possible to correct the errors, thus rendering the effects negligible, as reported in the results section. PMID:27136562

Development and Calibration of a Field-Deployable Microphone Phased Array for Propulsion and Airframe Noise Flyover Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphreys, William M., Jr.; Lockard, David P.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Culliton, William G.; McSwain, Robert G.; Ravetta, Patricio A.; Johns, Zachary

2016-01-01

A new aeroacoustic measurement capability has been developed consisting of a large channelcount, field-deployable microphone phased array suitable for airframe noise flyover measurements for a range of aircraft types and scales. The array incorporates up to 185 hardened, weather-resistant sensors suitable for outdoor use. A custom 4-mA current loop receiver circuit with temperature compensation was developed to power the sensors over extended cable lengths with minimal degradation of the signal to noise ratio and frequency response. Extensive laboratory calibrations and environmental testing of the sensors were conducted to verify the design's performance specifications. A compact data system combining sensor power, signal conditioning, and digitization was assembled for use with the array. Complementing the data system is a robust analysis system capable of near real-time presentation of beamformed and deconvolved contour plots and integrated spectra obtained from array data acquired during flyover passes. Additional instrumentation systems needed to process the array data were also assembled. These include a commercial weather station and a video monitoring / recording system. A detailed mock-up of the instrumentation suite (phased array, weather station, and data processor) was performed in the NASA Langley Acoustic Development Laboratory to vet the system performance. The first deployment of the system occurred at Finnegan Airfield at Fort A.P. Hill where the array was utilized to measure the vehicle noise from a number of sUAS (small Unmanned Aerial System) aircraft. A unique in-situ calibration method for the array microphones using a hovering aerial sound source was attempted for the first time during the deployment.

A new terminal guidance sensor system for asteroid intercept or rendezvous missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyzhoft, Joshua; Basart, John; Wie, Bong

2016-02-01

This paper presents the initial conceptual study results of a new terminal guidance sensor system for asteroid intercept or rendezvous missions, which explores the use of visual, infrared, and radar devices. As was demonstrated by NASA's Deep Impact mission, visual cameras can be effectively utilized for hypervelocity intercept terminal guidance for a 5 kilometer target. Other systems such as Raytheon's EKV (Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle) employ a different scheme that utilizes infrared target information to intercept ballistic missiles. Another example that uses infrared information is the NEOWISE telescope, which is used for asteroid detection and tracking. This paper describes the signal-to-noise ratio estimation problem for infrared sensors, minimum and maximum range of detection, and computational validation using GPU accelerated simulations. Small targets (50-100 m in diameter) are considered, and scaled polyhedron models of known objects, such as the Rosetta mission's Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 101,955 Bennu, target of the OSIRIS-REx mission, and asteroid 433 Eros, are utilized. A parallelized ray tracing algorithm to simulate realistic surface-to-surface shadowing of a given celestial body is developed. By using the simulated models and parameters given from the formulation of the different sensors, impact mission scenarios are used to verify the feasibility for intercepting a small target.

Tire-road friction estimation and traction control strategy for motorized electric vehicle.

PubMed

Jin, Li-Qiang; Ling, Mingze; Yue, Weiqiang

2017-01-01

In this paper, an optimal longitudinal slip ratio system for real-time identification of electric vehicle (EV) with motored wheels is proposed based on the adhesion between tire and road surface. First and foremost, the optimal longitudinal slip rate torque control can be identified in real time by calculating the derivative and slip rate of the adhesion coefficient. Secondly, the vehicle speed estimation method is also brought. Thirdly, an ideal vehicle simulation model is proposed to verify the algorithm with simulation, and we find that the slip ratio corresponds to the detection of the adhesion limit in real time. Finally, the proposed strategy is applied to traction control system (TCS). The results showed that the method can effectively identify the state of wheel and calculate the optimal slip ratio without wheel speed sensor; in the meantime, it can improve the accelerated stability of electric vehicle with traction control system (TCS).

Tire-road friction estimation and traction control strategy for motorized electric vehicle

PubMed Central

Jin, Li-Qiang; Yue, Weiqiang

2017-01-01

In this paper, an optimal longitudinal slip ratio system for real-time identification of electric vehicle (EV) with motored wheels is proposed based on the adhesion between tire and road surface. First and foremost, the optimal longitudinal slip rate torque control can be identified in real time by calculating the derivative and slip rate of the adhesion coefficient. Secondly, the vehicle speed estimation method is also brought. Thirdly, an ideal vehicle simulation model is proposed to verify the algorithm with simulation, and we find that the slip ratio corresponds to the detection of the adhesion limit in real time. Finally, the proposed strategy is applied to traction control system (TCS). The results showed that the method can effectively identify the state of wheel and calculate the optimal slip ratio without wheel speed sensor; in the meantime, it can improve the accelerated stability of electric vehicle with traction control system (TCS). PMID:28662053

Optical sensor array platform based on polymer electronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koetse, Marc M.; Rensing, Peter A.; Sharpe, Ruben B. A.; van Heck, Gert T.; Allard, Bart A. M.; Meulendijks, Nicole N. M. M.; Kruijt, Peter G. M.; Tijdink, Marcel W. W. J.; De Zwart, René M.; Houben, René J.; Enting, Erik; van Veen, Sjaak J. J. F.; Schoo, Herman F. M.

2007-10-01

Monitoring of personal wellbeing and optimizing human performance are areas where sensors have only begun to be used. One of the reasons for this is the specific demands that these application areas put on the underlying technology and system properties. In many cases these sensors will be integrated in clothing, be worn on the skin, or may even be placed inside the body. This implies that flexibility and wearability of the systems is essential for their success. Devices based on polymer semiconductors allow for these demands since they can be fabricated with thin film technology. The use of thin film device technology allows for the fabrication of very thin sensors (e.g. integrated in food product packaging), flexible or bendable sensors in wearables, large area/distributed sensors, and intrinsically low-cost applications in disposable products. With thin film device technology a high level of integration can be achieved with parts that analyze signals, process and store data, and interact over a network. Integration of all these functions will inherently lead to better cost/performance ratios, especially if printing and other standard polymer technology such as high precision moulding is applied for the fabrication. In this paper we present an optical transmission sensor array based on polymer semiconductor devices made by thin film technology. The organic devices, light emitting diodes, photodiodes and selective medium chip, are integrated with classic electronic components. Together they form a versatile sensor platform that allows for the quantitative measurement of 100 channels and communicates wireless with a computer. The emphasis is given to the sensor principle, the design, fabrication technology and integration of the thin film devices.

A one-step colorimetric acid-base titration sensor using a complementary color changing coordination system.

PubMed

Cho, Hui Hun; Kim, Si Hyun; Heo, Jun Hyuk; Moon, Young Eel; Choi, Young Hun; Lim, Dong Cheol; Han, Kwon-Hoon; Lee, Jung Heon

2016-06-21

We report the development of a colorimetric sensor that allows for the quantitative measurement of the acid content via acid-base titration in a single-step. In order to create the sensor, we used a cobalt coordination system (Co-complex sensor) that changes from greenish blue colored Co(H2O)4(OH)2 to pink colored Co(H2O)6(2+) after neutralization. Greenish blue and pink are two complementary colors with a strong contrast. As a certain amount of acid is introduced to the Co-complex sensor, a portion of greenish blue colored Co(H2O)4(OH)2 changes to pink colored Co(H2O)6(2+), producing a different color. As the ratio of greenish blue and pink in the Co-complex sensor is determined by the amount of neutralization reaction occurring between Co(H2O)4(OH)2 and an acid, the sensor produced a spectrum of green, yellow green, brown, orange, and pink colors depending on the acid content. In contrast, the color change appeared only beyond the end point for normal acid-base titration. When we mixed this Co-complex sensor with different concentrations of citric acid, tartaric acid, and malic acid, three representative organic acids in fruits, we observed distinct color changes for each sample. This color change could also be observed in real fruit juice. When we treated the Co-complex sensor with real tangerine juice, it generated diverse colors depending on the concentration of citric acid in each sample. These results provide a new angle on simple but quantitative measurements of analytes for on-site usage in various applications, such as in food, farms, and the drug industry.

Test and Evaluation of Fiber Optic Sensors for High-Radiation Space Nuclear Power Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klemer, Daniel; Fielder, Robert S.; Stinson-Bagby, Kelly L.

2004-07-01

Fiber optic sensors can be used to measure a number of parameters, including temperature, strain, pressure and flow, for instrumentation and control of space nuclear power systems. In the past, this technology has often been rejected for use in such a high-radiation environment based on early experiments that revealed a number of degradation phenomena, including radiation-induced fiber attenuation, or 'graying', and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) fading and wavelength shift. However, this paper reports the results of recent experimental testing that demonstrates readability of fiber optic sensors to extremely high levels of neutron and gamma radiation. Both distributed Fiber Bragg Gratingmore » (FBG) sensors and single-point Extrinsic Fabry Perot Interferometer (EFPI) sensors were continuously monitored over a 2-month period, during which they were exposed to combined neutron and gamma radiation in both in-core and ex-core positions within a nuclear reactor. Total exposure reached approximately 2 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -2} fast neutron (E > 1 MeV) fluence and 8.7 x 10{sup 8} Gy gamma for in-core sensors. FBG sensors were interrogated using a standard Luna Innovations FBG measurement system, which is based on optical frequency-domain reflectometer (OFDR) technology. Approximately 74% of the 19 FBG sensors located at the core centerline in the in-core position exhibited sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to remain readable even after receiving the maximum dose. EFPI sensors were spectrally interrogated using a broadband probe source operating in the 830 nm wavelength region. While these single-point sensors failed early in the test, important additional fiber spectral transmission data was collected, which indicates that interrogation of EFPI sensors in alternate wavelength regions may allow significant improvement in sensor longevity for operation in high-radiation environments. This work was funded through a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract with the Nasa Glenn Research Center. (authors)« less

Linear air-fuel sensor development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garzon, F.; Miller, C.

1996-12-14

The electrochemical zirconia solid electrolyte oxygen sensor, is extensively used for monitoring oxygen concentrations in various fields. They are currently utilized in automobiles to monitor the exhaust gas composition and control the air-to-fuel ratio, thus reducing harmful emission components and improving fuel economy. Zirconia oxygen sensors, are divided into two classes of devices: (1) potentiometric or logarithmic air/fuel sensors; and (2) amperometric or linear air/fuel sensors. The potentiometric sensors are ideally suited to monitor the air-to-fuel ratio close to the complete combustion stoichiometry; a value of about 14.8 to 1 parts by volume. This occurs because the oxygen concentration changesmore » by many orders of magnitude as the air/fuel ratio is varied through the stoichiometric value. However, the potentiometric sensor is not very sensitive to changes in oxygen partial pressure away from the stoichiometric point due to the logarithmic dependence of the output voltage signal on the oxygen partial pressure. It is often advantageous to operate gasoline power piston engines with excess combustion air; this improves fuel economy and reduces hydrocarbon emissions. To maintain stable combustion away from stoichiometry, and enable engines to operate in the excess oxygen (lean burn) region several limiting-current amperometric sensors have been reported. These sensors are based on the electrochemical oxygen ion pumping of a zirconia electrolyte. They typically show reproducible limiting current plateaus with an applied voltage caused by the gas diffusion overpotential at the cathode.« less

Temperature insensitive refractive index sensor based on concatenated long period fiber gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Saurabh M.; Bock, Wojtek J.; Mikulic, Predrag

2013-10-01

We propose and demonstrate a temperature immune biosensor based on two concatenated LPGs incorporating a suitable inter-grating-space (IGS). Compensating the thermal induced phase changes in the grating region by use of an appropriate length of the IGS the temperature insensitivity has been achieved. Using standard telecommunication grade single-mode fibers we show that a length ratio of ~8.2 is sufficient to realize the proposed temperature insensitivity. The resulting sensor shows a refractive index sensitivity of 423.28 nm/RIU displaying the capability of detecting an index variation of 2.36 × 10-6 RIU in the bio-samples. The sensor can also be applied as a temperature insensitive WMD channel isolation filter in the optical communication systems, removing the necessity of any external thermal insulation packaging.

Sensor failure detection system. [for the F100 turbofan engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beattie, E. C.; Laprad, R. F.; Mcglone, M. E.; Rock, S. M.; Akhter, M. M.

1981-01-01

Advanced concepts for detecting, isolating, and accommodating sensor failures were studied to determine their applicability to the gas turbine control problem. Five concepts were formulated based upon such techniques as Kalman filters and a screening process led to the selection of one advanced concept for further evaluation. The selected advanced concept uses a Kalman filter to generate residuals, a weighted sum square residuals technique to detect soft failures, likelihood ratio testing of a bank of Kalman filters for isolation, and reconfiguring of the normal mode Kalman filter by eliminating the failed input to accommodate the failure. The advanced concept was compared to a baseline parameter synthesis technique. The advanced concept was shown to be a viable concept for detecting, isolating, and accommodating sensor failures for the gas turbine applications.

A compact QCL based methane and nitrous oxide sensor for environmental and medical applications.

PubMed

Jahjah, Mohammad; Ren, Wei; Stefański, Przemysław; Lewicki, Rafał; Zhang, Jiawei; Jiang, Wenzhe; Tarka, Jan; Tittel, Frank K

2014-05-07

A methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) sensor based on a sensitive, selective and well established technique of quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) was developed for environmental and biomedical measurements. A thermoelectrically cooled (TEC) distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL), capable of continuous wave (CW) mode hop free emission in the 7.83 μm wavelength range, was used as an excitation source. For the targeted CH4 and N2O absorption lines located at 1275.04 cm(-1) and 1275.49 cm(-1) detection limits (1σ) of 13 ppbv and 6 ppbv were achieved with a 1 second data acquisition time, respectively. Environmental data of CH4 and N2O mixing ratios acquired using the QEPAS sensor system are also reported.

Effects of the source, surface, and sensor couplings and colorimetric of laser speckle pattern on the performance of optical imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darwiesh, M.; El-Sherif, Ashraf F.; El-Ghandour, Hatem; Aly, Hussein A.; Mokhtar, A. M.

2011-03-01

Optical imaging systems are widely used in different applications include tracking for portable scanners; input pointing devices for laptop computers, cell phones, and cameras, fingerprint-identification scanners, optical navigation for target tracking, and in optical computer mouse. We presented an experimental work to measure and analyze the laser speckle pattern (LSP) produced from different optical sources (i.e. various color LEDs, 3 mW diode laser, and 10mW He-Ne laser) with different produced operating surfaces (Gabor hologram diffusers), and how they affects the performance of the optical imaging systems; speckle size and signal-to-noise ratio (signal is represented by the patches of the speckles that contain or carry information, and noise is represented by the whole remaining part of the selected image). The theoretical and experimental studies of the colorimetry (color correction is done in the color images captured by the optical imaging system to produce realistic color images which contains most of the information in the image by selecting suitable gray scale which contains most of the informative data in the image, this is done by calculating the accurate Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color components making use of the measured spectrum for light sources, and color matching functions of International Telecommunication Organization (ITU-R709) for CRT phosphorus, Tirinton-SONY Model ) for the used optical sources are investigated and introduced to present the relations between the signal-to-noise ratios with different diffusers for each light source. The source surface coupling has been discussed and concludes that the performance of the optical imaging system for certain source varies from worst to best based on the operating surface. The sensor /surface coupling has been studied and discussed for the case of He-Ne laser and concludes the speckle size is ranged from 4.59 to 4.62 μm, which are slightly different or approximately the same for all produced diffusers (which satisfies the fact that the speckle size is independent on the illuminating surface). But, the calculated value of signal-tonoise ratio takes different values ranged from 0.71 to 0.92 for different diffuser. This means that the surface texture affects the performance of the optical sensor because, all images captured for all diffusers under the same conditions [same source (He-Ne laser), same distances of the experimental set-up, and the same sensor (CCD camera)].

Exploration of the Performance of a Hybrid Closed Loop Insulin Delivery Algorithm That Includes Insulin Delivery Limits Designed to Protect Against Hypoglycemia.

PubMed

de Bock, Martin; Dart, Julie; Roy, Anirban; Davey, Raymond; Soon, Wayne; Berthold, Carolyn; Retterath, Adam; Grosman, Benyamin; Kurtz, Natalie; Davis, Elizabeth; Jones, Timothy

2017-01-01

Hypoglycemia remains a risk for closed loop insulin delivery particularly following exercise or if the glucose sensor is inaccurate. The aim of this study was to test whether an algorithm that includes a limit to insulin delivery is effective at protecting against hypoglycemia under those circumstances. An observational study on 8 participants with type 1 diabetes was conducted, where a hybrid closed loop system (HCL) (Medtronic™ 670G) was challenged with hypoglycemic stimuli: exercise and an overreading glucose sensor. There was no overnight or exercise-induced hypoglycemia during HCL insulin delivery. All daytime hypoglycemia was attributable to postmeal bolused insulin in those participants with a more aggressive carbohydrate factor. HCL systems rely on accurate carbohydrate ratios and carbohydrate counting to avoid hypoglycemia. The algorithm that was tested against moderate exercise and an overreading glucose sensor performed well in terms of hypoglycemia avoidance. Algorithm refinement continues in preparation for long-term outpatient trials.

Design and Evaluation of Novel Textile Wearable Systems for the Surveillance of Vital Signals.

PubMed

Trindade, Isabel G; Machado da Silva, José; Miguel, Rui; Pereira, Madalena; Lucas, José; Oliveira, Luís; Valentim, Bruno; Barreto, Jorge; Santos Silva, Manuel

2016-09-24

This article addresses the design, development, and evaluation of T-shirt prototypes that embed novel textile sensors for the capture of cardio and respiratory signals. The sensors are connected through textile interconnects to either an embedded custom-designed data acquisition and transmission unit or to snap fastener terminals for connection to external monitoring devices. The performance of the T-shirt prototype is evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio amplitude and signal interference caused by baseline wander and motion artefacts, through laboratory tests with subjects in standing and walking conditions. Performance tests were also conducted in a hospital environment using a T-shirt prototype connected to a commercial three-channel Holter monitoring device. The textile sensors and interconnects were realized with the assistance of an industrial six-needle digital embroidery tool and their resistance to wear addressed with normalized tests of laundering and abrasion. The performance of these wearable systems is discussed, and pathways and methods for their optimization are highlighted.

Design and Evaluation of Novel Textile Wearable Systems for the Surveillance of Vital Signals

PubMed Central

Trindade, Isabel G.; Machado da Silva, José; Miguel, Rui; Pereira, Madalena; Lucas, José; Oliveira, Luís; Valentim, Bruno; Barreto, Jorge; Santos Silva, Manuel

2016-01-01

This article addresses the design, development, and evaluation of T-shirt prototypes that embed novel textile sensors for the capture of cardio and respiratory signals. The sensors are connected through textile interconnects to either an embedded custom-designed data acquisition and transmission unit or to snap fastener terminals for connection to external monitoring devices. The performance of the T-shirt prototype is evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio amplitude and signal interference caused by baseline wander and motion artefacts, through laboratory tests with subjects in standing and walking conditions. Performance tests were also conducted in a hospital environment using a T-shirt prototype connected to a commercial three-channel Holter monitoring device. The textile sensors and interconnects were realized with the assistance of an industrial six-needle digital embroidery tool and their resistance to wear addressed with normalized tests of laundering and abrasion. The performance of these wearable systems is discussed, and pathways and methods for their optimization are highlighted. PMID:27669263

Networked gamma radiation detection system for tactical deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjoy; Maurer, Richard; Wolff, Ronald; Smith, Ethan; Guss, Paul; Mitchell, Stephen

2015-08-01

A networked gamma radiation detection system with directional sensitivity and energy spectral data acquisition capability is being developed by the National Security Technologies, LLC, Remote Sensing Laboratory to support the close and intense tactical engagement of law enforcement who carry out counterterrorism missions. In the proposed design, three clusters of 2″ × 4″ × 16″ sodium iodide crystals (4 each) with digiBASE-E (for list mode data collection) would be placed on the passenger side of a minivan. To enhance localization and facilitate rapid identification of isotopes, advanced smart real-time localization and radioisotope identification algorithms like WAVRAD (wavelet-assisted variance reduction for anomaly detection) and NSCRAD (nuisance-rejection spectral comparison ratio anomaly detection) will be incorporated. We will test a collection of algorithms and analysis that centers on the problem of radiation detection with a distributed sensor network. We will study the basic characteristics of a radiation sensor network and focus on the trade-offs between false positive alarm rates, true positive alarm rates, and time to detect multiple radiation sources in a large area. Empirical and simulation analyses of critical system parameters, such as number of sensors, sensor placement, and sensor response functions, will be examined. This networked system will provide an integrated radiation detection architecture and framework with (i) a large nationally recognized search database equivalent that would help generate a common operational picture in a major radiological crisis; (ii) a robust reach back connectivity for search data to be evaluated by home teams; and, finally, (iii) a possibility of integrating search data from multi-agency responders.

A Phonocardiographic-Based Fiber-Optic Sensor and Adaptive Filtering System for Noninvasive Continuous Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring.

PubMed

Martinek, Radek; Nedoma, Jan; Fajkus, Marcel; Kahankova, Radana; Konecny, Jaromir; Janku, Petr; Kepak, Stanislav; Bilik, Petr; Nazeran, Homer

2017-04-18

This paper focuses on the design, realization, and verification of a novel phonocardiographic- based fiber-optic sensor and adaptive signal processing system for noninvasive continuous fetal heart rate (fHR) monitoring. Our proposed system utilizes two Mach-Zehnder interferometeric sensors. Based on the analysis of real measurement data, we developed a simplified dynamic model for the generation and distribution of heart sounds throughout the human body. Building on this signal model, we then designed, implemented, and verified our adaptive signal processing system by implementing two stochastic gradient-based algorithms: the Least Mean Square Algorithm (LMS), and the Normalized Least Mean Square (NLMS) Algorithm. With this system we were able to extract the fHR information from high quality fetal phonocardiograms (fPCGs), filtered from abdominal maternal phonocardiograms (mPCGs) by performing fPCG signal peak detection. Common signal processing methods such as linear filtering, signal subtraction, and others could not be used for this purpose as fPCG and mPCG signals share overlapping frequency spectra. The performance of the adaptive system was evaluated by using both qualitative (gynecological studies) and quantitative measures such as: Signal-to-Noise Ratio-SNR, Root Mean Square Error-RMSE, Sensitivity-S+, and Positive Predictive Value-PPV.

Analysis on the misalignment errors between Hartmann-Shack sensor and 45-element deformable mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lihui; Zhang, Yi; Tao, Jianjun; Cao, Fen; Long, Yin; Tian, Pingchuan; Chen, Shangwu

2017-02-01

Aiming at 45-element adaptive optics system, the model of 45-element deformable mirror is truly built by COMSOL Multiphysics, and every actuator's influence function is acquired by finite element method. The process of this system correcting optical aberration is simulated by making use of procedure, and aiming for Strehl ratio of corrected diffraction facula, in the condition of existing different translation and rotation error between Hartmann-Shack sensor and deformable mirror, the system's correction ability for 3-20 Zernike polynomial wave aberration is analyzed. The computed result shows: the system's correction ability for 3-9 Zernike polynomial wave aberration is higher than that of 10-20 Zernike polynomial wave aberration. The correction ability for 3-20 Zernike polynomial wave aberration does not change with misalignment error changing. With rotation error between Hartmann-Shack sensor and deformable mirror increasing, the correction ability for 3-20 Zernike polynomial wave aberration gradually goes down, and with translation error increasing, the correction ability for 3-9 Zernike polynomial wave aberration gradually goes down, but the correction ability for 10-20 Zernike polynomial wave aberration behave up-and-down depression.

Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF₆ Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xin; Luo, Chenchen; Dong, Xingchen; Zhou, Lei

2015-11-11

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD) conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors' resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors.

Radiometric Calibration of the Earth Observing System's Imaging Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, Philip N. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

The work on the grant was mainly directed towards developing new, accurate, redundant methods for the in-flight, absolute radiometric calibration of satellite multispectral imaging systems and refining the accuracy of methods already in use. Initially the work was in preparation for the calibration of MODIS and HIRIS (before the development of that sensor was canceled), with the realization it would be applicable to most imaging multi- or hyper-spectral sensors provided their spatial or spectral resolutions were not too coarse. The work on the grant involved three different ground-based, in-flight calibration methods reflectance-based radiance-based and diffuse-to-global irradiance ratio used with the reflectance-based method. This continuing research had the dual advantage of: (1) developing several independent methods to create the redundancy that is essential for the identification and hopefully the elimination of systematic errors; and (2) refining the measurement techniques and algorithms that can be used not only for improving calibration accuracy but also for the reverse process of retrieving ground reflectances from calibrated remote-sensing data. The grant also provided the support necessary for us to embark on other projects such as the ratioing radiometer approach to on-board calibration (this has been further developed by SBRS as the 'solar diffuser stability monitor' and is incorporated into the most important on-board calibration system for MODIS)- another example of the work, which was a spin-off from the grant funding, was a study of solar diffuser materials. Journal citations, titles and abstracts of publications authored by faculty, staff, and students are also attached.

A sensor-less LED dimming system based on daylight harvesting with BIPV systems.

PubMed

Yoo, Seunghwan; Kim, Jonghun; Jang, Cheol-Yong; Jeong, Hakgeun

2014-01-13

Artificial lighting in office buildings typically requires 30% of the total energy consumption of the building, providing a substantial opportunity for energy savings. To reduce the energy consumed by indoor lighting, we propose a sensor-less light-emitting diode (LED) dimming system using daylight harvesting. In this study, we used light simulation software to quantify and visualize daylight, and analyzed the correlation between photovoltaic (PV) power generation and indoor illumination in an office with an integrated PV system. In addition, we calculated the distribution of daylight illumination into the office and dimming ratios for the individual control of LED lights. Also, we were able directly to use the electric power generated by PV system. As a result, power consumption for electric lighting was reduced by 40 - 70% depending on the season and the weather conditions. Thus, the dimming system proposed in this study can be used to control electric lighting to reduce energy use cost-effectively and simply.

Ultra-senstitive magnesium oxide-based magnetic tunnel junctions for spintronic immunoassay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Weifeng

We systematically studied the spin-dependent tunnel properties of MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Utilizing the spin-coherent tunnel effects of the MgO (001) insulating layer, we have achieved large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios (above 200%) at room temperature in optimized MTJ devices. We have shown that the MgO surface roughness, and therefore device magnetoresistance, depends strongly on the pressure of the Ar sputtering gas. We have investigated the characteristics of MgO-MTJs, including their dependence on barrier thickness and bias voltage, their thermal stability and resistance to electrostatic discharge (ESD). We have also fabricated MgO-MTJs with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer, which exhibits a coherent, single-domain-like switching. Our data show that MgO-MTJs have superior properties for low-field magnetic field sensing applications as compared with conventional AlOx-based MTJs. Based on this giant TMR effect, we designed and developed ultra-sensitive magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensors and sensor arrays for biomagnetic sensing applications. By integrating MTJ sensor arrays into microfluidic channels, we were able to detect the presence of moving, micron-size superparamagnetic beads in real time. We have obtained an average signal of 80 mV for a single Dynal M-280 bead, with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 24 dB. We also biologically treated the MTJ sensor array surfaces, and demonstrated the detection of 2.5 muM single strand target DNA labeled with 16-nm-diameter Fe3O 4 nanoparticles (NPs). Our measured signal of 72 muV indicates that the current system's detection limit for analyte DNA is better than 150 nM. We also demonstrated the detection of live HeLa cells labeled with Fe 3O4 nanoparticles, with an effective signal of 8 mV and a signal-to-noise ratio of 6 dB. These results represent an important milestone in the development of spintronics immunoassay technology: the detection of a single live cell labeled with magnetic nanoparticles. All the data show conclusively that MTJ sensors and sensor arrays are very promising candidates for future applications involving the accurate detection and identification of biomolecules tagged with magnetic labels.

Determining Methane Leak Locations and Rates with a Wireless Network Composed of Low-Cost, Printed Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, C. J.; Kim, B.; Zhang, Y.; Ng, T. N.; Beck, V.; Ganguli, A.; Saha, B.; Daniel, G.; Lee, J.; Whiting, G.; Meyyappan, M.; Schwartz, D. E.

2015-12-01

We will present our progress on the development of a wireless sensor network that will determine the source and rate of detected methane leaks. The targeted leak detection threshold is 2 g/min with a rate estimation error of 20% and localization error of 1 m within an outdoor area of 100 m2. The network itself is composed of low-cost, high-performance sensor nodes based on printed nanomaterials with expected sensitivity below 1 ppmv methane. High sensitivity to methane is achieved by modifying high surface-area-to-volume-ratio single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with materials that adsorb methane molecules. Because the modified SWNTs are not perfectly selective to methane, the sensor nodes contain arrays of variously-modified SWNTs to build diversity of response towards gases with adsorption affinity. Methane selectivity is achieved through advanced pattern-matching algorithms of the array's ensemble response. The system is low power and designed to operate for a year on a single small battery. The SWNT sensing elements consume only microwatts. The largest power consumer is the wireless communication, which provides robust, real-time measurement data. Methane leak localization and rate estimation will be performed by machine-learning algorithms built with the aid of computational fluid dynamics simulations of gas plume formation. This sensor system can be broadly applied at gas wells, distribution systems, refineries, and other downstream facilities. It also can be utilized for industrial and residential safety applications, and adapted to other gases and gas combinations.

Capabilities and challenges in transferring the wavefront-based alignment approach to small aperture multi-element optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krappig, Reik; Schmitt, Robert

2017-02-01

Present alignment methods already have an accuracy of some microns, allowing in general the fairly precise assembly of multi element optical systems. Nevertheless, they suffer decisive drawbacks, such as the necessity of an iterative process, stepping through all optical surfaces of the system when using autocollimation telescopes. In contrast to these limitations, the wavefront based alignment offers an elegant approach to potentially reach sub-µm accuracy in the alignment within a highly efficient process, that simultaneously acquires and evaluates the best optical solution possible. However, the practical use of these capabilities in corresponding alignment devices needs to take real sensor behavior into account. This publication will especially elaborate on the influence of the sensor properties in relation to the alignment process. The first dominant requirement is a highly stable measurement, since tiny perturbations in the optical system will have an also tiny influence on the wavefront. Secondly, the lateral sampling of the measured wavefront is supposed to be as high as possible, in order to be able to extract higher order Zernike coefficients reliable. The resulting necessity of using the largest sensor area possible conflicts with the requirement to allow a certain lateral displacement of the measured spot, indicating a perturbation. A movement of the sensor with suitable stages in turn leads to additional uncertainties connected to the actuators. Further factors include the SNR-ratio of the sensor as well as multiple measurements, in order to improve data repeatability. This publication will present a procedure of dealing with these relevant influence factors. Depending on the optical system and its properties the optimal adjustment of these parameters is derived.

Microphotonic devices for compact planar lightwave circuits and sensor systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardenas Gonzalez, Jaime

2005-07-01

Higher levels of integration in planar lightwave circuits and sensor systems can reduce fabrication costs and broaden viable applications for optical network and sensor systems. For example, increased integration and functionality can lead to sensor systems that are compact enough for easy transport, rugged enough for field applications, and sensitive enough even for laboratory applications. On the other hand, more functional and compact planar lightwave circuits can make optical networks components less expensive for the metro and access markets in urban areas and allow penetration of fiber to the home. Thus, there is an important area of opportunity for increased integration to provide low cost, compact solutions in both network components and sensor systems. In this dissertation, a novel splitting structure for microcantilever deflection detection is introduced. The splitting structure is designed so that its splitting ratio is dependent on the vertical position of the microcantilever. With this structure, microcantilevers sensitized to detect different analytes or biological agents can be integrated into an array on a single chip. Additionally, the integration of a depolarizer into the optoelectronic integrated circuit in an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope is presented as a means for cost reduction. The savings come in avoiding labor intensive fiber pigtailing steps by permitting batch fabrication of these components. In particular, this dissertation focuses on the design of the waveguides and polarization rotator, and the impact of imperfect components on the performance of the depolarizer. In the area of planar lightwave circuits, this dissertation presents the development of a fabrication process for single air interface bends (SAIBs). SAIBs can increase integration by reducing the area necessary to make a waveguide bend. Fabrication and measurement of a 45° SAIB with a bend efficiency of 93.4% for TM polarization and 92.7% for TE polarization are presented.

Status and Construction of the Belle II DEPFET pixel system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lütticke, Florian

2014-06-01

DEpleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor (DEPFET) active pixel detectors combine detection with a first amplification stage in a fully depleted detector, resulting in an superb signal-to-noise ratio even for thin sensors. Two layers of thin (75 micron) silicon DEPFET pixels will be used as the innermost vertex system, very close to the beam pipe in the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB facility. The status of the 8 million DEPFET pixels detector, latest developments and current system tests will be discussed.

Adaptive optics system for Cassegrain focus of SUBARU 8.2-m telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takami, Hideki; Takato, Naruhisa; Otsubo, Masashi; Kanzawa, Tomio; Kamata, Yukiko; Nakashima, Koji; Iye, Masanori

1998-09-01

The adaptive optics system for Subaru 8.2m telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory Japan has been developed for the Cassegrain ear-IR instruments, CIAO and IRCS. The system consists of a wavefront curvature sensor with 36 subaperture photon-counting avalanche photodiode modules and a bimorph deformable mirror with 36 electrodes. The expected Strehl ratio at K band exceeds 0.4 for objects that are located close enough to a bright guide star as faint as R equals 16 mag at the median seeing of 0.45 arcsec at Mauna Kea. The system will be in operation in 1999 as a natural guide star system, and will eventually be upgraded to a laser guide star system in cooperating an IR wavefront tilt sensor to provide nearly full sky. The construction of this common use system to Subaru telescope is now underway in our laboratory in Tokyo. Prior to starting the fabrication of this common use system, a full size prototype system was constructed and tested with the 1.6 m IR telescope at our observatory in Tokyo. This system has the identical optical design, deformable mirror, loop control computer to those for the Subaru system, while the wavefront sensing detectors were less-sensitive analog APDs. We succeeded in getting closed loop images of stars in K band with diffraction limited core. The Strehl ratio was around 0.5 and the factor of improvement was about 20 at K-band under the average seeing of 2 arcsec during the observation. The loop sped of the system was 2 K corrections per second.

Optical network of silicon micromachined sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Mark L.; Burns, David W.; Zook, J. David

1996-03-01

The Honeywell Technology Center, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin and the Mobil Corporation, and under funding from this ARPA sponsored program, are developing a new type of `hybrid' micromachined silicon/fiber optic sensor that utilizes the best attributes of each technology. Fiber optics provide a noise free method to read out the sensor without electrical power required at the measurement point. Micromachined silicon sensor techniques provide a method to design many different types of sensors such as temperature, pressure, acceleration, or magnetic field strength and report the sensor data using FDM methods. Our polysilicon resonant microbeam structures have a built in Fabry-Perot interferometer that offers significant advantages over other configurations described in the literature. Because the interferometer is an integral part of the structure, the placement of the fiber becomes non- critical, and packaging issues become considerably simpler. The interferometer spacing are determined by the thin-film fabrication processes and therefore can be extremely well controlled. The main advantage, however, is the integral vacuum cavity that ensures high Q values. Testing results have demonstrated relaxed alignment tolerances in packaging these devices, with an excellent Signal to Noise Ratio. Networks of 16 or more sensors are currently being developed. STORM (Strain Transduction by Optomechanical Resonant Microbeams) sensors can also provide functionality and self calibration information which can be used to improve the overall system reliability. Details of the sensor and network design, as well as test results, are presented.

Multi-Sensor Methods for Mobile Radar Motion Capture and Compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Robert

Remote sensing has many applications, including surveying and mapping, geophysics exploration, military surveillance, search and rescue and counter-terrorism operations. Remote sensor systems typically use visible image, infrared or radar sensors. Camera based image sensors can provide high spatial resolution but are limited to line-of-sight capture during daylight. Infrared sensors have lower resolution but can operate during darkness. Radar sensors can provide high resolution motion measurements, even when obscured by weather, clouds and smoke and can penetrate walls and collapsed structures constructed with non-metallic materials up to 1 m to 2 m in depth depending on the wavelength and transmitter power level. However, any platform motion will degrade the target signal of interest. In this dissertation, we investigate alternative methodologies to capture platform motion, including a Body Area Network (BAN) that doesn't require external fixed location sensors, allowing full mobility of the user. We also investigated platform stabilization and motion compensation techniques to reduce and remove the signal distortion introduced by the platform motion. We evaluated secondary ultrasonic and radar sensors to stabilize the platform resulting in an average 5 dB of Signal to Interference Ratio (SIR) improvement. We also implemented a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) motion compensation algorithm that improved the SIR by 18 dB on average. These techniques could be deployed on a quadcopter platform and enable the detection of respiratory motion using an onboard radar sensor.

Results from Solar Reflective Band End-to-End Testing for VIIRS F1 Sensor Using T-SIRCUS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McIntire, Jeff; Moyer, David; McCarthy, James K.; DeLuccia, Frank; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Butler, James J.; Guenther, Bruce

2011-01-01

Verification of the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) End-to-End (E2E) sensor calibration is highly recommended before launch, to identify any anomalies and to improve our understanding of the sensor on-orbit calibration performance. E2E testing of the Reflective Solar Bands (RSB) calibration cycle was performed pre-launch for the VIIRS Fight 1 (F1) sensor at the Ball Aerospace facility in Boulder CO in March 2010. VIIRS reflective band calibration cycle is very similar to heritage sensor MODIS in that solar illumination, via a diffuser, is used to correct for temporal variations in the instrument responsivity. Monochromatic light from the NIST T-SIRCUS was used to illuminate both the Earth View (EV), via an integrating sphere, and the Solar Diffuser (SD) view, through a collimator. The collimator illumination was cycled through a series of angles intended to simulate the range of possible angles for which solar radiation will be incident on the solar attenuation screen on-orbit. Ideally, the measured instrument responsivity (defined here as the ratio of the detector response to the at-sensor radiance) should be the same whether the EV or SD view is illuminated. The ratio of the measured responsivities was determined at each collimator angle and wavelength. In addition, the Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor (SDSM), a ratioing radiometer designed to track the temporal variation in the SD BRF by direct comparison to solar radiation, was illuminated by the collimator. The measured SDSM ratio was compared to the predicted ratio. An uncertainty analysis was also performed on both the SD and SDSM calibrations.

Artifact Noise Removal Techniques on Seismocardiogram Using Two Tri-Axial Accelerometers

PubMed Central

Luu, Loc; Dinh, Anh

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is on the investigation of motion noise removal techniques using two-accelerometer sensor system and various placements of the sensors on gentle movement and walking of the patients. A Wi-Fi based data acquisition system and a framework on Matlab are developed to collect and process data while the subjects are in motion. The tests include eight volunteers who have no record of heart disease. The walking and running data on the subjects are analyzed to find the minimal-noise bandwidth of the SCG signal. This bandwidth is used to design filters in the motion noise removal techniques and peak signal detection. There are two main techniques of combining signals from the two sensors to mitigate the motion artifact: analog processing and digital processing. The analog processing comprises analog circuits performing adding or subtracting functions and bandpass filter to remove artifact noises before entering the data acquisition system. The digital processing processes all the data using combinations of total acceleration and z-axis only acceleration. The two techniques are tested on three placements of accelerometer sensors including horizontal, vertical, and diagonal on gentle motion and walking. In general, the total acceleration and z-axis acceleration are the best techniques to deal with gentle motion on all sensor placements which improve average systolic signal-noise-ratio (SNR) around 2 times and average diastolic SNR around 3 times comparing to traditional methods using only one accelerometer. With walking motion, ADDER and z-axis acceleration are the best techniques on all placements of the sensors on the body which enhance about 7 times of average systolic SNR and about 11 times of average diastolic SNR comparing to only one accelerometer method. Among the sensor placements, the performance of horizontal placement of the sensors is outstanding comparing with other positions on all motions. PMID:29614821

The First Light of the Subaru Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takami, H.; Hayano, Y.; Oya, S.; Hattori, M.; Watanabe, M.; Guyon, O.; Eldred, M.; Colley, S.; Saito, Y.; Itoh, M.; Dinkins, M.

Subaru Telescope has been operating 36 element curvature sensor AO system for the Cassegrain focus since 2000. We have developed a new AO system for the Nasmyth focus. The AO system has 188 element curvature wavefront sensor and bimorph deformable mirror. It is the largest format system for this type of sensor . The deformable mirror has also 188 element with 90 mm effective aperture and 130 mm blank size. The real time controller is 4 CPU real time Linux OS computer and the update speed is now 1.5 kHz. The AO system also has laser guide star system. The laser is sum frequency solid state laser generating 589 nm light. We have achieved 4.7 W output power with excellent beam quality of M^2=1.1 and good stability. The laser is installed in a clean room on the Nasmyth platform. The laser beam is transferred by photonic crystal optical fiber with 35 m to the 50 cm laser launching telescope mounted behind the Subaru 2ry mirror. The field of view of the low order wavefront sensor for tilt guide star in LGS mode is 2.7 arcmin in diameter. The AO system had the first light with natural guide star in October 2006. The Strehl ratio was > 0.5 at K band under the 0.8 arcsec visible seeing. We also has projected laser beam on the sky during the same engineering run. Three instruments will be used with the AO system. Infrared camera and spectrograph (IRCS), High dynamic range IR camera (HiCIAO) for exosolar planet detection, and visible 3D spectrograph.

Efficient colorimetric pH sensor based on responsive polymer-quantum dot integrated graphene oxide.

PubMed

Paek, Kwanyeol; Yang, Hyunseung; Lee, Junhyuk; Park, Junwoo; Kim, Bumjoon J

2014-03-25

In this paper, we report the development of a versatile platform for a highly efficient and stable graphene oxide (GO)-based optical sensor that exhibits distinctive ratiometric color responses. To demonstrate the applicability of the platform, we fabricated a colorimetric, GO-based pH sensor that responds to a wide range of pH changes. Our sensing system is based on responsive polymer and quantum dot (QD) hybrids integrated on a single GO sheet (MQD-GO), with the GO providing an excellent signal-to-noise ratio and high dispersion stability in water. The photoluminescence emissions of the blue and orange color-emitting QDs (BQDs and OQDs) in MQD-GO can be controlled independently by different pH-responsive linkers of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) (pKa=4.5) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) (pKa=3.0) that can tune the efficiencies of Förster resonance energy transfer from the BQDs to the GO and from the OQDs to the GO, respectively. As a result, the color of MQD-GO changes from orange to near-white to blue over a wide range of pH values. The detailed mechanism of the pH-dependent response of the MQD-GO sensor was elucidated by measurements of time-resolved fluorescence and dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, the MQD-GO sensor showed excellent reversibility and high dispersion stability in pure water, indicating that our system is an ideal platform for biological and environmental applications. Our colorimetric GO-based optical sensor can be expanded easily to various other multifunctional, GO-based sensors by using alternate stimuli-responsive polymers.

Study and Experiment on Non-Contact Voltage Sensor Suitable for Three-Phase Transmission Line

PubMed Central

Zhou, Qiang; He, Wei; Xiao, Dongping; Li, Songnong; Zhou, Kongjun

2015-01-01

A voltage transformer, as voltage signal detection equipment, plays an important role in a power system. Presently, more and more electric power systems are adopting potential transformer and capacitance voltage transformers. Transformers are often large in volume and heavyweight, their insulation design is difficult, and an iron core or multi-grade capacitance voltage division structure is generally adopted. As a result, the detection accuracy of transformer is reduced, a huge phase difference exists between detection signal and voltage signal to be measured, and the detection signal cannot accurately and timely reflect the change of conductor voltage signal to be measured. By aiming at the current problems of electric transformation, based on electrostatic induction principle, this paper designed a non-contact voltage sensor and gained detection signal of the sensor through electrostatic coupling for the electric field generated by electric charges of the conductor to be measured. The insulation structure design of the sensor is simple and its volume is small; phase difference of sensor measurement is effectively reduced through optimization design of the electrode; and voltage division ratio and measurement accuracy are increased. The voltage sensor was tested on the experimental platform of simulating three-phase transmission line. According to the result, the designed non-contact voltage sensor can realize accurate and real-time measurement for the conductor voltage. It can be applied to online monitoring for the voltage of three-phase transmission line or three-phase distribution network line, which is in accordance with the development direction of the smart grid. PMID:26729119

Study and Experiment on Non-Contact Voltage Sensor Suitable for Three-Phase Transmission Line.

PubMed

Zhou, Qiang; He, Wei; Xiao, Dongping; Li, Songnong; Zhou, Kongjun

2015-12-30

A voltage transformer, as voltage signal detection equipment, plays an important role in a power system. Presently, more and more electric power systems are adopting potential transformer and capacitance voltage transformers. Transformers are often large in volume and heavyweight, their insulation design is difficult, and an iron core or multi-grade capacitance voltage division structure is generally adopted. As a result, the detection accuracy of transformer is reduced, a huge phase difference exists between detection signal and voltage signal to be measured, and the detection signal cannot accurately and timely reflect the change of conductor voltage signal to be measured. By aiming at the current problems of electric transformation, based on electrostatic induction principle, this paper designed a non-contact voltage sensor and gained detection signal of the sensor through electrostatic coupling for the electric field generated by electric charges of the conductor to be measured. The insulation structure design of the sensor is simple and its volume is small; phase difference of sensor measurement is effectively reduced through optimization design of the electrode; and voltage division ratio and measurement accuracy are increased. The voltage sensor was tested on the experimental platform of simulating three-phase transmission line. According to the result, the designed non-contact voltage sensor can realize accurate and real-time measurement for the conductor voltage. It can be applied to online monitoring for the voltage of three-phase transmission line or three-phase distribution network line, which is in accordance with the development direction of the smart grid.

Setup and evaluation of a sensor tilting system for dimensional micro- and nanometrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuler, Alexander; Weckenmann, Albert; Hausotte, Tino

2014-06-01

Sensors in micro- and nanometrology show their limits if the measurement objects and surfaces feature high aspect ratios, high curvature and steep surface angles. Their measurable surface angle is limited and an excess leads to measurement deviation and not detectable surface points. We demonstrate a principle to adapt the sensor's working angle during the measurement keeping the sensor in its optimal working angle. After the simulation of the principle, a hardware prototype was realized. It is based on a rotary kinematic chain with two rotary degrees of freedom, which extends the measurable surface angle to ±90° and is combined with a nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machine. By applying a calibration procedure with a quasi-tactile 3D sensor based on electrical near-field interaction the systematic position deviation of the kinematic chain is reduced. The paper shows for the first time the completed setup and integration of the prototype, the performance results of the calibration, the measurements with the prototype and the tilting principle, and finishes with the interpretation and feedback of the practical results.

Review of Polyimides Used in the Manufacturing of Micro Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, William C.; Atkinson, Gary M.

2007-01-01

Since their invention, polyimides have found numerous uses in MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. Polyimides can act as photoresist, sacrificial layers, structural layers, and even as a replacement for silicon as the substrate during MEMS fabrication. They enable fabrication of both low and high aspect ratio devices. Polyimides have been used to fabricate expendable molds and reusable flexible molds. Development of a variety of devices that employ polyimides for sensor applications has occurred. Micro-robotic actuator applications include hinges, thermal actuators and residual stress actuators. Currently, polyimides are being used to create new sensors and devices for aerospace applications. This paper presents a review of some of the many uses of polyimides in the development of MEMS devices, including a new polyimide based MEMS fabrication process.

Statistical analysis of modal properties of a cable-stayed bridge through long-term structural health monitoring with wireless smart sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asadollahi, Parisa; Li, Jian

2016-04-01

Understanding the dynamic behavior of complex structures such as long-span bridges requires dense deployment of sensors. Traditional wired sensor systems are generally expensive and time-consuming to install due to cabling. With wireless communication and on-board computation capabilities, wireless smart sensor networks have the advantages of being low cost, easy to deploy and maintain and therefore facilitate dense instrumentation for structural health monitoring. A long-term monitoring project was recently carried out for a cable-stayed bridge in South Korea with a dense array of 113 smart sensors, which feature the world's largest wireless smart sensor network for civil structural monitoring. This paper presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of the modal properties including natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes of the monitored cable-stayed bridge. Data analyzed in this paper is composed of structural vibration signals monitored during a 12-month period under ambient excitations. The correlation between environmental temperature and the modal frequencies is also investigated. The results showed the long-term statistical structural behavior of the bridge, which serves as the basis for Bayesian statistical updating for the numerical model.

Microsensors to monitor missile storage and maintenance needs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mee, D.K.; Thundat, T.G.; Oden, P.I.

1997-10-30

Accurate assessments of reliability and condition based maintenance can only be implemented where a good understanding of ammunition stockpile condition exists. Use of miniaturized intelligent sensors provides an inexpensive means of nondestructively gaining insight into stockpile condition while keeping costs low. In the past, evaluation of ammunition lifetimes has utilized humidity, temperature, pressure, shock, and corrosion. New technologies provide the possibility of obtaining these environmental parameters, as well as a number of other indicators of propellant degradation, including NOx by utilizing a microsensor with capability for remote wireless monitoring. Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) like microcantilevers promise to revolutionize the field ofmore » sensor design. In the automobile industry, micromachined acceleration sensors are now used for triggering airbags and pressure sensors adjust the air-fuel intake ratio in the engine. By applying coatings to the sensor`s surface the behavior of the microdevice can be measurably altered to respond to chemical species as demonstrated by ORNL using microcantilevers to detect mercury vapor and humidity. Ultimately, single-chip detectors with electronics and telemetry could be developed with conceivably hundreds of individual microsensors on each chip to simultaneously monitor identify, and quantify many important chemical species for ammunition as well as measure environmental parameters.« less

Continuous glucose monitoring in subcutaneous tissue using factory-calibrated sensors: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hoss, Udo; Jeddi, Iman; Schulz, Mark; Budiman, Erwin; Bhogal, Claire; McGarraugh, Geoffrey

2010-08-01

Commercial continuous subcutaneous glucose monitors require in vivo calibration using capillary blood glucose tests. Feasibility of factory calibration, i.e., sensor batch characterization in vitro with no further need for in vivo calibration, requires a predictable and stable in vivo sensor sensitivity and limited inter- and intra-subject variation of the ratio of interstitial to blood glucose concentration. Twelve volunteers wore two FreeStyle Navigator (Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, CA) continuous glucose monitoring systems for 5 days in parallel for two consecutive sensor wears (four sensors per subject, 48 sensors total). Sensors from a prototype sensor lot with a low variability in glucose sensitivity were used for the study. Median sensor sensitivity values based on capillary blood glucose were calculated per sensor and compared for inter- and intra-subject variation. Mean absolute relative difference (MARD) calculation and error grid analysis were performed using a single calibration factor for all sensors to simulate factory calibration and compared to standard fingerstick calibration. Sensor sensitivity variation in vitro was 4.6%, which increased to 8.3% in vivo (P < 0.0001). Analysis of variance revealed no significant inter-subject differences in sensor sensitivity (P = 0.134). Applying a single universal calibration factor retrospectively to all sensors resulted in a MARD of 10.4% and 88.1% of values in Clarke Error Grid Zone A, compared to a MARD of 10.9% and 86% of values in Error Grid Zone A for fingerstick calibration. Factory calibration of sensors for continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring is feasible with similar accuracy to standard fingerstick calibration. Additional data are required to confirm this result in subjects with diabetes.

Development and characterization of a multilayer matrix textile sensor for interface pressure measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldoli, Ilaria; Maselli, Martina; Cecchi, Francesca; Laschi, Cecilia

2017-10-01

Matrix textile sensors hold great potential for measuring pressure distribution in applications of modern daily lives, mainly regarding the biomedical field, but also robotics, automotive systems, and wearable and consumer electronics. However, an experimental analysis of their metrological properties is lacking in the literature, thus compromising their widespread acceptance. In the present work, we report the characterization of an 8 × 8 textile sensor assembled by sandwiching a piezoresistive fabric sheet between two outer fabric layers embedding conductive rows and columns. The location of the applied pressure can be identified by detecting the position where the change of resistances occurs between the external conductive paths. The sensor structure, its electrical circuit and characteristics are described in detail, after studying both the integration levels of the hierarchical structure and the composition of the piezoresistive fabric sheet. The pressure measurement range and the calibration curve were studied by tuning circuital parameters. Repeatability, time drift, temperature dependence, signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic response were analyzed. Novel tests were employed to consider the sensor sensitivity to stretch, shear force and surface curvature. A special analysis was taken over hysteresis and dynamic accuracy, focusing on a possible compensating solution. Results indicated that the system provides overall good quality performances with the main drawback of a limited dynamic accuracy, typical of piezoresistive sensing elements. Nevertheless, the use of textiles allows the realization of lightweight, wearable, washable, thin and stretchable sensors. In addition fabric sensors are robust, cheap, easy-to-use and employable to cover large area three dimensional surfaces. The wide characterization reported here could provide precious insights and guidelines to help researchers and users in taking advantages from all of these benefits, supporting them in choosing the best sensor design and application.

TOD to TTP calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijl, Piet; Reynolds, Joseph P.; Vos, Wouter K.; Hogervorst, Maarten A.; Fanning, Jonathan D.

2011-05-01

The TTP (Targeting Task Performance) metric, developed at NVESD, is the current standard US Army model to predict EO/IR Target Acquisition performance. This model however does not have a corresponding lab or field test to empirically assess the performance of a camera system. The TOD (Triangle Orientation Discrimination) method, developed at TNO in The Netherlands, provides such a measurement. In this study, we make a direct comparison between TOD performance for a range of sensors and the extensive historical US observer performance database built to develop and calibrate the TTP metric. The US perception data were collected doing an identification task by military personnel on a standard 12 target, 12 aspect tactical vehicle image set that was processed through simulated sensors for which the most fundamental sensor parameters such as blur, sampling, spatial and temporal noise were varied. In the present study, we measured TOD sensor performance using exactly the same sensors processing a set of TOD triangle test patterns. The study shows that good overall agreement is obtained when the ratio between target characteristic size and TOD test pattern size at threshold equals 6.3. Note that this number is purely based on empirical data without any intermediate modeling. The calibration of the TOD to the TTP is highly beneficial to the sensor modeling and testing community for a variety of reasons. These include: i) a connection between requirement specification and acceptance testing, and ii) a very efficient method to quickly validate or extend the TTP range prediction model to new systems and tasks.

Fabrication of a Miniature Multi-Parameter Sensor Chip for Water Quality Assessment.

PubMed

Zhou, Bo; Bian, Chao; Tong, Jianhua; Xia, Shanhong

2017-01-14

Water contamination is a main inducement of human diseases. It is an important step to monitor the water quality in the water distribution system. Due to the features of large size, high cost, and complicated structure of traditional water determination sensors and devices, it is difficult to realize real-time water monitoring on a large scale. In this paper, we present a multi-parameter sensor chip, which is miniature, low-cost, and robust, to detect the pH, conductivity, and temperature of water simultaneously. The sensor chip was fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) techniques. Iridium oxide film was electrodeposited as the pH-sensing material. The atomic ratio of Ir(III) to Ir(IV) is about 1.38 according to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The pH sensing electrode showed super-Nernstian response (-67.60 mV/pH) and good linearity (R² = 0.9997), in the range of pH 2.22 to pH 11.81. KCl-agar and epoxy were used as the electrolyte layer and liquid junction for the solid-state reference electrode, respectively, and its potential stability in deionized water was 56 h. The conductivity cell exhibited a linear determination range from 21.43 μ S / cm to 1.99 mS / cm , and the electrode constant was 1.566 cm -1 . Sensitivity of the temperature sensor was 5.46 Ω / ° C . The results indicate that the developed sensor chip has potential application in water quality measurements.

Structural health management of aerospace hotspots under fatigue loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Sunilkumar

Sustainability and life-cycle assessments of aerospace systems, such as aircraft structures and propulsion systems, represent growing challenges in engineering. Hence, there has been an increasing demand in using structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques for continuous monitoring of these systems in an effort to improve safety and reduce maintenance costs. The current research is part of an ongoing multidisciplinary effort to develop a robust SHM framework resulting in improved models for damage-state awareness and life prediction, and enhancing capability of future aircraft systems. Lug joints, a typical structural hotspot, were chosen as the test article for the current study. The thesis focuses on integrated SHM techniques for damage detection and characterization in lug joints. Piezoelectric wafer sensors (PZTs) are used to generate guided Lamb waves as they can be easily used for onboard applications. Sensor placement in certain regions of a structural component is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the area to be monitored. Therefore, a virtual sensing concept is introduced to acquire sensor data from finite element (FE) models. A full three dimensional FE analysis of lug joints with piezoelectric transducers, accounting for piezoelectrical-mechanical coupling, was performed in Abaqus and the sensor signals were simulated. These modeled sensors are called virtual sensors. A combination of real data from PZTs and virtual sensing data from FE analysis is used to monitor and detect fatigue damage in aluminum lug joints. Experiments were conducted on lug joints under fatigue loads and sensor signals collected were used to validate the simulated sensor response. An optimal sensor placement methodology for lug joints is developed based on a detection theory framework to maximize the detection rate and minimize the false alarm rate. The placement technique is such that the sensor features can be directly correlated to damage. The technique accounts for a number of factors, such as actuation frequency and strength, minimum damage size, damage detection scheme, material damping, signal to noise ratio and sensing radius. Advanced information processing methodologies are discussed for damage diagnosis. A new, instantaneous approach for damage detection, localization and quantification is proposed for applications to practical problems associated with changes in reference states under different environmental and operational conditions. Such an approach improves feature extraction for state awareness, resulting in robust life prediction capabilities.

Comparison of Self-Report Versus Sensor-Based Methods for Measuring the Amount of Upper Limb Activity Outside the Clinic.

PubMed

Waddell, Kimberly J; Lang, Catherine E

2018-03-10

To compare self-reported with sensor-measured upper limb (UL) performance in daily life for individuals with chronic (≥6mo) UL paresis poststroke. Secondary analysis of participants enrolled in a phase II randomized, parallel, dose-response UL movement trial. This analysis compared the accuracy and consistency between self-reported UL performance and sensor-measured UL performance at baseline and immediately post an 8-week intensive UL task-specific intervention. Outpatient rehabilitation. Community-dwelling individuals with chronic (≥6mo) UL paresis poststroke (N=64). Not applicable. Motor Activity Log amount of use scale and the sensor-derived use ratio from wrist-worn accelerometers. There was a high degree of variability between self-reported UL performance and the sensor-derived use ratio. Using sensor-based values as a reference, 3 distinct categories were identified: accurate reporters (reporting difference ±0.1), overreporters (difference >0.1), and underreporters (difference <-0.1). Five of 64 participants accurately self-reported UL performance at baseline and postintervention. Over half of participants (52%) switched categories from pre-to postintervention (eg, moved from underreporting preintervention to overreporting postintervention). For the consistent reporters, no participant characteristics were found to influence whether someone over- or underreported performance compared with sensor-based assessment. Participants did not consistently or accurately self-report UL performance when compared with the sensor-derived use ratio. Although self-report and sensor-based assessments are moderately associated and appear similar conceptually, these results suggest self-reported UL performance is often not consistent with sensor-measured performance and the measures cannot be used interchangeably. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Novel Attitude Estimation Algorithm Based on the Non-Orthogonal Magnetic Sensors

PubMed Central

Zhu, Jianliang; Wu, Panlong; Bo, Yuming

2016-01-01

Because the existing extremum ratio method for projectile attitude measurement is vulnerable to random disturbance, a novel integral ratio method is proposed to calculate the projectile attitude. First, the non-orthogonal measurement theory of the magnetic sensors is analyzed. It is found that the projectile rotating velocity is constant in one spinning circle and the attitude error is actually the pitch error. Next, by investigating the model of the extremum ratio method, an integral ratio mathematical model is established to improve the anti-disturbance performance. Finally, by combining the preprocessed magnetic sensor data based on the least-square method and the rotating extremum features in one cycle, the analytical expression of the proposed integral ratio algorithm is derived with respect to the pitch angle. The simulation results show that the proposed integral ratio method gives more accurate attitude calculations than does the extremum ratio method, and that the attitude error variance can decrease by more than 90%. Compared to the extremum ratio method (which collects only a single data point in one rotation cycle), the proposed integral ratio method can utilize all of the data collected in the high spin environment, which is a clearly superior calculation approach, and can be applied to the actual projectile environment disturbance. PMID:27213389

Control and materials characterization System for 6T Superconducting Cryogen Free Magnet Facility at IUAC, New Delhi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutt, R. N.; Meena, D. K.; Kar, S.; Soni, V.; Nadaf, A.; Das, A.; Singh, F.; Datta, T. S.

2017-02-01

A system for carrying out automatic experimental measurements of various electrical transport characteristics and their relation to magnetic fields for samples mounted on the sample holder on a Variable Temperature Insert (VTI) of the Cryogen Free Superconducting Magnet System (CFMS) has been developed. The control and characterization system is capable of monitoring, online plotting and history logging in real-time of cryogenic temperatures with the Silicon (Si) Diode and Zirconium Oxy-Nitride sensors installed inside the magnet facility. Electrical transport property measurements have been automated with implementation of current reversal resistance measurements and automatic temperature set-point ramping with the parameters of interest available in real-time as well as for later analysis. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) based system is user friendly to facilitate operations. An ingenious electronics for reading Zirconium Oxy-Nitride temperature sensors has been used. Price to performance ratio has been optimized by using in house developed measurement techniques mixed with specialized commercial cryogenic measurement / control equipment.

A microcomputer-based daily living activity recording system.

PubMed

Matsuoka, Shingo; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Maki, Hiromichi; Ogawa, Hidekuni; Hahn, Allen W; Thayer, Julian F; Caldwell, W Morton

2003-01-01

A new daily living activity recording system has been developed for monitoring health conditions and living patterns, such as respiration, posture, activity/rest ratios and general activity level. The system employs a piezoelectric sensor, a dual axis accelerometer, two low-power active filters, a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer and a 128 MB compact flash memory. The piezoelectric sensor, whose electrical polarization voltage is produced by mechanical strain, detects body movements. Its high-frequency output components reflect body movements produced by walking and running activities, while the low frequency components are mainly respiratory. The dual axis accelerometer detects, from body X and Y tilt angles, whether the patient is standing, sitting or lying down (prone, supine, left side or right side). The detected respiratory, behavior and posture signals are stored by the compact flash memory. After recording, these data are downloaded to a desktop computer and analyzed.

A novel vibration structure for dynamic balancing measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Peng; Cai, Ping; Hu, Qinghan; Li, Yingxia

2006-11-01

Based on the conception of instantaneous motion center in theoretical mechanics, the paper presents a novel virtual vibration structure for dynamic balancing measurement with high precision. The structural features and the unbalancing response characteristics of this vibration structure are analyzed in depth. The relation between the real measuring system and the virtual one is emphatically expounded. Theoretical analysis indicates that the flexibly hinged integrative plate spring sets holds fixed vibration center, with the result that this vibration system has the most excellent effect of plane separation. In addition, the sensors are mounted on the same longitudinal section. Thus the influence of phase error on the primary unbalance reduction ratio is eliminated. Furthermore, the performance changes in sensors caused by environmental factor have less influence on the accuracy of the measurement. The result for this system is more accurate measurement with lower requirement for a second correction run.

Lightning Sensors for Observing, Tracking and Nowcasting Severe Weather

PubMed Central

Price, Colin

2008-01-01

Severe and extreme weather is a major natural hazard all over the world, often resulting in major natural disasters such as hail storms, tornados, wind storms, flash floods, forest fires and lightning damages. While precipitation, wind, hail, tornados, turbulence, etc. can only be observed at close distances, lightning activity in these damaging storms can be monitored at all spatial scales, from local (using very high frequency [VHF] sensors), to regional (using very low frequency [VLF] sensors), and even global scales (using extremely low frequency [ELF] sensors). Using sensors that detect the radio waves emitted by each lightning discharge, it is now possible to observe and track continuously distant thunderstorms using ground networks of sensors. In addition to the number of lightning discharges, these sensors can also provide information on lightning characteristics such as the ratio between intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning, the polarity of the lightning discharge, peak currents, charge removal, etc. It has been shown that changes in some of these lightning characteristics during thunderstorms are often related to changes in the severity of the storms. In this paper different lightning observing systems are described, and a few examples are provided showing how lightning may be used to monitor storm hazards around the globe, while also providing the possibility of supplying short term forecasts, called nowcasting. PMID:27879700

A High-Temperature Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor with an Integrated Signal-Conditioning Circuit.

PubMed

Yao, Zong; Liang, Ting; Jia, Pinggang; Hong, Yingping; Qi, Lei; Lei, Cheng; Zhang, Bin; Xiong, Jijun

2016-06-18

This paper focuses on the design and fabrication of a high-temperature piezoresistive pressure sensor with an integrated signal-conditioning circuit, which consists of an encapsulated pressure-sensitive chip, a temperature compensation circuit and a signal-conditioning circuit. A silicon on insulation (SOI) material and a standard MEMS process are used in the pressure-sensitive chip fabrication, and high-temperature electronic components are adopted in the temperature-compensation and signal-conditioning circuits. The entire pressure sensor achieves a hermetic seal and can be operated long-term in the range of -50 °C to 220 °C. Unlike traditional pressure sensor output voltage ranges (in the dozens to hundreds of millivolts), the output voltage of this sensor is from 0 V to 5 V, which can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy in practical applications of long-term transmission based on experimental verification. Furthermore, because this flexible sensor's output voltage is adjustable, general follow-up pressure transmitter devices for voltage converters need not be used, which greatly reduces the cost of the test system. Thus, the proposed high-temperature piezoresistive pressure sensor with an integrated signal-conditioning circuit is expected to be highly applicable to pressure measurements in harsh environments.

The challenge of sCMOS image sensor technology to EMCCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Weijing; Dai, Fang; Na, Qiyue

2018-02-01

In the field of low illumination image sensor, the noise of the latest scientific-grade CMOS image sensor is close to EMCCD, and the industry thinks it has the potential to compete and even replace EMCCD. Therefore we selected several typical sCMOS and EMCCD image sensors and cameras to compare their performance parameters. The results show that the signal-to-noise ratio of sCMOS is close to EMCCD, and the other parameters are superior. But signal-to-noise ratio is very important for low illumination imaging, and the actual imaging results of sCMOS is not ideal. EMCCD is still the first choice in the high-performance application field.

[Study on remote sensing of methane leakage using a tunable diode laser].

PubMed

Fan, Hong; Gao, Xiao-Ming; Bao, Jian; Wang, Xia; Huang, Teng; Huang, Wei; Cao, Zhen-Song; Zhang, Wei-Jun

2006-08-01

The leak of natural gas is not only an economic loss, but also the fountain of danger. Conventional detection techniques of natural gas pipe leak have low efficiency and slow respond time, therefore, it is difficult for them to suit practice application. Optical sensors based on NIR tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy were widely used because of high sensitivity, small volume and less maintenance. In the present paper, a portable remote sensor of natural gas pipeline leak was reported. The sensor used a ratio of second to first harmonic signals as calibration method, and the results show a good consistency between the concentrations and the ratios of second to first harmonic signals. The effect of different topographic scattering targets on the ratio detection was measured and analyzed. The results show that the ratio of second to first harmonic signals can be used in practical application.

Characteristic vector analysis of inflection ratio spectra: New technique for analysis of ocean color data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grew, G. W.

1985-01-01

Characteristic vector analysis applied to inflection ratio spectra is a new approach to analyzing spectral data. The technique applied to remote data collected with the multichannel ocean color sensor (MOCS), a passive sensor, simultaneously maps the distribution of two different phytopigments, chlorophyll alpha and phycoerythrin, the ocean. The data set presented is from a series of warm core ring missions conducted during 1982. The data compare favorably with a theoretical model and with data collected on the same mission by an active sensor, the airborne oceanographic lidar (AOL).

Dissipatively Stabilized Quantum Sensor Based on Indirect Nuclear-Nuclear Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Q.; Schwarz, I.; Plenio, M. B.

2017-07-01

We propose to use a dissipatively stabilized nitrogen vacancy (NV) center as a mediator of interaction between two nuclear spins that are protected from decoherence and relaxation of the NV due to the periodical resets of the NV center. Under ambient conditions this scheme achieves highly selective high-fidelity quantum gates between nuclear spins in a quantum register even at large NV-nuclear distances. Importantly, this method allows for the use of nuclear spins as a sensor rather than a memory, while the NV spin acts as an ancillary system for the initialization and readout of the sensor. The immunity to the decoherence and relaxation of the NV center leads to a tunable sharp frequency filter while allowing at the same time the continuous collection of the signal to achieve simultaneously high spectral selectivity and high signal-to-noise ratio.

Time varying voltage combustion control and diagnostics sensor

DOEpatents

Chorpening, Benjamin T [Morgantown, WV; Thornton, Jimmy D [Morgantown, WV; Huckaby, E David [Morgantown, WV; Fincham, William [Fairmont, WV

2011-04-19

A time-varying voltage is applied to an electrode, or a pair of electrodes, of a sensor installed in a fuel nozzle disposed adjacent the combustion zone of a continuous combustion system, such as of the gas turbine engine type. The time-varying voltage induces a time-varying current in the flame which is measured and used to determine flame capacitance using AC electrical circuit analysis. Flame capacitance is used to accurately determine the position of the flame from the sensor and the fuel/air ratio. The fuel and/or air flow rate (s) is/are then adjusted to provide reduced flame instability problems such as flashback, combustion dynamics and lean blowout, as well as reduced emissions. The time-varying voltage may be an alternating voltage and the time-varying current may be an alternating current.

Development of a thick film PZT foil sensor for use in structural health monitoring applications.

PubMed

Pickwell, Andrew J; Dorey, Robert A; Mba, David

2013-02-01

Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is a technique of growing interest in the field of nondestructive testing (NDT). The use of AE devices to monitor the health of structural components is currently limited by the cost of AE equipment, which prohibits the permanent placement of AE devices on structures for the purposes of continuous monitoring and the monitoring of areas with limited access. Micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) can provide solutions to these problems. We present the manufacture of a 4.4-μm-thick lead zirconate titanate (PZT) film on a 110-μm-thick titanium foil substrate for use as an AE sensor. The thick-film sensor is benchmarked against commercially available AE sensors in static and dynamic monitoring applications. The thick-film AE device is found to perform well in the detection of AE in static applications. A low signal-to-noise ratio is found to prohibit the detection of AE in a dynamic application.

A 128×96 Pixel Stack-Type Color Image Sensor: Stack of Individual Blue-, Green-, and Red-Sensitive Organic Photoconductive Films Integrated with a ZnO Thin Film Transistor Readout Circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Hokuto; Aihara, Satoshi; Watabe, Toshihisa; Ohtake, Hiroshi; Sakai, Toshikatsu; Kubota, Misao; Egami, Norifumi; Hiramatsu, Takahiro; Matsuda, Tokiyoshi; Furuta, Mamoru; Hirao, Takashi

2011-02-01

A color image was produced by a vertically stacked image sensor with blue (B)-, green (G)-, and red (R)-sensitive organic photoconductive films, each having a thin-film transistor (TFT) array that uses a zinc oxide (ZnO) channel to read out the signal generated in each organic film. The number of the pixels of the fabricated image sensor is 128×96 for each color, and the pixel size is 100×100 µm2. The current on/off ratio of the ZnO TFT is over 106, and the B-, G-, and R-sensitive organic photoconductive films show excellent wavelength selectivity. The stacked image sensor can produce a color image at 10 frames per second with a resolution corresponding to the pixel number. This result clearly shows that color separation is achieved without using any conventional color separation optical system such as a color filter array or a prism.

Extraordinarily Stretchable All-Carbon Collaborative Nanoarchitectures for Epidermal Sensors.

PubMed

Cai, Yichen; Shen, Jie; Dai, Ziyang; Zang, Xiaoxian; Dong, Qiuchun; Guan, Guofeng; Li, Lain-Jong; Huang, Wei; Dong, Xiaochen

2017-08-01

Multifunctional microelectronic components featuring large stretchability, high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and broad sensing range have attracted a huge surge of interest with the fast developing epidermal electronic systems. Here, the epidermal sensors based on all-carbon collaborative percolation network are demonstrated, which consist 3D graphene foam and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) obtained by two-step chemical vapor deposition processes. The nanoscaled CNT networks largely enhance the stretchability and SNR of the 3D microarchitectural graphene foams, endowing the strain sensor with a gauge factor as high as 35, a wide reliable sensing range up to 85%, and excellent cyclic stability (>5000 cycles). The flexible and reversible strain sensor can be easily mounted on human skin as a wearable electronic device for real-time and high accuracy detecting of electrophysiological stimuli and even for acoustic vibration recognition. The rationally designed all-carbon nanoarchitectures are scalable, low cost, and promising in practical applications requiring extraordinary stretchability and ultrahigh SNRs. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

New Hypervelocity Terminal Intercept Guidance Systems for Deflecting/Disrupting Hazardous Asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyzhoft, Joshua Richard

Computational modeling and simulations of visual and infrared (IR) sensors are investigated for a new hypervelocity terminal guidance system of intercepting small asteroids (50 to 150 meters in diameter). Computational software tools for signal-to-noise ratio estimation of visual and IR sensors, estimation of minimum and maximum ranges of target detection, and GPU (Graphics Processing Units)-accelerated simulations of the IR-based terminal intercept guidance systems are developed. Scaled polyhedron models of known objects, such as the Rosetta mission's Comet 67P/C-G, NASA's OSIRIS-REx Bennu, and asteroid 433 Eros, are utilized in developing a GPU-based simulation tool for the IR-based terminal intercept guidance systems. A parallelized-ray tracing algorithm for simulating realistic surface-to-surface shadowing of irregular-shaped asteroids or comets is developed. Polyhedron solid-angle approximation is also considered. Using these computational models, digital image processing is investigated to determine single or multiple impact locations to assess the technical feasibility of new planetary defense mission concepts of utilizing a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) or a Multiple Kinetic-energy Interceptor Vehicle (MKIV). Study results indicate that the IR-based guidance system outperforms the visual-based system in asteroid detection and tracking. When using an IR sensor, predicting impact locations from filtered images resulted in less jittery spacecraft control accelerations than conducting missions with a visual sensor. Infrared sensors have also the possibility to detect asteroids at greater distances, and if properly used, can aid in terminal phase guidance for proper impact location determination for the MKIV system. Emerging new topics of the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) estimation and the Full-Two-Body Problem (F2BP) formulation are also investigated to assess a potential near-Earth object collision risk and the proximity gravity effects of an irregular-shaped binary-asteroid target on a standoff nuclear explosion mission.

A ratioing radiometer for use with a solar diffuser. [to monitor in-flight calibration of satellite sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, James M.; Slater, Philip N.

1991-01-01

The use of an on-board solar diffuser has been proposed to monitor the in-flight calibration of satellite sensors. This paper presents the preliminary specifications and design for a ratioing radiometer, to be used to determine the change in radiance of the solar diffuser. The issues involved in spectral channel selection are discussed and the effects of stray light are presented. An error analysis showing the benefit of the ratioing radiometer is included.

Mastication noise reduction method for fully implantable hearing aid using piezo-electric sensor.

PubMed

Na, Sung Dae; Lee, Gihyoun; Wei, Qun; Seong, Ki Woong; Cho, Jin Ho; Kim, Myoung Nam

2017-07-20

Fully implantable hearing devices (FIHDs) can be affected by generated biomechanical noise such as mastication noise. To reduce the mastication noise using a piezo-electric sensor, the mastication noise is measured with the piezo-electric sensor, and noise reduction is practiced by the energy difference. For the experiment on mastication noise, a skull model was designed using artificial skull model and a piezo-electric sensor that can measure the vibration signals better than other sensors. A 1 kHz pure-tone sound through a standard speaker was applied to the model while the lower jawbone of the model was moved in a masticatory fashion. The correlation coefficients and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) before and after application of the proposed method were compared. It was found that the signal-to-noise ratio and correlation coefficients increased by 4.48 dB and 0.45, respectively. The mastication noise is measured by piezo-electric sensor as the mastication noise that occurred during vibration. In addition, the noise was reduced by using the proposed method in conjunction with MATLAB. In order to confirm the performance of the proposed method, the correlation coefficients and signal-to-noise ratio before and after signal processing were calculated. In the future, an implantable microphone for real-time processing will be developed.

Displacement sensing system and method

DOEpatents

VunKannon, Jr., Robert S

2006-08-08

A displacement sensing system and method addresses demanding requirements for high precision sensing of displacement of a shaft, for use typically in a linear electro-dynamic machine, having low failure rates over multi-year unattended operation in hostile environments. Applications include outer space travel by spacecraft having high-temperature, sealed environments without opportunity for servicing over many years of operation. The displacement sensing system uses a three coil sensor configuration, including a reference and sense coils, to provide a pair of ratio-metric signals, which are inputted into a synchronous comparison circuit, which is synchronously processed for a resultant displacement determination. The pair of ratio-metric signals are similarly affected by environmental conditions so that the comparison circuit is able to subtract or nullify environmental conditions that would otherwise cause changes in accuracy to occur.

Test Equipment and Method to Characterize a SWIR Digital Imaging System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) detectors are sensitive in the visible and near infrared (NIR) bands, and used only at night. They produce images from... current from the silicon sensor located on the sphere. The irradiance responsivity, Rn, is the ratio of the silicon detector current and the absolute...silicon detector currents , in accordance with equation 1: ( , ,)[ 2⁄ ] = [] ( ,

Comparison of Bowen-ratio, eddy-correlation, and weighing-lysimeter evapotranspiration for two sparse-canopy sites in eastern Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomlinson, S.A.

1996-01-01

This report compares evapotranspiration estimated with the Bowen-ratio and eddy-correlation methods with evapotranspiration measured by weighing lysimeters for two sparse-canopy sites in eastern Washington. The sites are located in a grassland area (grass lysimeter site) and a sagbrush- covered area (sage lysimeter site) on the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve in Benton County, Washington. Lysimeter data were collected at the sites from August 1990 to November 1994. Bowen-ratio data were collected for varying periods from May 1993 to November 1994. Additional Bowen-ratio data without interchanging air- temperature and vapor-pressure sensors to remove sensor bias (fixed-sensor system) were collected from October 1993 to June 1994. Eddy-correlation data were collected at the grass lysimeter site from March to April 1994, and at the sage lysimeter site from April to May 1994. The comparisons of evapotranspiration determined by the various methods differed considerably, depending on the periods of record being compared and the sites being analyzed. The year 1993 was very wet, with about 50 percent more precipitation than average; 1994 was a very dry year, with only about half the average precipitation. The study showed that on an annual basis, at least in 1994, Bowen-ratio evapotranspiration closely matched lysimeter evapotranspiration. In 1993, Bowen-ratio and lysimeter evapotranspiration comparisons were variable. Evapotranspiration estimated with the Bowen-ratio method averaged 5 percent more than evapotranspiration measured by lysimeters at the grass lysimeter site from October 1993 to November 1994, and 3 percent less than lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site from November 1993 to October 1994. From March 24 to April 5, 1994, at the grass lysimeter site, the Bowen-ratio method estimated 11 percent less, the Bowen-ratio method utilizing the fixed sensor system about 7 percent more, and the eddy-correlation method about 28 percent less evapotranspiration than the lysimeters measured. From May 7 to June 18, 1993, however, the Bowen-ratio method estimated only 54 percent of the evapotranspiration measured by lysimeters at the grass lysimeter site. This large difference possibly may be attributed to Bowen-ratio instrument variability or error, to the density of grasses in the lysimeters being greater than in the surrounding area, or to heating effects on the lysimeters. From September 1 to October 31, 1993, the Bowen-ratio method estimated more than 450 percent more evapotranspiration than was measured by lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site. This difference may have been due to conditions in the lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site that were unrepresentative of natural conditions. The Bowen-ratio instruments measured evapotrans- piration over sagebrush plants outside the lysimeters, which were blooming very heavily, possibly using supplemental ground water or spring water from nearby upslope areas. The sagebrush plants contained by the lysimeters showed very little evapotranspiration, possibly because they were root-bound and had already used all available water. Also, plants in the lysimeters would not have been able to access any supplemental water available to plants outside the confines of the lysimeters. Earlier in 1993, from June 17 to July 12, the Bowen-ratio method estimated only 1 percent less evapotranspiration than determined for the lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site. On the basis of lysimeter measurements from August 1990 to November 1994, cumulative evapotrans- piration ranged from about 97 to 103 percent of the annual precipitation each year. The evapotranspiration measurements made at the grass and sage lysimeter sites, which were based on weight changes in the lysimeters, showed that storage changes became nearly zero each year some time between August and November as average surface soil moisture decreased to about 2 percent and evapotranspiration rates decreased to less than 0.1 millimeter per day.

Inductive sensor performance in partial discharges and noise separation by means of spectral power ratios.

PubMed

Ardila-Rey, Jorge Alfredo; Rojas-Moreno, Mónica Victoria; Martínez-Tarifa, Juan Manuel; Robles, Guillermo

2014-02-19

Partial discharge (PD) detection is a standardized technique to qualify electrical insulation in machines and power cables. Several techniques that analyze the waveform of the pulses have been proposed to discriminate noise from PD activity. Among them, spectral power ratio representation shows great flexibility in the separation of the sources of PD. Mapping spectral power ratios in two-dimensional plots leads to clusters of points which group pulses with similar characteristics. The position in the map depends on the nature of the partial discharge, the setup and the frequency response of the sensors. If these clusters are clearly separated, the subsequent task of identifying the source of the discharge is straightforward so the distance between clusters can be a figure of merit to suggest the best option for PD recognition. In this paper, two inductive sensors with different frequency responses to pulsed signals, a high frequency current transformer and an inductive loop sensor, are analyzed to test their performance in detecting and separating the sources of partial discharges.

Gaseous slip flow analysis of a micromachined flow sensor for ultra small flow applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jaesung; Wereley, Steven T.

2007-02-01

The velocity slip of a fluid at a wall is one of the most typical phenomena in microscale gas flows. This paper presents a flow analysis considering the velocity slip in a capacitive micro gas flow sensor based on pressure difference measurements along a microchannel. The tangential momentum accommodation coefficient (TMAC) measurements of a particular channel wall in planar microchannels will be presented while the previous micro gas flow studies have been based on the same TMACs on both walls. The sensors consist of a pair of capacitive pressure sensors, inlet/outlet and a microchannel. The main microchannel is 128.0 µm wide, 4.64 µm deep and 5680 µm long, and operated under nearly atmospheric conditions where the outlet Knudsen number is 0.0137. The sensor was fabricated using silicon wet etching, ultrasonic drilling, deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and anodic bonding. The capacitance change of the sensor and the mass flow rate of nitrogen were measured as the inlet-to-outlet pressure ratio was varied from 1.00 to 1.24. The measured maximum mass flow rate was 3.86 × 10-10 kg s-1 (0.019 sccm) at the highest pressure ratio tested. As the pressure difference increased, both the capacitance of the differential pressure sensor and the flow rate through the main microchannel increased. The laminar friction constant f sdot Re, an important consideration in sensor design, varied from the incompressible no-slip case and the mass sensitivity and resolution of this sensor were discussed. Using the current slip flow formulae, a microchannel with much smaller mass flow rates can be designed at the same pressure ratios.

Calibration of a subcutaneous amperometric glucose sensor implanted for 7 days in diabetic patients. Part 2. Superiority of the one-point calibration method.

PubMed

Choleau, C; Klein, J C; Reach, G; Aussedat, B; Demaria-Pesce, V; Wilson, G S; Gifford, R; Ward, W K

2002-08-01

Calibration, i.e. the transformation in real time of the signal I(t) generated by the glucose sensor at time t into an estimation of glucose concentration G(t), represents a key issue for the development of a continuous glucose monitoring system. To compare two calibration procedures. In the one-point calibration, which assumes that I(o) is negligible, S is simply determined as the ratio I/G, and G(t) = I(t)/S. The two-point calibration consists in the determination of a sensor sensitivity S and of a background current I(o) by plotting two values of the sensor signal versus the concomitant blood glucose concentrations. The subsequent estimation of G(t) is given by G(t) = (I(t)-I(o))/S. A glucose sensor was implanted in the abdominal subcutaneous tissue of nine type 1 diabetic patients during 3 (n = 2) and 7 days (n = 7). The one-point calibration was performed a posteriori either once per day before breakfast, or twice per day before breakfast and dinner, or three times per day before each meal. The two-point calibration was performed each morning during breakfast. The percentages of points present in zones A and B of the Clarke Error Grid were significantly higher when the system was calibrated using the one-point calibration. Use of two one-point calibrations per day before meals was virtually as accurate as three one-point calibrations. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a simple method for calibrating a continuous glucose monitoring system.

A community-based event delivery protocol in publish/subscribe systems for delay tolerant sensor networks.

PubMed

Liu, Nianbo; Liu, Ming; Zhu, Jinqi; Gong, Haigang

2009-01-01

The basic operation of a Delay Tolerant Sensor Network (DTSN) is to finish pervasive data gathering in networks with intermittent connectivity, while the publish/subscribe (Pub/Sub for short) paradigm is used to deliver events from a source to interested clients in an asynchronous way. Recently, extension of Pub/Sub systems in DTSNs has become a promising research topic. However, due to the unique frequent partitioning characteristic of DTSNs, extension of a Pub/Sub system in a DTSN is a considerably difficult and challenging problem, and there are no good solutions to this problem in published works. To ad apt Pub/Sub systems to DTSNs, we propose CED, a community-based event delivery protocol. In our design, event delivery is based on several unchanged communities, which are formed by sensor nodes in the network according to their connectivity. CED consists of two components: event delivery and queue management. In event delivery, events in a community are delivered to mobile subscribers once a subscriber comes into the community, for improving the data delivery ratio. The queue management employs both the event successful delivery time and the event survival time to decide whether an event should be delivered or dropped for minimizing the transmission overhead. The effectiveness of CED is demonstrated through comprehensive simulation studies.

Theoretical and Experimental Study on Wide Range Optical Fiber Turbine Flow Sensor.

PubMed

Du, Yuhuan; Guo, Yingqing

2016-07-15

In this paper, a novel fiber turbine flow sensor was proposed and demonstrated for liquid measurement with optical fiber, using light intensity modulation to measure the turbine rotational speed for converting to flow rate. The double-circle-coaxial (DCC) fiber probe was introduced in frequency measurement for the first time. Through the divided ratio of two rings light intensity, the interference in light signals acquisition can be eliminated. To predict the characteristics between the output frequency and flow in the nonlinear range, the turbine flow sensor model was built. Via analyzing the characteristics of turbine flow sensor, piecewise linear equations were achieved in expanding the flow measurement range. Furthermore, the experimental verification was tested. The results showed that the flow range ratio of DN20 turbine flow sensor was improved 2.9 times after using piecewise linear in the nonlinear range. Therefore, combining the DCC fiber sensor and piecewise linear method, it can be developed into a strong anti-electromagnetic interference(anti-EMI) and wide range fiber turbine flowmeter.

Theoretical and Experimental Study on Wide Range Optical Fiber Turbine Flow Sensor

PubMed Central

Du, Yuhuan; Guo, Yingqing

2016-01-01

In this paper, a novel fiber turbine flow sensor was proposed and demonstrated for liquid measurement with optical fiber, using light intensity modulation to measure the turbine rotational speed for converting to flow rate. The double-circle-coaxial (DCC) fiber probe was introduced in frequency measurement for the first time. Through the divided ratio of two rings light intensity, the interference in light signals acquisition can be eliminated. To predict the characteristics between the output frequency and flow in the nonlinear range, the turbine flow sensor model was built. Via analyzing the characteristics of turbine flow sensor, piecewise linear equations were achieved in expanding the flow measurement range. Furthermore, the experimental verification was tested. The results showed that the flow range ratio of DN20 turbine flow sensor was improved 2.9 times after using piecewise linear in the nonlinear range. Therefore, combining the DCC fiber sensor and piecewise linear method, it can be developed into a strong anti-electromagnetic interference(anti-EMI) and wide range fiber turbine flowmeter. PMID:27428976

Monitoring Poisson's Ratio Degradation of FRP Composites under Fatigue Loading Using Biaxially Embedded FBG Sensors.

PubMed

Akay, Erdem; Yilmaz, Cagatay; Kocaman, Esat S; Turkmen, Halit S; Yildiz, Mehmet

2016-09-19

The significance of strain measurement is obvious for the analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites. Conventional strain measurement methods are sufficient for static testing in general. Nevertheless, if the requirements exceed the capabilities of these conventional methods, more sophisticated techniques are necessary to obtain strain data. Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have many advantages for strain measurement over conventional ones. Thus, the present paper suggests a novel method for biaxial strain measurement using embedded FBG sensors during the fatigue testing of FRP composites. Poisson's ratio and its reduction were monitored for each cyclic loading by using embedded FBG sensors for a given specimen and correlated with the fatigue stages determined based on the variations of the applied fatigue loading and temperature due to the autogenous heating to predict an oncoming failure of the continuous fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composite specimens under fatigue loading. The results show that FBG sensor technology has a remarkable potential for monitoring the evolution of Poisson's ratio on a cycle-by-cycle basis, which can reliably be used towards tracking the fatigue stages of composite for structural health monitoring purposes.

Monitoring Poisson’s Ratio Degradation of FRP Composites under Fatigue Loading Using Biaxially Embedded FBG Sensors

PubMed Central

Akay, Erdem; Yilmaz, Cagatay; Kocaman, Esat S.; Turkmen, Halit S.; Yildiz, Mehmet

2016-01-01

The significance of strain measurement is obvious for the analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites. Conventional strain measurement methods are sufficient for static testing in general. Nevertheless, if the requirements exceed the capabilities of these conventional methods, more sophisticated techniques are necessary to obtain strain data. Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have many advantages for strain measurement over conventional ones. Thus, the present paper suggests a novel method for biaxial strain measurement using embedded FBG sensors during the fatigue testing of FRP composites. Poisson’s ratio and its reduction were monitored for each cyclic loading by using embedded FBG sensors for a given specimen and correlated with the fatigue stages determined based on the variations of the applied fatigue loading and temperature due to the autogenous heating to predict an oncoming failure of the continuous fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composite specimens under fatigue loading. The results show that FBG sensor technology has a remarkable potential for monitoring the evolution of Poisson’s ratio on a cycle-by-cycle basis, which can reliably be used towards tracking the fatigue stages of composite for structural health monitoring purposes. PMID:28773901

Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF6 Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xin; Luo, Chenchen; Dong, Xingchen; Zhou, Lei

2015-01-01

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD) conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors’ resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors. PMID:26569245

Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and transpiration. II - The role of biophysics in the linearity of their interdependence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.

1987-01-01

The ability of satellite sensor systems to estimate area-averaged canopy photosynthetic and transpirative properties is evaluated. The near linear relationship between the simple ratio (SR) and normalized difference (ND) and the surface biophysical properties of canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorption, photosynthesis, and bulk stomatal resistance is studied. The models utilized to illustrate the processes of canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and resistance are described. The dependence of SR, the absorbed fraction of PAR, and canopy photosynthesis and resistance on total leaf area index is analyzed. It is noted that the SR and ND vegetation indices and vegetation-dependent qualities are near-linearly related due to the proportion of leaf scattering coefficient in visible and near IR wavelength regions. The data reveal that satellite sensor systems are useful for the estimation of photosynthesis and transpirative properties.

Surface energy and radiation balance systems - General description and improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fritschen, Leo J.; Simpson, James R.

1989-01-01

Surface evaluation of sensible and latent heat flux densities and the components of the radiation balance were desired for various vegetative surfaces during the ASCOT84 experiment to compare with modeled results and to relate these values to drainage winds. Five battery operated data systems equipped with sensors to determine the above values were operated for 105 station days during the ASCOT84 experiment. The Bowen ratio energy balance technique was used to partition the available energy into the sensible and latent heat flux densities. A description of the sensors and battery operated equipment used to collect and process the data is presented. In addition, improvements and modifications made since the 1984 experiment are given. Details of calculations of soil heat flow at the surface and an alternate method to calculate sensible and latent heat flux densities are provided.

Improving the performance of a pyramid wavefront sensor with modal sensitivity compensation.

PubMed

Korkiakoski, Visa; Vérinaud, Christophe; Le Louarn, Miska

2008-01-01

We describe a solution to increase the performance of a pyramid wavefront sensor (P-WFS) under bad seeing conditions. We show that most of the issues involve a reduced sensitivity that depends on the magnitude of the high frequency atmospheric distortions. We demonstrate in end-to-end closed loop adaptive optics simulations that with a modal sensitivity compensation method a high-order system with a nonmodulated P-WFS is robust in conditions with the Fried parameter r 0 at 0.5 microm in the range of 0.05-0.10 m. We also show that the method makes it possible to use a modal predictive control system to reach a total performance improvement of 0.06-0.45 in Strehl ratio at 1.6 microm. Especially at r 0=0.05 m the gain is dramatic.

Pocket-Size Interferometric Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waters, James P.; Fernald, Mark R.

1990-04-01

Optical sensors have the intrinsic advantages over electronic sensors of complete safety in hazardous areas and absolute immunity from both transmitting or picking up electromagnetic radiation. However, adoption of optical sensors in real-world applications requires a sensor design which has a sensitivity, resolution, and dynamic range comparable to an equivalent electronic sensor and at the same time must fulfill the practical considerations of small size and low cost. While sensitivity, resolution and dynamic range can be easily achieved with optical heterodyne sensors, the practical considerations make their near-term adoption unlikely. Significant improvements to optical heterodyne vibration and velocity sensors (flexibility, reliability and environmental immunity) have been realized with the use of semiconductor lasers, optical fibers and fiber-optic components. In fact, all of the discrete optical components in a heterodyne interferometer have been replaced with much smaller and more rugged devices except for the optical frequency shifter, acousto-optic modulator (AOM). The AOM and associated power supply, however, account for a substantial portion of both the size and cost. Previous work has shown that an integrated-optic, serrodyne phase modulator with an inexpensive drive circuit can be used for single sideband heterodyne detection. This paper describes the next step, design and implementation of a heterodyne interferometer using integrated-Optic technology to provide the polarization maintaining couplers and phase modulator. The couplers were made using a proton exchange process which produced devices with an extinction ratio of better than 40 dB. The serrodyne phase modulator had the advantage over an AOM of being considerably smaller and having a drive power of less than a milliwatt. The results of this work show that this technology is an effective way of reducing the size of the system and the cost of multiple units without sacarifying performance.

Real-Time, Non-Intrusive Detection of Liquid Nitrogen in Liquid Oxygen at High Pressure and High Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Jagdish P.; Yueh, Fang-Yu; Kalluru, Rajamohan R.; Harrison, Louie

2012-01-01

An integrated fiber-optic Raman sensor has been designed for real-time, nonintrusive detection of liquid nitrogen in liquid oxygen (LOX) at high pressures and high flow rates in order to monitor the quality of LOX used during rocket engine ground testing. The integrated sensor employs a high-power (3-W) Melles Griot diode-pumped, solid-state (DPSS), frequency-doubled Nd:YAG 532- nm laser; a modified Raman probe that has built-in Raman signal filter optics; two high-resolution spectrometers; and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with selected bandpass filters to collect both N2 and O2 Raman signals. The PMT detection units are interfaced with National Instruments Lab- VIEW for fast data acquisition. Studies of sensor performance with different detection systems (i.e., spectrometer and PMT) were carried out. The concentration ratio of N2 and O2 can be inferred by comparing the intensities of the N2 and O2 Raman signals. The final system was fabricated to measure N2 and O2 gas mixtures as well as mixtures of liquid N2 and LOX

A bubble-based microfluidic gas sensor for gas chromatographs.

PubMed

Bulbul, Ashrafuzzaman; Kim, Hanseup

2015-01-07

We report a new proof-of-concept bubble-based gas sensor for a gas chromatography system, which utilizes the unique relationship between the diameters of the produced bubbles with the gas types and mixture ratios as a sensing element. The bubble-based gas sensor consists of gas and liquid channels as well as a nozzle to produce gas bubbles through a micro-structure. It utilizes custom-developed software and an optical camera to statistically analyze the diameters of the produced bubbles in flow. The fabricated gas sensor showed that five types of gases (CO2, He, H2, N2, and CH4) produced (1) unique volumes of 0.44, 0.74, 1.03, 1.28, and 1.42 nL (0%, 68%, 134%, 191%, and 223% higher than that of CO2) and (2) characteristic linear expansion coefficients (slope) of 1.38, 2.93, 3.45, 5.06, and 5.44 nL/(kPa (μL s(-1))(-1)). The gas sensor also demonstrated that (3) different gas mixture ratios of CO2 : N2 (100 : 0, 80 : 20, 50 : 50, 20 : 80 and 0 : 100) generated characteristic bubble diameters of 48.95, 77.99, 71.00, 78.53 and 99.50 μm, resulting in a linear coefficient of 10.26 μm (μL s(-1))(-1). It (4) successfully identified an injection (0.01 μL) of pentane (C5) into a continuous carrier gas stream of helium (He) by monitoring bubble diameters and creating a chromatogram and demonstrated (5) the output stability within only 5.60% variation in 67 tests over a month.

Image sensor pixel with on-chip high extinction ratio polarizer based on 65-nm standard CMOS technology.

PubMed

Sasagawa, Kiyotaka; Shishido, Sanshiro; Ando, Keisuke; Matsuoka, Hitoshi; Noda, Toshihiko; Tokuda, Takashi; Kakiuchi, Kiyomi; Ohta, Jun

2013-05-06

In this study, we demonstrate a polarization sensitive pixel for a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor based on 65-nm standard CMOS technology. Using such a deep-submicron CMOS technology, it is possible to design fine metal patterns smaller than the wavelengths of visible light by using a metal wire layer. We designed and fabricated a metal wire grid polarizer on a 20 × 20 μm(2) pixel for image sensor. An extinction ratio of 19.7 dB was observed at a wavelength 750 nm.

Integrated sensor with frame memory and programmable resolution for light adaptive imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Zhimin (Inventor); Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor)

2004-01-01

An image sensor operable to vary the output spatial resolution according to a received light level while maintaining a desired signal-to-noise ratio. Signals from neighboring pixels in a pixel patch with an adjustable size are added to increase both the image brightness and signal-to-noise ratio. One embodiment comprises a sensor array for receiving input signals, a frame memory array for temporarily storing a full frame, and an array of self-calibration column integrators for uniform column-parallel signal summation. The column integrators are capable of substantially canceling fixed pattern noise.

Theoretical investigation on multilayer nanocomposite-based fiber optic SPR sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shojaie, Ehsan; Madanipour, Khosro; Gharibzadeh, Azadeh; Abbasi, Shabnam

2017-06-01

In this work, a multilayer nanocomposite based fiber optic SPR sensor is considered and especially designed for CO2 gas detection. This proposed fiber sensor consists of fiber core, gold-silver alloy and the absorber layers. The investigation is based on the evaluation of the transmitted-power derived under the transfer matrix method and the multiple-reflection in the sensing area. In terms of sensitivity, the sensor performance is studied theoretically under various conditions related to the metal layer and its gold and silver nanoparticles to form a single alloy film. Effect of additional parameters such as the ratio of the alloy composition and the thickness of the alloy film on the performance of the SPR sensor is studied, as well. Finally, a four-layer structure is introduced to detect carbon dioxide gas. It contains core fiber, gold-silver alloy layer, an absorbent layer of carbon dioxide gas (KOH) and measurement environment. Lower price and size are the main advantages of using such a sensor in compare with commercial (NDIR) gas sensor. Theoretical results show by increasing the metal layer thickness the sensitivity of sensor is increased, and by increasing the ratio of the gold in alloy the sensitivity is decreased.

Olfaction and Hearing Based Mobile Robot Navigation for Odor/Sound Source Search

PubMed Central

Song, Kai; Liu, Qi; Wang, Qi

2011-01-01

Bionic technology provides a new elicitation for mobile robot navigation since it explores the way to imitate biological senses. In the present study, the challenging problem was how to fuse different biological senses and guide distributed robots to cooperate with each other for target searching. This paper integrates smell, hearing and touch to design an odor/sound tracking multi-robot system. The olfactory robot tracks the chemical odor plume step by step through information fusion from gas sensors and airflow sensors, while two hearing robots localize the sound source by time delay estimation (TDE) and the geometrical position of microphone array. Furthermore, this paper presents a heading direction based mobile robot navigation algorithm, by which the robot can automatically and stably adjust its velocity and direction according to the deviation between the current heading direction measured by magnetoresistive sensor and the expected heading direction acquired through the odor/sound localization strategies. Simultaneously, one robot can communicate with the other robots via a wireless sensor network (WSN). Experimental results show that the olfactory robot can pinpoint the odor source within the distance of 2 m, while two hearing robots can quickly localize and track the olfactory robot in 2 min. The devised multi-robot system can achieve target search with a considerable success ratio and high stability. PMID:22319401

A compact LWIR hyperspectral system employing a microbolometer array and a variable gap Fabry-Perot interferometer employed as a Fourier transform spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucey, Paul G.; Hinrichs, John L.; Akagi, Jason

2012-06-01

A prototype long wave infrared Fourier transform spectral imaging system using a wedged Fabry-Perot interferometer and a microbolometer array was designed and built. The instrument can be used at both short (cm) and long standoff ranges (infinity focus). Signal to noise ratios are in the several hundred range for 30 C targets. The sensor is compact, fitting in a volume about 12 x12 x 4 inches.

Fabrication of a Miniature Multi-Parameter Sensor Chip for Water Quality Assessment

PubMed Central

Zhou, Bo; Bian, Chao; Tong, Jianhua; Xia, Shanhong

2017-01-01

Water contamination is a main inducement of human diseases. It is an important step to monitor the water quality in the water distribution system. Due to the features of large size, high cost, and complicated structure of traditional water determination sensors and devices, it is difficult to realize real-time water monitoring on a large scale. In this paper, we present a multi-parameter sensor chip, which is miniature, low-cost, and robust, to detect the pH, conductivity, and temperature of water simultaneously. The sensor chip was fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) techniques. Iridium oxide film was electrodeposited as the pH-sensing material. The atomic ratio of Ir(III) to Ir(IV) is about 1.38 according to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The pH sensing electrode showed super-Nernstian response (−67.60 mV/pH) and good linearity (R2 = 0.9997), in the range of pH 2.22 to pH 11.81. KCl-agar and epoxy were used as the electrolyte layer and liquid junction for the solid-state reference electrode, respectively, and its potential stability in deionized water was 56 h. The conductivity cell exhibited a linear determination range from 21.43 μS/cm to 1.99 mS/cm, and the electrode constant was 1.566 cm−1. Sensitivity of the temperature sensor was 5.46 Ω/°C. The results indicate that the developed sensor chip has potential application in water quality measurements. PMID:28098824

Hair-based sensors for micro-autonomous systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Mahdi M.; Peterson, Rebecca L.; Najafi, Khalil

2012-06-01

We seek to harness microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies to build biomimetic devices for low-power, high-performance, robust sensors and actuators on micro-autonomous robot platforms. Hair is used abundantly in nature for a variety of functions including balance and inertial sensing, flow sensing and aerodynamic (air foil) control, tactile and touch sensing, insulation and temperature control, particle filtering, and gas/chemical sensing. Biological hairs, which are typically characterized by large surface/volume ratios and mechanical amplification of movement, can be distributed in large numbers over large areas providing unprecedented sensitivity, redundancy, and stability (robustness). Local neural transduction allows for space- and power-efficient signal processing. Moreover by varying the hair structure and transduction mechanism, the basic hair form can be used for a wide diversity of functions. In this paper, by exploiting a novel wafer-level, bubble-free liquid encapsulation technology, we make arrays of micro-hydraulic cells capable of electrostatic actuation and hydraulic amplification, which enables high force/high deflection actuation and extremely sensitive detection (sensing) at low power. By attachment of cilia (hair) to the micro-hydraulic cell, air flow sensors with excellent sensitivity (< few cm/s) and dynamic range (> 10 m/s) have been built. A second-generation design has significantly reduced the sensor response time while maintaining sensitivity of about 2 cm/s and dynamic range of more than 15 m/s. These sensors can be used for dynamic flight control of flying robots or for situational awareness in surveillance applications. The core biomimetic technologies developed are applicable to a broad range of sensors and actuators.

In-process deformation measurements of translucent high speed fibre-reinforced disc rotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, Katrin; Filippatos, Angelos; Koukourakis, Nektarios; Kuschmierz, Robert; Leithold, Christoph; Langkamp, Albert; Fischer, Andreas; Czarske, Jürgen

2015-07-01

The high stiffness to weight ratio of glass fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRP) makes them an attractive material for rotors e.g. in the aerospace industry. We report on recent developments towards non-contact, in-situ deformation measurements with temporal resolution up to 200 µs and micron measurement uncertainty. We determine the starting point of damage evolution inside the rotor material through radial expansion measurements. This leads to a better understanding of dynamic material behaviour regarding damage evolution and the prediction of damage initiation and propagation. The measurements are conducted using a novel multi-sensor system consisting of four laser Doppler distance (LDD) sensors. The LDD sensor, a two-wavelength Mach-Zehnder interferometer was already successfully applied for dynamic deformation measurements at metallic rotors. While translucency of the GFRP rotor material limits the applicability of most optical measurement techniques due to speckles from both surface and volume of the rotor, the LDD profits from speckles and is not disturbed by backscattered laser light from the rotor volume. The LDD sensor evaluates only signals from the rotor surface. The anisotropic glass fibre-reinforcement results in a rotationally asymmetric dynamic deformation. A novel signal processing algorithm is applied for the combination of the single sensor signals to obtain the shape of the investigated rotors. In conclusion, the applied multi-sensor system allows high temporal resolution dynamic deformation measurements. First investigations regarding damage evolution inside GFRP are presented as an important step towards a fundamental understanding of the material behaviour and the prediction of damage initiation and propagation.

Design and nonlinear modeling of a sensitive sensor for the measurement of flow in mice.

PubMed

Bou Jawde, Samer; Smith, Bradford J; Sonnenberg, Adam; Bates, Jason H T; Suki, Bela

2018-06-07

While many studies rely on flow and pressure measurements in small animal models of respiratory disease, such measurements can however be inaccurate and difficult to obtain. Thus, the goal of this study was to design and implement an easy to manufacture and accurate sensor capable of monitoring flow. We designed and 3-D printed a flowmeter and utilized parametric (resistance and inertance) and nonparametric (polynomial and Volterra series) system identification to characterize the device. The sensor was tested in a closed system for apparent flow using the common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). The sensor properly measured tidal volumes and respiratory rates in spontaneously breathing mice. The device was used to evaluate a ventilator's ability to deliver a prescribed volume before and after lung injury. The parametric and polynomial models provided a reasonable prediction of the independently measured flow (Coefficient of determination (Cv)=0.9591 and 0.9147 respectively), but the Volterra series of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order with a memory of six time points provided better fits (Cv=0.9775, 0.9787, and 0.9954, respectively). At and below the mouse breathing frequency (1-5 Hz), CMRR was higher than 40 dB. Following lung injury, the sensor revealed a significant drop in delivered tidal volume. We demonstrate that the application of nonparametric nonlinear Volterra series modeling in combination with 3-D printing technology allows the inexpensive and rapid fabrication of an accurate flow sensor for continuously measuring small flows in various physiological conditions. © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Closed loop adaptive optics for microscopy without a wavefront sensor.

PubMed

Kner, Peter; Winoto, Lukman; Agard, David A; Sedat, John W

2010-02-24

A three-dimensional wide-field image of a small fluorescent bead contains more than enough information to accurately calculate the wavefront in the microscope objective back pupil plane using the phase retrieval technique. The phase-retrieved wavefront can then be used to set a deformable mirror to correct the point-spread function (PSF) of the microscope without the use of a wavefront sensor. This technique will be useful for aligning the deformable mirror in a widefield microscope with adaptive optics and could potentially be used to correct aberrations in samples where small fluorescent beads or other point sources are used as reference beacons. Another advantage is the high resolution of the retrieved wavefont as compared with current Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. Here we demonstrate effective correction of the PSF in 3 iterations. Starting from a severely aberrated system, we achieve a Strehl ratio of 0.78 and a greater than 10-fold increase in maximum intensity.

Fast calibration of high-order adaptive optics systems.

PubMed

Kasper, Markus; Fedrigo, Enrico; Looze, Douglas P; Bonnet, Henri; Ivanescu, Liviu; Oberti, Sylvain

2004-06-01

We present a new method of calibrating adaptive optics systems that greatly reduces the required calibration time or, equivalently, improves the signal-to-noise ratio. The method uses an optimized actuation scheme with Hadamard patterns and does not scale with the number of actuators for a given noise level in the wavefront sensor channels. It is therefore highly desirable for high-order systems and/or adaptive secondary systems on a telescope without a Gregorian focal plane. In the latter case, the measurement noise is increased by the effects of the turbulent atmosphere when one is calibrating on a natural guide star.

A High-Temperature Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor with an Integrated Signal-Conditioning Circuit

PubMed Central

Yao, Zong; Liang, Ting; Jia, Pinggang; Hong, Yingping; Qi, Lei; Lei, Cheng; Zhang, Bin; Xiong, Jijun

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on the design and fabrication of a high-temperature piezoresistive pressure sensor with an integrated signal-conditioning circuit, which consists of an encapsulated pressure-sensitive chip, a temperature compensation circuit and a signal-conditioning circuit. A silicon on insulation (SOI) material and a standard MEMS process are used in the pressure-sensitive chip fabrication, and high-temperature electronic components are adopted in the temperature-compensation and signal-conditioning circuits. The entire pressure sensor achieves a hermetic seal and can be operated long-term in the range of −50 °C to 220 °C. Unlike traditional pressure sensor output voltage ranges (in the dozens to hundreds of millivolts), the output voltage of this sensor is from 0 V to 5 V, which can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy in practical applications of long-term transmission based on experimental verification. Furthermore, because this flexible sensor’s output voltage is adjustable, general follow-up pressure transmitter devices for voltage converters need not be used, which greatly reduces the cost of the test system. Thus, the proposed high-temperature piezoresistive pressure sensor with an integrated signal-conditioning circuit is expected to be highly applicable to pressure measurements in harsh environments. PMID:27322288

Temperature characteristics research of SOI pressure sensor based on asymmetric base region transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaofeng; Li, Dandan; Yu, Yang; Wen, Dianzhong

2017-07-01

Based on the asymmetric base region transistor, a pressure sensor with temperature compensation circuit is proposed in this paper. The pressure sensitive structure of the proposed sensor is constructed by a C-type silicon cup and a Wheatstone bridge with four piezoresistors ({R}1, {R}2, {R}3 and {R}4) locating on the edge of a square silicon membrane. The chip was designed and fabricated on a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer by micro electromechanical system (MEMS) technology and bipolar transistor process. When the supply voltage is 5.0 V, the corresponding temperature coefficient of the sensitivity (TCS) for the sensor before and after temperature compensation are -1862 and -1067 ppm/°C, respectively. Through varying the ratio of the base region resistances {r}1 and {r}2, the TCS for the sensor with the compensation circuit is -127 ppm/°C. It is possible to use this compensation circuit to improve the temperature characteristics of the pressure sensor. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61471159), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (No. F201433), the University Nursing Program for Young Scholars with Creative Talents in Heilongjiang Province (No. 2015018), and the Special Funds for Science and Technology Innovation Talents of Harbin in China (No. 2016RAXXJ016).

Multi-Objective Sliding Mode Control on Vehicle Cornering Stability with Variable Gear Ratio Actuator-Based Active Front Steering Systems.

PubMed

Ma, Xinbo; Wong, Pak Kin; Zhao, Jing; Xie, Zhengchao

2016-12-28

Active front steering (AFS) is an emerging technology to improve the vehicle cornering stability by introducing an additional small steering angle to the driver's input. This paper proposes an AFS system with a variable gear ratio steering (VGRS) actuator which is controlled by using the sliding mode control (SMC) strategy to improve the cornering stability of vehicles. In the design of an AFS system, different sensors are considered to measure the vehicle state, and the mechanism of the AFS system is also modelled in detail. Moreover, in order to improve the cornering stability of vehicles, two dependent objectives, namely sideslip angle and yaw rate, are considered together in the design of SMC strategy. By evaluating the cornering performance, Sine with Dwell and accident avoidance tests are conducted, and the simulation results indicate that the proposed SMC strategy is capable of improving the cornering stability of vehicles in practice.

A new venous infusion pathway monitoring system.

PubMed

Maki, Hiromichi; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Ogawa, Hidekuni; Ninomiya, Ishio; Sata, Koji; Hamada, Shingo; Caldwell, W Morton

2007-01-01

A new infusion catheter pathway monitoring system employing linear integrated circuits and a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer has been developed for hospital and home use. The sensor consists of coaxial three-layer conductive tapes wrapped around the polyvinyl chloride infusion tube. The inner tape is the main electrode, which records an AC (alternating current) voltage induced on the patient's body by electrostatic coupling from the normal 100 volt, 60 Hz AC power line wiring field in the patient's room. The outside tape layer is a reference electrode to monitor the AC voltage around the main electrode. The center tape layer is connected to system ground and functions as a shield. The microcomputer calculates the ratio of the induced AC voltages recorded by the main and reference electrodes and if the ratio indicates a detached infusion, alerts the nursing station, via the nurse call system or low transmitting power mobile phone.

Interrogation of weak Bragg grating sensors based on dual-wavelength differential detection.

PubMed

Cheng, Rui; Xia, Li

2016-11-15

It is shown that for weak Bragg gratings the logarithmic ratio of reflected intensities at any two wavelengths within the spectrum follows a linear relationship with the Bragg wavelength shift, with a slope proportional to their wavelength spacing. This finding is exploited to develop a flexible, efficient, and cheap interrogation solution of weak fiber Bragg grating (FBGs), especially ultra-short FBGs, in distributed sensing based on dual-wavelength differential detection. The concept is experimentally studied in both single and distributed sensing systems with ultra-short FBG sensors. The work may form the basis of new and promising FBG interrogation techniques based on detecting discrete rather than continuous spectra.

Graphene Nanoplatelet-Polymer Chemiresistive Sensor Arrays for the Detection and Discrimination of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants.

PubMed

Wiederoder, Michael S; Nallon, Eric C; Weiss, Matt; McGraw, Shannon K; Schnee, Vincent P; Bright, Collin J; Polcha, Michael P; Paffenroth, Randy; Uzarski, Joshua R

2017-11-22

A cross-reactive array of semiselective chemiresistive sensors made of polymer-graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) composite coated electrodes was examined for detection and discrimination of chemical warfare agents (CWA). The arrays employ a set of chemically diverse polymers to generate a unique response signature for multiple CWA simulants and background interferents. The developed sensors' signal remains consistent after repeated exposures to multiple analytes for up to 5 days with a similar signal magnitude across different replicate sensors with the same polymer-GNP coating. An array of 12 sensors each coated with a different polymer-GNP mixture was exposed 100 times to a cycle of single analyte vapors consisting of 5 chemically similar CWA simulants and 8 common background interferents. The collected data was vector normalized to reduce concentration dependency, z-scored to account for baseline drift and signal-to-noise ratio, and Kalman filtered to reduce noise. The processed data was dimensionally reduced with principal component analysis and analyzed with four different machine learning algorithms to evaluate discrimination capabilities. For 5 similarly structured CWA simulants alone 100% classification accuracy was achieved. For all analytes tested 99% classification accuracy was achieved demonstrating the CWA discrimination capabilities of the developed system. The novel sensor fabrication methods and data processing techniques are attractive for development of sensor platforms for discrimination of CWA and other classes of chemical vapors.

Monitoring water quality in a hypereutrophic reservoir using Landsat ETM+ and OLI sensors: how transferable are the water quality algorithms?

PubMed

Deutsch, Eliza S; Alameddine, Ibrahim; El-Fadel, Mutasem

2018-02-15

The launch of the Landsat 8 in February 2013 extended the life of the Landsat program to over 40 years, increasing the value of using Landsat to monitor long-term changes in the water quality of small lakes and reservoirs, particularly in poorly monitored freshwater systems. Landsat-based water quality hindcasting often incorporate several Landsat sensors in an effort to increase the temporal range of observations; yet the transferability of water quality algorithms across sensors remains poorly examined. In this study, several empirical algorithms were developed to quantify chlorophyll-a, total suspended matter (TSM), and Secchi disk depth (SDD) from surface reflectance measured by Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI sensors. Sensor-specific multiple linear regression models were developed by correlating in situ water quality measurements collected from a semi-arid eutrophic reservoir with band ratios from Landsat ETM+ and OLI sensors, along with ancillary data (water temperature and seasonality) representing ecological patterns in algae growth. Overall, ETM+-based models outperformed (adjusted R 2 chlorophyll-a = 0.70, TSM = 0.81, SDD = 0.81) their OLI counterparts (adjusted R 2 chlorophyll-a = 0.50, TSM = 0.58, SDD = 0.63). Inter-sensor differences were most apparent for algorithms utilizing the Blue spectral band. The inclusion of water temperature and seasonality improved the power of TSM and SDD models.

Energy-Efficient Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks: Parametric and Convex Transformations

PubMed Central

Naeem, Muhammad; Illanko, Kandasamy; Karmokar, Ashok; Anpalagan, Alagan; Jaseemuddin, Muhammad

2013-01-01

Designing energy-efficient cognitive radio sensor networks is important to intelligently use battery energy and to maximize the sensor network life. In this paper, the problem of determining the power allocation that maximizes the energy-efficiency of cognitive radio-based wireless sensor networks is formed as a constrained optimization problem, where the objective function is the ratio of network throughput and the network power. The proposed constrained optimization problem belongs to a class of nonlinear fractional programming problems. Charnes-Cooper Transformation is used to transform the nonlinear fractional problem into an equivalent concave optimization problem. The structure of the power allocation policy for the transformed concave problem is found to be of a water-filling type. The problem is also transformed into a parametric form for which a ε-optimal iterative solution exists. The convergence of the iterative algorithms is proven, and numerical solutions are presented. The iterative solutions are compared with the optimal solution obtained from the transformed concave problem, and the effects of different system parameters (interference threshold level, the number of primary users and secondary sensor nodes) on the performance of the proposed algorithms are investigated. PMID:23966194

Multiocular image sensor with on-chip beam-splitter and inner meta-micro-lens for single-main-lens stereo camera.

PubMed

Koyama, Shinzo; Onozawa, Kazutoshi; Tanaka, Keisuke; Saito, Shigeru; Kourkouss, Sahim Mohamed; Kato, Yoshihisa

2016-08-08

We developed multiocular 1/3-inch 2.75-μm-pixel-size 2.1M- pixel image sensors by co-design of both on-chip beam-splitter and 100-nm-width 800-nm-depth patterned inner meta-micro-lens for single-main-lens stereo camera systems. A camera with the multiocular image sensor can capture horizontally one-dimensional light filed by both the on-chip beam-splitter horizontally dividing ray according to incident angle, and the inner meta-micro-lens collecting the divided ray into pixel with small optical loss. Cross-talks between adjacent light field images of a fabricated binocular image sensor and of a quad-ocular image sensor are as low as 6% and 7% respectively. With the selection of two images from one-dimensional light filed images, a selective baseline for stereo vision is realized to view close objects with single-main-lens. In addition, by adding multiple light field images with different ratios, baseline distance can be tuned within an aperture of a main lens. We suggest the electrically selective or tunable baseline stereo vision to reduce 3D fatigue of viewers.

High Resolution Eddy-Current Wire Testing Based on a Gmr Sensor-Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreutzbruck, Marc; Allweins, Kai; Strackbein, Chris; Bernau, Hendrick

2009-03-01

Increasing demands in materials quality and cost effectiveness have led to advanced standards in manufacturing technology. Especially when dealing with high quality standards in conjunction with high throughput quantitative NDE techniques are vital to provide reliable and fast quality control systems. In this work we illuminate a modern electromagnetic NDE approach using a small GMR sensor array for testing superconducting wires. Four GMR sensors are positioned around the wire. Each GMR sensor provides a field sensitivity of 200 pT/√Hz and a spatial resolution of about 100 μm. This enables us to detect under surface defects of 100 μm in size in a depth of 200 μm with a signal-to-noise ratio of better than 400. Surface defects could be detected with a SNR of up to 10,000. Besides this remarkably SNR the small extent of GMR sensors results in a spatial resolution which offers new visualisation techniques for defect localisation, defect characterization and tomography-like mapping techniques. We also report on inverse algorithms based on either a Finite Element Method or an analytical approach. These allow for accurate defect localization on the urn scale and an estimation of the defect size.

Open Path Trace Gas Laser Sensors for UAV Deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadman, S.; Mchale, L.; Rose, C.; Yalin, A.

2015-12-01

Novel trace gas sensors based on open-path Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy (CRDS) are being developed to enable remote and mobile deployments including on small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Relative to established closed-path CRDS instruments, the use of open-path configurations allows removal of the bulky and power hungry vacuum and flow system, potentially enabling lightweight and low power instruments with high sensitivity. However, open path operation introduces new challenges including the need to maintain mirror cleanliness, mitigation of particle optical effects, and the need to measure spectral features that are relatively broad. The present submission details open-path CRDS instruments for ammonia and methane and their planned use in UAS studies. The ammonia sensor uses a quantum cascade laser at 10.3 mm in a configuration in which the laser frequency is continuously swept and a trigger circuit and acousto-optic modulator (AOM) extinguish the light when the laser is resonant with the cavity. Ring-down signals are measured with a two-stage thermoelectrically cooled MCT photodetector. The cavity mirrors have reflectivity of 0.9995 and a noise equivalent absorption of 1.5 ppb Hz-1/2 was demonstrated. A first version of the methane sensor operated at 1.7um with a telecom diode laser while the current version operates at 3.6 um with an interband cascade laser (stronger absorption). We have performed validation measurements against known standards for both sensors. Compact optical assemblies are being developed for UAS deployment. For example, the methane sensor head will have target mass of <4 kg and power draw <40 W. A compact single board computer and DAQ system is being designed for sensor control and signal processing with target mass <1 kg and power draw <10 W. The sensor size and power parameters are suitable for UAS deployment on both fixed wing and rotor style UAS. We plan to deploy the methane sensor to measure leakage and emission of methane from natural gas infrastructure, and to deploy both sensors together to study emissions from dairies and feedlots. The latter measurement campaign will also examine ammonia deposition to the ground, and bi-directional ammonia fluxes, using methane as a conservative tracer and examining the change in the ratio of ammonia to methane as a function of downwind position.

Control of Turing patterns and their usage as sensors, memory arrays, and logic gates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzika, František; Schreiber, Igor

2013-10-01

We study a model system of three diffusively coupled reaction cells arranged in a linear array that display Turing patterns with special focus on the case of equal coupling strength for all components. As a suitable model reaction we consider a two-variable core model of glycolysis. Using numerical continuation and bifurcation techniques we analyze the dependence of the system's steady states on varying rate coefficient of the recycling step while the coupling coefficients of the inhibitor and activator are fixed and set at the ratios 100:1, 1:1, and 4:5. We show that stable Turing patterns occur at all three ratios but, as expected, spontaneous transition from the spatially uniform steady state to the spatially nonuniform Turing patterns occurs only in the first case. The other two cases possess multiple Turing patterns, which are stabilized by secondary bifurcations and coexist with stable uniform periodic oscillations. For the 1:1 ratio we examine modular spatiotemporal perturbations, which allow for controllable switching between the uniform oscillations and various Turing patterns. Such modular perturbations are then used to construct chemical computing devices utilizing the multiple Turing patterns. By classifying various responses we propose: (a) a single-input resettable sensor capable of reading certain value of concentration, (b) two-input and three-input memory arrays capable of storing logic information, (c) three-input, three-output logic gates performing combinations of logical functions OR, XOR, AND, and NAND.

Investigation of the NADH/NAD+ ratio in Ralstonia eutropha using the fluorescence reporter protein Peredox.

PubMed

Tejwani, Vijay; Schmitt, Franz-Josef; Wilkening, Svea; Zebger, Ingo; Horch, Marius; Lenz, Oliver; Friedrich, Thomas

2017-01-01

Ralstonia eutropha is a hydrogen-oxidizing ("Knallgas") bacterium that can easily switch between heterotrophic and autotrophic metabolism to thrive in aerobic and anaerobic environments. Its versatile metabolism makes R. eutropha an attractive host for biotechnological applications, including H 2 -driven production of biodegradable polymers and hydrocarbons. H 2 oxidation by R. eutropha takes place in the presence of O 2 and is mediated by four hydrogenases, which represent ideal model systems for both biohydrogen production and H 2 utilization. The so-called soluble hydrogenase (SH) couples reversibly H 2 oxidation with the reduction of NAD + to NADH and has already been applied successfully in vitro and in vivo for cofactor regeneration. Thus, the interaction of the SH with the cellular NADH/NAD + pool is of major interest. In this work, we applied the fluorescent biosensor Peredox to measure the [NADH]:[NAD + ] ratio in R. eutropha cells under different metabolic conditions. The results suggest that the sensor operates close to saturation level, indicating a rather high [NADH]:[NAD + ] ratio in aerobically grown R. eutropha cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that multicomponent analysis of spectrally-resolved fluorescence lifetime data of the Peredox sensor response to different [NADH]:[NAD + ] ratios represents a novel and sensitive tool to determine the redox state of cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel processor architecture for onboard infrared sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hihara, Hiroki; Iwasaki, Akira; Tamagawa, Nobuo; Kuribayashi, Mitsunobu; Hashimoto, Masanori; Mitsuyama, Yukio; Ochi, Hiroyuki; Onodera, Hidetoshi; Kanbara, Hiroyuki; Wakabayashi, Kazutoshi; Tada, Munehiro

2016-09-01

Infrared sensor system is a major concern for inter-planetary missions that investigate the nature and the formation processes of planets and asteroids. The infrared sensor system requires signal preprocessing functions that compensate for the intensity of infrared image sensors to get high quality data and high compression ratio through the limited capacity of transmission channels towards ground stations. For those implementations, combinations of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and microprocessors are employed by AKATSUKI, the Venus Climate Orbiter, and HAYABUSA2, the asteroid probe. On the other hand, much smaller size and lower power consumption are demanded for future missions to accommodate more sensors. To fulfill this future demand, we developed a novel processor architecture which consists of reconfigurable cluster cores and programmable-logic cells with complementary atom switches. The complementary atom switches enable hardware programming without configuration memories, and thus soft-error on logic circuit connection is completely eliminated. This is a noteworthy advantage for space applications which cannot be found in conventional re-writable FPGAs. Almost one-tenth of lower power consumption is expected compared to conventional re-writable FPGAs because of the elimination of configuration memories. The proposed processor architecture can be reconfigured by behavioral synthesis with higher level language specification. Consequently, compensation functions are implemented in a single chip without accommodating program memories, which is accompanied with conventional microprocessors, while maintaining the comparable performance. This enables us to embed a processor element on each infrared signal detector output channel.

Fiber-based polarimetric stress sensor for measuring the Young's modulus of biomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Mark C.; Armani, Andrea M.

2015-03-01

Polarimetric optical fiber-based stress and pressure sensors have proven to be a robust tool for measuring and detecting changes in the Young's modulus (E) of materials in response to external stimuli, including the real-time monitoring of the structural integrity of bridges and buildings. These sensors typically work by using a pair of polarizers before and after the sensing region of the fiber, and often require precise alignment to achieve high sensitivity. The ability to perform similar measurements in natural and in engineered biomaterials could provide significant insights and enable research advancement and preventative healthcare. However, in order for this approach to be successful, it is necessary to reduce the complexity of the system by removing free-space components and the need for alignment. As the first step in this path, we have developed a new route for performing these measurements. By generalizing and expanding established theoretical analyses for these types of sensors, we have developed a predictive theoretical model. Additionally, by replacing the conventional free space components and polarization filters with a polarimeter, we have constructed a sensor system with higher sensitivity and which is semi-portable. In initial experiments, a series of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) samples with several base:curing agent ratios ranging from 5:1 up to 30:1 were prepared to simulate tissues with different stiffnesses. By simultaneously producing stress-strain curves using a load frame and monitoring the polarization change of light traveling through the samples, we verified the accuracy of our theoretical model.

Determination of the in vivo NAD:NADH ratio in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under anaerobic conditions, using alcohol dehydrogenase as sensor reaction.

PubMed

Bekers, K M; Heijnen, J J; van Gulik, W M

2015-08-01

With the current quantitative metabolomics techniques, only whole-cell concentrations of NAD and NADH can be quantified. These measurements cannot provide information on the in vivo redox state of the cells, which is determined by the ratio of the free forms only. In this work we quantified free NAD:NADH ratios in yeast under anaerobic conditions, using alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and the lumped reaction of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase as sensor reactions. We showed that, with an alternative accurate acetaldehyde determination method, based on rapid sampling, instantaneous derivatization with 2,4 diaminophenol hydrazine (DNPH) and quantification with HPLC, the ADH-catalysed oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde can be applied as a relatively fast and simple sensor reaction to quantify the free NAD:NADH ratio under anaerobic conditions. We evaluated the applicability of ADH as a sensor reaction in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, grown in anaerobic glucose-limited chemostats under steady-state and dynamic conditions. The results found in this study showed that the cytosolic redox status (NAD:NADH ratio) of yeast is at least one order of magnitude lower, and is thus much more reduced, under anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic glucose-limited steady-state conditions. The more reduced state of the cytosol under anaerobic conditions has major implications for (central) metabolism. Accurate determination of the free NAD:NADH ratio is therefore of importance for the unravelling of in vivo enzyme kinetics and to judge accurately the thermodynamic reversibility of each redox reaction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Deployment operation of NanTroSEIZE C0002 riserless LTBMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyo, N.; Saruhashi, T.; Sawada, I.; Namba, Y.; Kitada, K.; Kimura, T.; Toczko, S.; Araki, E.; Kopf, A.; IODP EXP 332 Scientists

2011-12-01

The installation of LTBMS (Long Term Borehole Monitoring System) for NanTroSEIZE (Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment) C0002 riserless hole was successfully carried out as part of IODP Expedition 332 operations by DV Chikyu in November - December 2010. The water depth of the site and penetration depth of the hole are 1937.5 m and 980 mbsf respectively. Casing (9-5/8") was set to the depth of 888 mbsf and below the CORK head, 3-1/2" tubing was deployed inside the casing as the support structure for the downhole instruments. Within the rat hole section, two pressure ports, a strain meter, a tilt meter, a broadband seismometer, geophone, and accelerometer were deployed. These seismic and geodetic sensors were set within the borehole, and coupled to the formation via cement whose physical properties (Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, density) were adjusted to fit the formation's properties. Screen sections were set to access the pore fluids, while isolating them from the sea floor and the lower lithological units by a swellable packer, and cement, respectively. At the top of wellhead, and at the apex of the 3-1/2" tubing assembly, a CORK head was landed. The CORK head holds the pressure sensor unit (4 pressure sensors), underwater mateable data connectors (connected to the cemented sensors), and hydraulic valves to access and sample formation fluids by ROV. The major scientific features of the Hole C0002G (riserless) LTBMS are sensors monitoring multiple parameters related to seismic, geodetic and pore fluid behavior simultaneously at distinct, multiple, layers within the same borehole. The main technical difficulties in the LTBMS development are as follows: (1) Reduction method for current-induced VIV (Vortex Induced Vibration) (2) Borehole coupling for seismic and geodetic sensors (3) Anti-vibration/shock and protection method for borehole sensors/instruments (4) Attachment and protection for sensor cables and pressure lines (5) Zone isolation for multi-layer pressure measurements (6) Wellhead system (CORK) for data connection to submarine cable network (7) Downsizing borehole instruments (installation with 3-1/2-in tubing) (8) System reliability (redundant sensor system) We carried out sea trials using a dummy sensor assembly to study the effects of deploying the assembly in strong currents, and also carried out additional pool experiments and numerical simulations to evaluate VIV countermeasures. Through shock and vibration mechanical tests, we improved the robustness of sensors and the sensor carrier. As part of these investigations, we conducted risk analysis based on the operation, science, and engineering points of view from, which helped clarify operational procedures for actual deployment. Future plans include returning to Hole C0002G site to deploy a data logger and battery for temporary observations. After examining the data quality, we'll finally connect the LTBMS to the DONET (Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) submarine cabled network. Plans are also underway for deploying more LTBMS's into Site C0010 (riserless) and Site C0002 (riser).

Methodology for the passive detection and discrimination of chemical and biological aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinelli, William J.; Shokhirev, Kirill N.; Konno, Daisei; Rossi, David C.; Richardson, Martin

2013-05-01

The standoff detection and discrimination of aerosolized biological and chemical agents has traditionally been addressed through LIDAR approaches, but sensor systems using these methods have yet to be deployed. We discuss the development and testing of an approach to detect these aerosols using the deployed base of passive infrared hyperspectral sensors used for chemical vapor detection. The detection of aerosols requires the inclusion of down welling sky and up welling ground radiation in the description of the radiative transfer process. The wavelength and size dependent ratio of absorption to scattering provides much of the discrimination capability. The approach to the detection of aerosols utilizes much of the same phenomenology employed in vapor detection; however, the sensor system must acquire information on non-line-of-sight sources of radiation contributing to the scattering process. We describe the general methodology developed to detect chemical or biological aerosols, including justifications for the simplifying assumptions that enable the development of a real-time sensor system. Mie scattering calculations, aerosol size distribution dependence, and the angular dependence of the scattering on the aerosol signature will be discussed. This methodology will then be applied to two test cases: the ground level release of a biological aerosol (BG) and a nonbiological confuser (kaolin clay) as well as the debris field resulting from the intercept of a cruise missile carrying a thickened VX warhead. A field measurement, conducted at the Utah Test and Training Range will be used to illustrate the issues associated with the use of the method.

Reliable motion detection of small targets in video with low signal-to-clutter ratios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, S.A.; Naylor, R.B.

1995-07-01

Studies show that vigilance decreases rapidly after several minutes when human operators are required to search live video for infrequent intrusion detections. Therefore, there is a need for systems which can automatically detect targets in live video and reserve the operator`s attention for assessment only. Thus far, automated systems have not simultaneously provided adequate detection sensitivity, false alarm suppression, and ease of setup when used in external, unconstrained environments. This unsatisfactory performance can be exacerbated by poor video imagery with low contrast, high noise, dynamic clutter, image misregistration, and/or the presence of small, slow, or erratically moving targets. This papermore » describes a highly adaptive video motion detection and tracking algorithm which has been developed as part of Sandia`s Advanced Exterior Sensor (AES) program. The AES is a wide-area detection and assessment system for use in unconstrained exterior security applications. The AES detection and tracking algorithm provides good performance under stressing data and environmental conditions. Features of the algorithm include: reliable detection with negligible false alarm rate of variable velocity targets having low signal-to-clutter ratios; reliable tracking of targets that exhibit motion that is non-inertial, i.e., varies in direction and velocity; automatic adaptation to both infrared and visible imagery with variable quality; and suppression of false alarms caused by sensor flaws and/or cutouts.« less

Twin-cuvette measurement technique for investigation of dry deposition of O3 and PAN to plant leaves under controlled humidity conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shang; Moravek, Alexander; von der Heyden, Lisa; Held, Andreas; Sörgel, Matthias; Kesselmeier, Jürgen

2016-02-01

We present a dynamic twin-cuvette system for quantifying the trace-gas exchange fluxes between plants and the atmosphere under controlled temperature, light, and humidity conditions. Compared with a single-cuvette system, the twin-cuvette system is insensitive to disturbing background effects such as wall deposition. In combination with a climate chamber, we can perform flux measurements under constant and controllable environmental conditions. With an Automatic Temperature Regulated Air Humidification System (ATRAHS), we are able to regulate the relative humidity inside both cuvettes between 40 and 90 % with a high precision of 0.3 %. Thus, we could demonstrate that for a cuvette system operated with a high flow rate (> 20 L min-1), a temperature-regulated humidification system such as ATRAHS is an accurate method for air humidification of the flushing air. Furthermore, the fully automatic progressive fill-up of ATRAHS based on a floating valve improved the performance of the entire measurement system and prevented data gaps. Two reactive gas species, ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), were used to demonstrate the quality and performance of the twin-cuvette system. O3 and PAN exchange with Quercus ilex was investigated over a 14 day measurement period under controlled climate chamber conditions. By using O3 mixing ratios between 32 and 105 ppb and PAN mixing ratios between 100 and 350 ppt, a linear dependency of the O3 flux as well as the PAN flux in relation to its ambient mixing ratio could be observed. At relative humidity (RH) of 40 %, the deposition velocity ratio of O3 and PAN was determined to be 0.45. At that humidity, the deposition of O3 to the plant leaves was found to be only controlled by the leaf stomata. For PAN, an additional resistance inhibited the uptake of PAN by the leaves. Furthermore, the formation of water films on the leaf surface of plants inside the chamber could be continuously tracked with our custom built leaf wetness sensors. Using this modified leaf wetness sensor measuring the electrical surface conductance on the leaves, an exponential relationship between the ambient humidity and the electrical surface conductance could be determined.

Twin-cuvette measurement technique for investigation of dry deposition of O3 and PAN to plant leaves under controlled humidity conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, S.; Moravek, A.; von der Heyden, L.; Held, A.; Sörgel, M.; Kesselmeier, J.

2015-11-01

We present a dynamic twin-cuvette system for quantifying the trace gas exchange fluxes between plants and the atmosphere under controlled temperature, light and humidity conditions. Compared with a single cuvette system, the twin-cuvette system is insensitive for disturbing background effects such as wall deposition. In combination with a climate chamber we can perform flux measurements under constant and controllable environmental conditions. With an Automatic Temperature Regulated Air Humidification System (ATRAHS) we are able to regulate the relative humidity inside both cuvettes between 40 to 90 % with a high precision of 0.3 %. Thus, we could demonstrate that for a cuvette system operated with a high flow rate (> 20 L min-1) such a temperature regulated humidification system as ATRAHS is an accurate method for air humidification of the flushing air. Furthermore, the fully automatic progressive fill-up of ATRAHS based on a floating valve improved the performance of the entire measurement system and prevented data gaps. Two reactive gas species, ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), were used to demonstrate the quality and performance of the twin-cuvette system. O3 and PAN exchange with Quercus ilex was investigated over a 14 day measurement period under controlled climate chamber conditions. By using O3 mixing ratios between 32-105 ppb and PAN mixing ratios between 100-350 ppt a linear dependency of the O3 flux as well as the PAN flux in relation to its ambient mixing ratio could be observed. At relative humidity (RH) of 40 %, the deposition velocity ratio of O3 and PAN was determined to be 0.45. At that humidity, the deposition of O3 to the plant leaves was found to be only controlled by the leaf stomata. For PAN an additional resistance inhibited the uptake of PAN by the leaves. Furthermore, the formation of water films on the leaf surface of plants inside the chamber could be continuously tracked with our custom built leaf wetness sensors. Using this modified leaf wetness sensor measuring the electrical surface conductance on the leaves, an exponential relationship between the ambient humidity and the electrical surface conductance could be determined.

Inductive Sensor Performance in Partial Discharges and Noise Separation by Means of Spectral Power Ratios

PubMed Central

Ardila-Rey, Jorge Alfredo; Rojas-Moreno, Mónica Victoria; Martínez-Tarifa, Juan Manuel; Robles, Guillermo

2014-01-01

Partial discharge (PD) detection is a standardized technique to qualify electrical insulation in machines and power cables. Several techniques that analyze the waveform of the pulses have been proposed to discriminate noise from PD activity. Among them, spectral power ratio representation shows great flexibility in the separation of the sources of PD. Mapping spectral power ratios in two-dimensional plots leads to clusters of points which group pulses with similar characteristics. The position in the map depends on the nature of the partial discharge, the setup and the frequency response of the sensors. If these clusters are clearly separated, the subsequent task of identifying the source of the discharge is straightforward so the distance between clusters can be a figure of merit to suggest the best option for PD recognition. In this paper, two inductive sensors with different frequency responses to pulsed signals, a high frequency current transformer and an inductive loop sensor, are analyzed to test their performance in detecting and separating the sources of partial discharges. PMID:24556674

Step-gate polysilicon nanowires field effect transistor compatible with CMOS technology for label-free DNA biosensor.

PubMed

Wenga, G; Jacques, E; Salaün, A-C; Rogel, R; Pichon, L; Geneste, F

2013-02-15

Currently, detection of DNA hybridization using fluorescence-based detection technique requires expensive optical systems and complex bioinformatics tools. Hence, the development of new low cost devices that enable direct and highly sensitive detection stimulates a lot of research efforts. Particularly, devices based on silicon nanowires are emerging as ultrasensitive electrical sensors for the direct detection of biological species thanks to their high surface to volume ratio. In this study, we propose innovative devices using step-gate polycrystalline silicon nanowire FET (poly-Si NW FETs), achieved with simple and low cost fabrication process, and used as ultrasensitive electronic sensor for DNA hybridization. The poly-SiNWs are synthesized using the sidewall spacer formation technique. The detailed fabrication procedure for a step-gate NWFET sensor is described in this paper. No-complementary and complementary DNA sequences were clearly discriminated and detection limit to 1 fM range is observed. This first result using this nano-device is promising for the development of low cost and ultrasensitive polysilicon nanowires based DNA sensors compatible with the CMOS technology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A CMOS smart temperature and humidity sensor with combined readout.

PubMed

Eder, Clemens; Valente, Virgilio; Donaldson, Nick; Demosthenous, Andreas

2014-09-16

A fully-integrated complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor for combined temperature and humidity measurements is presented. The main purpose of the device is to monitor the hermeticity of micro-packages for implanted integrated circuits and to ensure their safe operation by monitoring the operating temperature and humidity on-chip. The smart sensor has two modes of operation, in which either the temperature or humidity is converted into a digital code representing a frequency ratio between two oscillators. This ratio is determined by the ratios of the timing capacitances and bias currents in both oscillators. The reference oscillator is biased by a current whose temperature dependency is complementary to the proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current. For the temperature measurement, this results in an exceptional normalized sensitivity of about 0.77%/°C at the accepted expense of reduced linearity. The humidity sensor is a capacitor, whose value varies linearly with relative humidity (RH) with a normalized sensitivity of 0.055%/% RH. For comparison, two versions of the humidity sensor with an area of either 0.2 mm2 or 1.2 mm2 were fabricated in a commercial 0.18 μm CMOS process. The on-chip readout electronics operate from a 5 V power supply and consume a current of approximately 85 µA.

EEG-MEG Integration Enhances the Characterization of Functional and Effective Connectivity in the Resting State Network

PubMed Central

Mideksa, Kidist Gebremariam; Anwar, Abdul Rauf; Stephani, Ulrich; Deuschl, Günther; Freitag, Christine M.; Siniatchkin, Michael

2015-01-01

At the sensor level many aspects, such as spectral power, functional and effective connectivity as well as relative-power-ratio ratio (RPR) and spatial resolution have been comprehensively investigated through both electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Despite this, differences between both modalities have not yet been systematically studied by direct comparison. It remains an open question as to whether the integration of EEG and MEG data would improve the information obtained from the above mentioned parameters. Here, EEG (64-channel system) and MEG (275 sensor system) were recorded simultaneously in conditions with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) in 29 healthy adults. Spectral power, functional and effective connectivity, RPR, and spatial resolution were analyzed at five different frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma). Networks of functional and effective connectivity were described using a spatial filter approach called the dynamic imaging of coherent sources (DICS) followed by the renormalized partial directed coherence (RPDC). Absolute mean power at the sensor level was significantly higher in EEG than in MEG data in both EO and EC conditions. At the source level, there was a trend towards a better performance of the combined EEG+MEG analysis compared with separate EEG or MEG analyses for the source mean power, functional correlation, effective connectivity for both EO and EC. The network of coherent sources and the spatial resolution were similar for both the EEG and MEG data if they were analyzed separately. Results indicate that the combined approach has several advantages over the separate analyses of both EEG and MEG. Moreover, by a direct comparison of EEG and MEG, EEG was characterized by significantly higher values in all measured parameters in both sensor and source level. All the above conclusions are specific to the resting state task and the specific analysis used in this study to have general conclusion multi-center studies would be helpful. PMID:26509448

Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistor Sensors with Minimal Sensor to Sensor Variations and Enhanced Sensing Characteristics.

PubMed

Zafar, Sufi; D'Emic, Christopher; Jagtiani, Ashish; Kratschmer, Ernst; Miao, Xin; Zhu, Yu; Mo, Renee; Sosa, Norma; Hamann, Hendrik F; Shahidi, Ghavam; Riel, Heike

2018-06-22

Silicon nanowire field effect transistor (FET) sensors have demonstrated their ability for rapid and label free detection of proteins, nucleotide sequences, and viruses at ultralow concentrations with the potential to be a transformative diagnostic technology. Their nanoscale size gives them their unique ultralow detection ability but also makes their fabrication challenging with large sensor to sensor variations, thus limiting their commercial applications. In this work, a combined approach of nanofabrication, device simulation, materials and electrical characterization is applied towards identifying and improving fabrication steps that induce sensor to sensor variations. An enhanced complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible process for fabricating silicon nanowire FET sensors is demonstrated. Nanowire (30 nm width) FETs with aqueous solution as gates are shown to have the Nernst limit sub-threshold swing SS = 60 mV/decade with ~1.7% variations, whereas literature values for SS are ≥ 80 mV/decade with larger (>10 times) variations. Also, their threshold voltage variations are significantly (~3 times) reduced, compared to literature values. Furthermore, these improved FETs have significantly reduced drain current hysteresis (~0.6 mV) and enhanced on-current to off-current ratios (~10 6 ). These improvements resulted in nanowire FET sensors with lowest (~3%) reported sensor to sensor variations, compared to literature studies. Also, these improved nanowire sensors have the highest reported sensitivity and enhanced signal to noise ratio with the lowest reported defect density of 1x10 18 eV -1 cm -3 in comparison to literature data. In summary, this work brings the nanowire sensor technology a step closer to commercial products for early diagnosis and monitoring of diseases.

An embedded multi-core parallel model for real-time stereo imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Wenjing; Hu, Jian; Niu, Jingyu; Li, Chuanrong; Liu, Guangyu

2018-04-01

The real-time processing based on embedded system will enhance the application capability of stereo imaging for LiDAR and hyperspectral sensor. The task partitioning and scheduling strategies for embedded multiprocessor system starts relatively late, compared with that for PC computer. In this paper, aimed at embedded multi-core processing platform, a parallel model for stereo imaging is studied and verified. After analyzing the computing amount, throughout capacity and buffering requirements, a two-stage pipeline parallel model based on message transmission is established. This model can be applied to fast stereo imaging for airborne sensors with various characteristics. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the parallel model, a parallel software was designed using test flight data, based on the 8-core DSP processor TMS320C6678. The results indicate that the design performed well in workload distribution and had a speed-up ratio up to 6.4.

Multi-event waveform-retrieved distributed optical fiber acoustic sensor using dual-pulse heterodyne phase-sensitive OTDR.

PubMed

He, Xiangge; Xie, Shangran; Liu, Fei; Cao, Shan; Gu, Lijuan; Zheng, Xiaoping; Zhang, Min

2017-02-01

We demonstrate a novel type of distributed optical fiber acoustic sensor, with the ability to detect and retrieve actual temporal waveforms of multiple vibration events that occur simultaneously at different positions along the fiber. The system is realized via a dual-pulse phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry, and the actual waveform is retrieved by heterodyne phase demodulation. Experimental results show that the system has a background noise level as low as 8.91×10^-4  rad/√Hz with a demodulation signal-to-noise ratio of 49.17 dB at 1 kHz, and can achieve a dynamic range of ∼60  dB at 1 kHz (0.1 to 104 rad) for phase demodulation, as well as a detection frequency range from 20 Hz to 25 kHz.

A fiber optic temperature sensor based on the combination of epoxy and glass particles with different thermo-optic coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wildner, Wolfgang; Drummer, Dietmar

2016-12-01

This paper describes the development and function of an optical fiber temperature sensor made out of a compound of epoxy and optical glass particles. Because of the different thermo-optic coefficients of these materials, this compound exhibits a strong wavelength and temperature dependent optical transmission, and it therefore can be employed for fiber optic temperature measurements. The temperature at the sensor, which is integrated into a polymer optical fiber (POF), is evaluated by the ratio of the transmitted intensity of two different light-emitting diodes (LED) with a wavelength of 460 nm and 650 nm. The material characterization and influences of different sensor lengths and two particle sizes on the measurement result are discussed. The temperature dependency of the transmission increases with smaller particles and with increasing sensor length. With glass particles with a diameter of 43 μm and a sensor length of 9.8 mm, the intensity ratio of the two LEDs decreases by 60% within a temperature change from 10°C to 40°C.

Design of the RWM Feedback Control System for NSTX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialek, James; Sabbagh, Steven; Paoletti, Franco

2002-11-01

The National Spherical Torus Experiment ( NSTX ) has been designed to investigate the physics of global mode stabilization at low aspect ratio. Present experiments are now probing performance limits determined by machine configuration and passive stabilization. For example, the ideal no-wall normalized beta limit has already been exceeded by greater than 20stabilized by a nearby perfectly conducting wall are observed to grow at a rate determined by nearby resistive structure. Sustained performance improvements may be obtained by using active feedback to suppress such long wavelength pressure driven instabilities, known as resistive wall modes (RWM). We report on the performance of several design options for an NSTX - RWM feedback control system. The VALEN feedback analysis code has been used to evaluate the performance of these configurations. We explicitly model the vacuum vessel, center stack casing, the 48 copper passive plates, their mounts, active feedback coils and sensor arrays. The highest performance system has both control coils and sensors inside the vacuum vessel. In this case it is possible to reach 94beta limit.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rao, N.S.V.; Kareti, S.; Shi, Weimin

A formal framework for navigating a robot in a geometric terrain by an unknown set of obstacles is considered. Here the terrain model is not a priori known, but the robot is equipped with a sensor system (vision or touch) employed for the purpose of navigation. The focus is restricted to the non-heuristic algorithms which can be theoretically shown to be correct within a given framework of models for the robot, terrain and sensor system. These formulations, although abstract and simplified compared to real-life scenarios, provide foundations for practical systems by highlighting the underlying critical issues. First, the authors considermore » the algorithms that are shown to navigate correctly without much consideration given to the performance parameters such as distance traversed, etc. Second, they consider non-heuristic algorithms that guarantee bounds on the distance traversed or the ratio of the distance traversed to the shortest path length (computed if the terrain model is known). Then they consider the navigation of robots with very limited computational capabilities such as finite automata, etc.« less

Simultaneous data communication and position sensing with an impact ionization engineered avalanche photodiode array for free space optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraro, Mike S.; Mahon, Rita; Rabinovich, William S.; Murphy, James L.; Dexter, James L.; Clark, William R.; Waters, William D.; Vaccaro, Kenneth; Krejca, Brian D.

2017-02-01

Photodetectors in free space optical communication systems perform two functions: reception of data communication signals and position sensing for pointing, tracking, and stabilization. Traditionally, the optical receive path in an FSO system is split into separate paths for data detection and position sensing. The need for separate paths is a consequence of conflicting performance criteria between position sensitive detectors (PSD) and data detectors. Combining the functionality of both detector types requires that the combinational sensor not only have the bandwidth to support high data rate communication but the active area and spatial discrimination to accommodate position sensing. In this paper we present a large area, concentric five element impact ionization engineered avalanche photodiode array rated for bandwidths beyond 1GHz with a measured carrier ionization ratio of less than 0.1 at moderate APD gains. The integration of this array as a combinational sensor in an FSO system is discussed along with the development of a pointing and stabilization algorithm.

A numerical study of some potential sources of error in side-by-side seismometer evaluations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holcomb, L. Gary

1990-01-01

This report presents the results of a series of computer simulations of potential errors in test data, which might be obtained when conducting side-by-side comparisons of seismometers. These results can be used as guides in estimating potential sources and magnitudes of errors one might expect when analyzing real test data. First, the derivation of a direct method for calculating the noise levels of two sensors in a side-by-side evaluation is repeated and extended slightly herein. This bulk of this derivation was presented previously (see Holcomb 1989); it is repeated here for easy reference.This method is applied to the analysis of a simulated test of two sensors in a side-by-side test in which the outputs of both sensors consist of white noise spectra with known signal-tonoise ratios (SNR's). This report extends this analysis to high SNR's to determine the limitations of the direct method for calculating the noise levels at signal-to-noise levels which are much higher than presented previously (see Holcomb 1989). Next, the method is used to analyze a simulated test of two sensors in a side-by-side test in which the outputs of both sensors consist of bandshaped noise spectra with known signal-tonoise ratios. This is a much more realistic representation of real world data because the earth's background spectrum is certainly not flat.Finally, the results of the analysis of simulated white and bandshaped side-by-side test data are used to assist in interpreting the analysis of the effects of simulated azimuthal misalignment in side-by-side sensor evaluations. A thorough understanding of azimuthal misalignment errors is important because of the physical impossibility of perfectly aligning two sensors in a real world situation. The analysis herein indicates that alignment errors place lower limits on the levels of system noise which can be resolved in a side-by-side measurement It also indicates that alignment errors are the source of the fact that real data noise spectra tend to follow the earth's background spectra in shape.

Fabrication of wear-resistant silicon microprobe tips for high-speed surface roughness scanning devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo; Yu, Feng; Doering, Lutz; Völlmeke, Stefan; Brand, Uwe; Bakin, Andrey; Waag, Andreas; Peiner, Erwin

2015-05-01

Silicon microprobe tips are fabricated and integrated with piezoresistive cantilever sensors for high-speed surface roughness scanning systems. The fabrication steps of the high-aspect-ratio silicon microprobe tips were started with photolithography and wet etching of potassium hydroxide (KOH) resulting in crystal-dependent micropyramids. Subsequently, thin conformal wear-resistant layer coating of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was demonstrated on the backside of the piezoresistive cantilever free end using atomic layer deposition (ALD) method in a binary reaction sequence with a low thermal process and precursors of trimethyl aluminum and water. The deposited Al2O3 layer had a thickness of 14 nm. The captured atomic force microscopy (AFM) image exhibits a root mean square deviation of 0.65 nm confirming the deposited Al2O3 surface quality. Furthermore, vacuum-evaporated 30-nm/200-nm-thick Au/Cr layers were patterned by lift-off and served as an etch mask for Al2O3 wet etching and in ICP cryogenic dry etching. By using SF6/O2 plasma during inductively coupled plasma (ICP) cryogenic dry etching, micropillar tips were obtained. From the preliminary friction and wear data, the developed silicon cantilever sensor has been successfully used in 100 fast measurements of 5- mm-long standard artifact surface with a speed of 15 mm/s and forces of 60-100 μN. Moreover, the results yielded by the fabricated silicon cantilever sensor are in very good agreement with those of calibrated profilometer. These tactile sensors are targeted for use in high-aspect-ratio microform metrology.

An MRI-Guided Telesurgery System Using a Fabry-Perot Interferometry Force Sensor and a Pneumatic Haptic Device.

PubMed

Su, Hao; Shang, Weijian; Li, Gang; Patel, Niravkumar; Fischer, Gregory S

2017-08-01

This paper presents a surgical master-slave teleoperation system for percutaneous interventional procedures under continuous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. The slave robot consists of a piezoelectrically actuated 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot for needle placement with an integrated fiber optic force sensor (1-DOF axial force measurement) using the Fabry-Perot interferometry (FPI) sensing principle; it is configured to operate inside the bore of the MRI scanner during imaging. By leveraging the advantages of pneumatic and piezoelectric actuation in force and position control respectively, we have designed a pneumatically actuated master robot (haptic device) with strain gauge based force sensing that is configured to operate the slave from within the scanner room during imaging. The slave robot follows the insertion motion of the haptic device while the haptic device displays the needle insertion force as measured by the FPI sensor. Image interference evaluation demonstrates that the telesurgery system presents a signal to noise ratio reduction of less than 17% and less than 1% geometric distortion during simultaneous robot motion and imaging. Teleoperated needle insertion and rotation experiments were performed to reach 10 targets in a soft tissue-mimicking phantom with 0.70 ± 0.35 mm Cartesian space error.

Automatic Identification of Alpine Mass Movements by a Combination of Seismic and Infrasound Sensors

PubMed Central

Hübl, Johannes; McArdell, Brian W.; Walter, Fabian

2018-01-01

The automatic detection and identification of alpine mass movements such as debris flows, debris floods, or landslides have been of increasing importance for devising mitigation measures in densely populated and intensively used alpine regions. Since these mass movements emit characteristic seismic and acoustic waves in the low-frequency range (<30 Hz), several approaches have already been developed for detection and warning systems based on these signals. However, a combination of the two methods, for improving detection probability and reducing false alarms, is still applied rarely. This paper presents an update and extension of a previously published approach for a detection and identification system based on a combination of seismic and infrasound sensors. Furthermore, this work evaluates the possible early warning times at several test sites and aims to analyze the seismic and infrasound spectral signature produced by different sediment-related mass movements to identify the process type and estimate the magnitude of the event. Thus, this study presents an initial method for estimating the peak discharge and total volume of debris flows based on infrasound data. Tests on several catchments show that this system can detect and identify mass movements in real time directly at the sensor site with high accuracy and a low false alarm ratio. PMID:29789449

A multifunctional Schiff base as a fluorescence sensor for Fe3 + and Zn2 + ions, and a colorimetric sensor for Cu2 + and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xu; Han, Juan; Wang, Yun; Ni, Liang; Bao, Xu; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Wenli

2017-02-01

Chemosensors play important parts in the selective recognition of ions, which is widely applied in various fields of environment, industry and biological sciences. In this work, a chemosensor for multi-metal ions based on rhodamine B derivative was synthesized, which could selectively recognize various metal ions in different solvent system. The addition of Cu2 + caused the color change from colorless to pink in EtOH/H2O (v/v = 1:1) solvent system, which could be quickly identified by the naked eyes with a detection limit of 8.27 × 10- 8 M. In ethanol solution system, the addition of Fe3 + and Zn2 + caused different fluorescence changes with the detection limit of 2.12 × 10- 7 M and 6.64 × 10- 7 M respectively. The binding ratios are 1:1 (1-Cu2 +), 2:1 (1-Fe3 +) and 1:1 (1-Zn2 +), respectively. Meanwhile, the probe 1 was used to detect the trace metal ions in real water samples. Besides, the probe 1 showed sensitive fluorescence signals for Fe3 + in biological cells. The experimental results further verify the application value of the sensor.

A Mobile Sensor Network to Map CO2 in Urban Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Christen, A.; Nesic, Z.; Ketler, R.

2014-12-01

Globally, an estimated 80% of all fuel-based CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are attributable to cities, but there is still a lack of tools to map, visualize and monitor emissions to the scales at which emissions reduction strategies can be implemented - the local and urban scale. Mobile CO2 sensors, such as those attached to taxis and other existing mobile platforms, may be a promising way to observe and map CO2 mixing ratios across heterogenous urban environments with a limited number of sensors. Emerging modular open source technologies, and inexpensive compact sensor components not only enable rapid prototyping and replication, but also are allowing for the miniaturization and mobilization of traditionally fixed sensor networks. We aim to optimize the methods and technologies for monitoring CO2 in cities using a network of CO2 sensors deployable on vehicles and bikes. Our sensor technology is contained in a compact weather-proof case (35.8cm x 27.8cm x 11.8cm), powered independently by battery or by car, and includes the Li-Cor Li-820 infrared gas analyzer (Licor Inc, lincoln, NB, USA), Arduino Mega microcontroller (Arduino CC, Italy) and Adafruit GPS (Adafruit Technologies, NY, USA), and digital air temperature thermometer which measure CO2 mixing ratios (ppm), geolocation and speed, pressure and temperature, respectively at 1-second intervals. With the deployment of our sensor technology, we will determine if such a semi-autonomous mobile approach to monitoring CO2 in cities can determine excess urban CO2 mixing ratios (i.e. the 'urban CO2 dome') when compared to values measured at a fixed, remote background site. We present results from a pilot study in Vancouver, BC, where the a network of our new sensors was deployed both in fixed network and in a mobile campaign and examine the spatial biases of the two methods.

Characterization of Dutch dairy farms using sensor systems for cow management.

PubMed

Steeneveld, W; Hogeveen, H

2015-01-01

To improve cow management in large dairy herds, sensors have been developed that can measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual cows. Recently, the number of dairy farms using sensor systems has increased. It is not known, however, to what extent sensor systems are used on dairy farms, and the reasons why farmers invest or not in sensor systems are unclear. The first objective of this study was to give an overview of the sensor systems currently used in the Netherlands. The second objective was to investigate the reasons for investing or not investing in sensor systems. The third objective was to characterize farms with and without sensor systems. A survey was developed to investigate first, the reasons for investing or not in sensor systems and, then, how the sensor systems are used in daily cow management. The survey was sent to 1,672 Dutch dairy farmers. The final data set consisted of 512 dairy farms (response rate of 30.6%); 202 farms indicated that they had sensor systems and 310 farms indicated that they did not have sensor systems. A wide variety of sensor systems was used on Dutch dairy farms; those for mastitis detection and estrus detection were the most-used sensor systems. The use of sensor systems was different for farms using an automatic milking system (AMS) and a conventional milking system (CMS). Reasons for investing were different for different sensor systems. For sensor systems attached to the AMS, the farmers made no conscious decision to invest: they answered that the sensors were standard in the AMS or were bought for reduced cost with the AMS. The main reasons for investing in estrus detection sensor systems were improving detection rates, gaining insights into the fertility level of the herd, improving profitability of the farm, and reducing labor. Main reasons for not investing in sensor systems were economically related. It was very difficult to characterize farms with and without sensor systems. Farms with CMS and sensor systems had more cows than CMS farms without sensor systems. Furthermore, farms with sensor systems had fewer labor hours per cow compared with farms without sensor systems. Other farm characteristics (age of the farmer, availability of a successor, growth in herd size, milk production per cow, number of cows per hectare, and milk production per hectare) did not differ for farms with and without sensor systems. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating the signal-to-noise ratio of AVIRIS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, Paul J.; Dungan, Jennifer L.

1988-01-01

To make the best use of narrowband airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, an investigator needs to know the ratio of signal to random variability or noise (signal-to-noise ratio or SNR). The signal is land cover dependent and varies with both wavelength and atmospheric absorption; random noise comprises sensor noise and intrapixel variability (i.e., variability within a pixel). The three existing methods for estimating the SNR are inadequate, since typical laboratory methods inflate while dark current and image methods deflate the SNR. A new procedure is proposed called the geostatistical method. It is based on the removal of periodic noise by notch filtering in the frequency domain and the isolation of sensor noise and intrapixel variability using the semi-variogram. This procedure was applied easily and successfully to five sets of AVIRIS data from the 1987 flying season and could be applied to remotely sensed data from broadband sensors.

Liquid-crystal-based switchable polarizers for sensor protection.

PubMed

Wu, C S; Wu, S T

1995-11-01

Linear polarizers are generally employed in conjunction with advanced liquid-crystal filters for the protection of human eyes and optical sensors. For detection sensitivity under a no-threat condition to be maximized, the polarizer should remain in a clear state with a minimum insertion loss. When threats are present, it should be quickly switched to function as a linear polarizer with a high extinction ratio. Two types of switchable polarizer for sensor protection are demonstrated. The polarization conversion type exhibits a high optical efficiency in its clear state, a high extinction ratio in the linear polarizer state, and a fast switching speed, except that its field of view is limited to approximately ±10°. In contrast, an improved switchable dichroic polarizer functions effectively over a much wider field of view. However, its extinction ratio and optical efficiency in its clear state are lower than those of the polarization conversion type.

Liquid-crystal-based switchable polarizers for sensor protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chiung-Sheng; Wu, Shin-Tson

1995-11-01

Linear polarizers are generally employed in conjunction with advanced liquid-crystal filters for the protection of human eyes and optical sensors. For detection sensitivity under a no-threat condition to be maximized, the polarizer should remain in a clear state with a minimum insertion loss. When threats are present, it should be quickly switched to function as a linear polarizer with a high extinction ratio. Two types of switchable polarizer for sensor protection are demonstrated. The polarization conversion type exhibits a high optical efficiency in its clear state, a high extinction ratio in the linear polarizer state, and a fast switching speed, except that its field of view is limited to approximately +/-10 deg In contrast, an improved switchable dichroic polarizer functions effectively over a much wider field of view. However, its extinction ratio and optical efficiency in its clear state are lower than those of the polarization conversion type.

AOI [3] High-Temperature Nano-Derived Micro-H 2 and - H 2S Sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sabolsky, Edward M.

2014-08-01

The emissions from coal-fired power plants remain a significant concern for air quality. This environmental challenge must be overcome by controlling the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) throughout the entire coal combustion process. One of the processes which could specifically benefit from robust, low cost, and high temperature compatible gas sensors is the coal gasification process which converts coal and/or biomass into syngas. Hydrogen (H 2), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur compounds make up 33%, 43% and 2% of syngas, respectively. Therefore, development of a high temperature (>500°C) chemical sensor for in-situ monitoring ofmore » H 2, H 2S and SO2 2 levels during coal gasification is strongly desired. The selective detection of SO 2/H 2S in the presence of H 2, is a formidable task for a sensor designer. In order to ensure effective operation of these chemical sensors, the sensor system must inexpensively function within harsh temperature and chemical environment. Currently available sensing approaches, which are based on gas chromatography, electrochemistry, and IR-spectroscopy, do not satisfy the required cost and performance targets. This work focused on the development microsensors that can be applied to this application. In order to develop the high- temperature compatible microsensor, this work addressed various issues related to sensor stability, selectivity, and miniaturization. In the research project entitled “High-Temperature Nano-Derived Micro-H 2 and -H 2S Sensors”, the team worked to develop micro-scale, chemical sensors and sensor arrays composed of nano-derived, metal-oxide composite materials to detect gases like H 2, SO 2, and H 2S within high-temperature environments (>500°C). The research was completed in collaboration with NexTech Materials, Ltd. (Lewis Center, Ohio). NexTech assisted in the testing of the sensors in syngas with contaminate levels of H 2S. The idea of including nanomaterials as the sensing material within resistive-type chemical sensor platforms was to increase the sensitivity (as shown for room temperature applications). Unfortunately, nanomaterials are not stable at high temperatures due to sintering and coarsening processes that are driven by their high surface to volume ratio. Therefore, new hydrogen and sulfur selective nanomaterial systems with high selectivity and stability properties in the proposed harsh environment were investigated. Different nano-morphologies of zirconate, molybdate, and tungstate compounds were investigated. The fabrication of the microsensors consisted of the deposition of the selective nanomaterial systems over metal based interconnects on an inert substrate. This work utilized the chemi-resistive (resistive- type) microsensor architecture where the chemically and structurally stable, high temperature compatible electrodes were sputtered onto a ceramic substrate. The nanomaterial sensing systems were deposited over the electrodes using a lost mold method patterned by conventional optical lithography. The microsensor configuration with optimized nanomaterial system was tested and compared to a millimeter-size sensor e outcomes of this research will contribute to the economical application of sensor arrays for simultaneous sensing of H 2, H 2S, and SO 2.« less

Fabrication and characterization of nano-gas sensor arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hassan, H. S., E-mail: hassan.shokry@gmail.com; Kashyout, A. B., E-mail: hady8@yahoo.com; Morsi, I., E-mail: drimanmorsi@yahoo.com

2015-03-30

A novel structures of Nanomaterials gas sensors array constructed using ZnO, and ZnO doped with Al via sol-gel technique. Two structure arrays are developed; the first one is a double sensor array based on doping with percentages of 1% and 5%. The second is a quadrature sensor array based on several doping ratios concentrations (0%, 1%, 5% and 10%). The morphological structures of prepared ZnO were revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal a highly crystallized wurtzite structure and used for identifying phase structure and chemical state of both ZnO and ZnO doped with Al undermore » different preparation conditions and different doping ratios. Chemical composition of Al-doped ZnO nanopowders was performed using energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) analysis. The electrical characteristics of the sensor are determined by measuring the two terminal sensor’s output resistance for O{sub 2}, H{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} gases as a function of temperature.« less

Nuclear Power Plant Thermocouple Sensor-Fault Detection and Classification Using Deep Learning and Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Shyamapada; Santhi, B.; Sridhar, S.; Vinolia, K.; Swaminathan, P.

2017-06-01

In this paper, an online fault detection and classification method is proposed for thermocouples used in nuclear power plants. In the proposed method, the fault data are detected by the classification method, which classifies the fault data from the normal data. Deep belief network (DBN), a technique for deep learning, is applied to classify the fault data. The DBN has a multilayer feature extraction scheme, which is highly sensitive to a small variation of data. Since the classification method is unable to detect the faulty sensor; therefore, a technique is proposed to identify the faulty sensor from the fault data. Finally, the composite statistical hypothesis test, namely generalized likelihood ratio test, is applied to compute the fault pattern of the faulty sensor signal based on the magnitude of the fault. The performance of the proposed method is validated by field data obtained from thermocouple sensors of the fast breeder test reactor.

Mission-Adaptable Chemical Sensor (MACS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-27

with very high PDF and very low PFA (0.9999 and 0.0001, respectively). These objectives and more were met by the Phase 1 system, which is covered...area/volume ratio as possible (to reduce possible secondary sorption of analyte). In the current embodiment of the 2D concentrator, the sorbent is...and two porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns have been assessed using approximately 60 sorbent/analyte combinations. The sorption /desorption

Cooperative wireless network control based health and activity monitoring system.

PubMed

Prakash, R; Ganesh, A Balaji; Girish, Siva V

2016-10-01

A real-time cooperative communication based wireless network is presented for monitoring health and activity of an end-user in their environment. The cooperative communication offers better energy consumption and also an opportunity to aware the current location of a user non-intrusively. The link between mobile sensor node and relay node is dynamically established by using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Link Quality Indicator (LQI) based on adaptive relay selection scheme. The study proposes a Linear Acceleration based Transmission Power Decision Control (LA-TPDC) algorithm to further enhance the energy efficiency of cooperative communication. Further, the occurrences of false alarms are carefully prevented by introducing three stages of sequential warning system. The real-time experiments are carried-out by using the nodes, namely mobile sensor node, relay nodes and a destination node which are indigenously developed by using a CC430 microcontroller integrated with an in-built transceiver at 868 MHz. The wireless node performance characteristics, such as energy consumption, Signal-Noise ratio (SNR), Bit Error Rate (BER), Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) and transmission offset are evaluated for all the participated nodes. The experimental results observed that the proposed linear acceleration based transmission power decision control algorithm almost doubles the battery life time than energy efficient conventional cooperative communication.

Compressive sensing based wireless sensor for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Yuequan; Zou, Zilong; Li, Hui

2014-03-01

Data loss is a common problem for monitoring systems based on wireless sensors. Reliable communication protocols, which enhance communication reliability by repetitively transmitting unreceived packets, is one approach to tackle the problem of data loss. An alternative approach allows data loss to some extent and seeks to recover the lost data from an algorithmic point of view. Compressive sensing (CS) provides such a data loss recovery technique. This technique can be embedded into smart wireless sensors and effectively increases wireless communication reliability without retransmitting the data. The basic idea of CS-based approach is that, instead of transmitting the raw signal acquired by the sensor, a transformed signal that is generated by projecting the raw signal onto a random matrix, is transmitted. Some data loss may occur during the transmission of this transformed signal. However, according to the theory of CS, the raw signal can be effectively reconstructed from the received incomplete transformed signal given that the raw signal is compressible in some basis and the data loss ratio is low. This CS-based technique is implemented into the Imote2 smart sensor platform using the foundation of Illinois Structural Health Monitoring Project (ISHMP) Service Tool-suite. To overcome the constraints of limited onboard resources of wireless sensor nodes, a method called random demodulator (RD) is employed to provide memory and power efficient construction of the random sampling matrix. Adaptation of RD sampling matrix is made to accommodate data loss in wireless transmission and meet the objectives of the data recovery. The embedded program is tested in a series of sensing and communication experiments. Examples and parametric study are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the embedded program as well as to show the efficacy of CS-based data loss recovery for real wireless SHM systems.

Embedded NMR Sensor to Monitor Compressive Strength Development and Pore Size Distribution in Hydrating Concrete

PubMed Central

Díaz-Díaz, Floriberto; de J. Cano-Barrita, Prisciliano F.; Balcom, Bruce J.; Solís-Nájera, Sergio E.; Rodríguez, Alfredo O.

2013-01-01

In cement-based materials porosity plays an important role in determining their mechanical and transport properties. This paper describes an improved low–cost embeddable miniature NMR sensor capable of non-destructively measuring evaporable water loss and porosity refinement in low and high water-to-cement ratio cement-based materials. The sensor consists of two NdFeB magnets having their North and South poles facing each other, separated by 7 mm to allow space for a Faraday cage containing a Teflon tube and an ellipsoidal RF coil. To account for magnetic field changes due to temperature variations, and/or the presence of steel rebars, or frequency variation due to sample impedance, an external tuning circuit was employed. The sensor performance was evaluated by analyzing the transverse magnetization decay obtained with a CPMG measurement from different materials, such as a polymer phantom, fresh white and grey cement pastes with different w/c ratios and concrete with low (0.30) and high (0.6) w/c ratios. The results indicated that the sensor is capable of detecting changes in water content in fresh cement pastes and porosity refinement caused by cement hydration in hardened materials, even if they are prepared with a low w/c ratio (w/c = 0.30). The short lifetime component of the transverse relaxation rate is directly proportional to the compressive strength of concrete determined by destructive testing. The r2 (0.97) from the linear relationship observed is similar to that obtained using T2 data from a commercial Oxford Instruments 12.9 MHz spectrometer.

Ultra sensitive magnetic sensors integrating the giant magnetoelectric effect with advanced microelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Zhao

This dissertation investigates approaches to enhance the performance, especially the sensitivity and signal to noise ratio of magnetoelectric sensors, which exploits the magnetoelectric coupling in magnetostrictive and piezoelectric laminate composites. A magnetic sensor is a system or device that can measure the magnitude of a magnetic field or each of its vector components. Usually the techniques encompass many aspects of physics and electronics. The common technologies used for magnetic field sensing include induction coil sensors, fluxgate, SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device), Hall effect, giant magnetoresistance, magnetostrictive/piezoelectric composites, and MEMS (microelectromechanical systems)-based magnetic sensors. Magnetic sensors have found a broad range of applications for many decades. For example, ultra sensitive magnetic sensors are able to detect tiny magnetic fields produced outside the brain by the neuronal currents which can be used for diagnostic application. Measuring the brain's magnetic field is extremely challenging because they are so weak, have strengths of 0.1--1 pT and thus requiring magnetic sensors with sub-picotesla sensitivity. In fact, to date, these measurements can only performed with the most sensitive magnetic sensors, i.e., SQUID. However, such detectors need expensive and cumbersome cryogenics to operate. Additionally, the thermal insulation of the sensors prevents them from being placed very closed to the tissues under study, thereby preventing high-resolution measurement capability. All of these severely limit their broad usage and proliferation for biomedical imaging, diagnosis, and research. A novel ultra-sensitive magnetic sensor capable of operating at room temperature is investigated in this thesis. Magnetoelectric effect is a material phenomenon featuring the interchange between the magnetic and electric energies or signals. The large ME effect observed in ME composites, especially the ME laminates consisting of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric components shows a promise to make novel ultra-sensitive magnetic sensors capable of operating at room temperature. To achieve such a high sensitivity (˜pT level), piezoelectric sensors are materialized through ME composite laminates, provided piezo-sensors are among the most sensitive while being passive devices at the same time. To further improve the sensitivity and reduce the 1f noise level, several approaches are used such as magnetic flux concentration effect, which is a function of the Metglas sheet aspect ratio, and resonance enhancement. Taking advantage of this effect, the ME voltage coefficient alpha ME=21.46 V/cm·Oe for Metglas 2605SA1/PVDF laminates and alphaME=46.7 V/cm·Oe for Metglas 2605CO/PVDF laminates. The resonance response of Metglas/PZT laminates in FF (Free-Free), FC (Free-Clamped), and CC (Clamped-Clamped) modes are also investigated. alphaME=301.6 V/cm·Oe and the corresponding SNR=4x107 Hz /Oe are achieved for FC mode at resonance frequencies. In addition to this, testing setups were built to characterize the magnetic sensors. LABVIEW codes were also developed to automatize the measurements and consequently get accurate results. Then two commonly used integration methods, i.e., hybrid method and system in package (SIP), are discussed. Then the intrinsic noise analysis including dielectric loss noise, which dominates the intrinsic noise sources, and magnetostrictive noise is introduced. A charge mode readout circuit is made for hybrid method and a voltage mode readout circuit is made for SIP method. For sensors, since SNR is very important since it determines the minimum signal it can detect, the SNR of each configuration is discussed in detail. For charge mode circuit, by taking advantage of the multilayer PVDF configuration, SNR=7.2x10 5 Hz /Oe is achieved at non-resonance frequencies and SNR=2x10 7 Hz /Oe is achieved at resonance frequencies. For voltage mode circuit, a constant SNR=3x103 Hz /Oe is achieved at non-resonance frequencies. Both of the advantages and disadvantages of each method are also discussed. Piezoelectric single crystal PMN-PT with optimum orientation and cut direction is developed to increase the ME coefficient alpha ME and reduce the intrinsic dielectric loss noise, consequently to improve the SNR of the ME sensors. For Metlgas/PMN-PT laminates, SNR=3.9x10 6 Hz /Oe is achieved at non-resonance frequencies and SNR=7.3x10 8 Hz /Oe is achieved at resonance frequencies.

Sap flow sensors: construction, quality control and comparison.

PubMed

Davis, Tyler W; Kuo, Chen-Min; Liang, Xu; Yu, Pao-Shan

2012-01-01

This work provides a design for two types of sensors, based on the thermal dissipation and heat ratio methods of sap flow calculation, for moderate to large scale deployments for the purpose of monitoring tree transpiration. These designs include a procedure for making these sensors, a quality control method for the final products, and a complete list of components with vendors and pricing information. Both sensor designs were field tested alongside a commercial sap flow sensor to assess their performance and show the importance for quality controlling the sensor outputs. Results show that for roughly 2% of the cost of commercial sensors, self-made sap flow sensors can provide acceptable estimates of the sap flow measurements compared to the commercial sensors.

Adaptive electric potential sensors for smart signal acquisition and processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prance, R. J.; Beardsmore-Rust, S.; Prance, H.; Harland, C. J.; Stiffell, P. B.

2007-07-01

Current applications of the Electric Potential Sensor operate in a strongly (capacitively) coupled limit, with the sensor physically close to or touching the source. This mode of operation screens the sensor effectively from the majority of external noise. To date however the full capability of these sensors operating in a remote mode has not been realised outside of a screened environment (Faraday cage). This paper describes the results of preliminary work in tailoring the response of the sensors to particular signals and so reject background noise, thereby enhancing both the dynamic range and signal to noise ratio significantly.

Evaluation of ERTS-1 image sensor spatial resolution in photographic form

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, P. N. (Principal Investigator); Schowengerdt, R. A.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A coherent optical system was used to display the spatial frequency content of the amplitude image of one area of the ground as obtained in the four wavelength bands of the multispectral scanner. This enabled a rapid comparison to be made between the four bands, from which it was clear that bands 5 and 7 were preferred to the others in terms of image definition, and thus mapping and acreage estimation, for the particular agricultural area imaged. With suitable scaling it was also possible to compare the modulation, as a function of spatial frequency, of MSS bands 4 and 5 with the green (BB) and red (DD) bands of the same area from the Apollo 9, SO65 experiment. A significant result is that the modulation in the MSS amplitude imagery is 65%-90% of that in the Apollo 9 amplitude imagery. In addition, the ratio of spatial frequencies for the ERTS-1 and Apollo imagery, at which the same modulation occurs, lies between 0.55 and 0.75 for the red band. This ratio is closely related to the ratio of resolutions for the two sensors. These values corroborate statements that the resolution of the MSS imagery is better than anticipated by pre-flight predictions.

Hydrophone Investigations of Earthquakes and Explosion Generated High-Frequency Seismic Phases

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-30

stacked along three axes, a temperature sensor , a 2- component tiltmeter , and floating point analog-to-digital electronics. It is clamped inside the... sensors within the ocean- sediment-basement column in order to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and the signal fidelity of various seismic and acoustic...improved by siting the sensors below the ocean-sediment interface. These changes are especially pronounced on horizontal sensors . Although siting the

Single diode laser sensor for wide-range H2O temperature measurements.

PubMed

Gharavi, Mohammadreza; Buckley, Steven G

2004-04-01

A single diode laser absorption sensor (near 1477 nm) useful for simultaneous temperature and H2O concentration measurements is developed. The diode laser tunes approximately 1.2 cm(-1) over three H2O absorption transitions in each measurement. The line strengths of the transitions are measured over a temperature range from 468 to 977 K, based on high-resolution absorption measurements in a heated static cell. The results indicate that the selected transitions are suitable for sensitive temperature measurements in atmospheric pressure combustion systems using absorption line ratios. Comparing the results with HITRAN 96 data, it appears that these transitions will be sensitive over a wide range of temperatures (450-2000 K), suggesting applicability for combustion measurements.

Co-encapsulation of enzyme and sensitive dye as a tool for fabrication of microcapsule based sensor for urea measuring.

PubMed

Kazakova, Lyubov I; Shabarchina, Lyudmila I; Sukhorukov, Gleb B

2011-06-21

Enzyme based micron sized sensing system with optical readout was fabricated by co-encapsulation of urease and dextran couple with pH sensitive dye SNARF-1 into polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules. Co-precipitation of calcium carbonate, urease and dextran followed up by multilayer film coating and Ca-extracting by EDTA resulted in the formation of 3.5-4 micron capsules, what enable the calibrated fluorescence response to urea in concentration range from 10(-6) to 10(-1) M. The presence of urea can be monitored on a single capsule level as illustrated by confocal fluorescent microscopy. Variations in urease:dye ratio in capsules, applicability and limits of use of that type multi-component microencapsulated sensors are discussed.

All-optical phase modulation for integrated interferometric biosensors.

PubMed

Dante, Stefania; Duval, Daphné; Sepúlveda, Borja; González-Guerrero, Ana Belen; Sendra, José Ramón; Lechuga, Laura M

2012-03-26

We present the theoretical and the experimental implementation of an all-optical phase modulation system in integrated Mach-Zehnder Interferometers to solve the drawbacks related to the periodic nature of the interferometric signal. Sensor phase is tuned by modulating the emission wavelength of low-cost commercial laser diodes by changing their output power. FFT deconvolution of the signal allows for direct phase readout, immune to sensitivity variations and to light intensity fluctuations. This simple phase modulation scheme increases the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurements in one order of magnitude, rendering in a sensor with a detection limit of 1.9·10⁻⁷ RIU. The viability of the all-optical modulation approach is demonstrated with an immunoassay detection as a biosensing proof of concept.

Voltage sensor and dielectric material

DOEpatents

Yakymyshyn, Christopher Paul; Yakymyshyn, Pamela Jane; Brubaker, Michael Allen

2006-10-17

A voltage sensor is described that consists of an arrangement of impedance elements. The sensor is optimized to provide an output ratio that is substantially immune to changes in voltage, temperature variations or aging. Also disclosed is a material with a large and stable dielectric constant. The dielectric constant can be tailored to vary with position or direction in the material.

Hand Motion Classification Using a Multi-Channel Surface Electromyography Sensor

PubMed Central

Tang, Xueyan; Liu, Yunhui; Lv, Congyi; Sun, Dong

2012-01-01

The human hand has multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) for achieving high-dexterity motions. Identifying and replicating human hand motions are necessary to perform precise and delicate operations in many applications, such as haptic applications. Surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors are a low-cost method for identifying hand motions, in addition to the conventional methods that use data gloves and vision detection. The identification of multiple hand motions is challenging because the error rate typically increases significantly with the addition of more hand motions. Thus, the current study proposes two new methods for feature extraction to solve the problem above. The first method is the extraction of the energy ratio features in the time-domain, which are robust and invariant to motion forces and speeds for the same gesture. The second method is the extraction of the concordance correlation features that describe the relationship between every two channels of the multi-channel sEMG sensor system. The concordance correlation features of a multi-channel sEMG sensor system were shown to provide a vast amount of useful information for identification. Furthermore, a new cascaded-structure classifier is also proposed, in which 11 types of hand gestures can be identified accurately using the newly defined features. Experimental results show that the success rate for the identification of the 11 gestures is significantly high. PMID:22438703

Hand motion classification using a multi-channel surface electromyography sensor.

PubMed

Tang, Xueyan; Liu, Yunhui; Lv, Congyi; Sun, Dong

2012-01-01

The human hand has multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) for achieving high-dexterity motions. Identifying and replicating human hand motions are necessary to perform precise and delicate operations in many applications, such as haptic applications. Surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors are a low-cost method for identifying hand motions, in addition to the conventional methods that use data gloves and vision detection. The identification of multiple hand motions is challenging because the error rate typically increases significantly with the addition of more hand motions. Thus, the current study proposes two new methods for feature extraction to solve the problem above. The first method is the extraction of the energy ratio features in the time-domain, which are robust and invariant to motion forces and speeds for the same gesture. The second method is the extraction of the concordance correlation features that describe the relationship between every two channels of the multi-channel sEMG sensor system. The concordance correlation features of a multi-channel sEMG sensor system were shown to provide a vast amount of useful information for identification. Furthermore, a new cascaded-structure classifier is also proposed, in which 11 types of hand gestures can be identified accurately using the newly defined features. Experimental results show that the success rate for the identification of the 11 gestures is significantly high.

Scan statistics with local vote for target detection in distributed system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Junhai; Wu, Qi

2017-12-01

Target detection has occupied a pivotal position in distributed system. Scan statistics, as one of the most efficient detection methods, has been applied to a variety of anomaly detection problems and significantly improves the probability of detection. However, scan statistics cannot achieve the expected performance when the noise intensity is strong, or the signal emitted by the target is weak. The local vote algorithm can also achieve higher target detection rate. After the local vote, the counting rule is always adopted for decision fusion. The counting rule does not use the information about the contiguity of sensors but takes all sensors' data into consideration, which makes the result undesirable. In this paper, we propose a scan statistics with local vote (SSLV) method. This method combines scan statistics with local vote decision. Before scan statistics, each sensor executes local vote decision according to the data of its neighbors and its own. By combining the advantages of both, our method can obtain higher detection rate in low signal-to-noise ratio environment than the scan statistics. After the local vote decision, the distribution of sensors which have detected the target becomes more intensive. To make full use of local vote decision, we introduce a variable-step-parameter for the SSLV. It significantly shortens the scan period especially when the target is absent. Analysis and simulations are presented to demonstrate the performance of our method.

A Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm for Underwater Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Luo, Junhai; Fan, Liying

2017-03-30

Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs) can enable a broad range of applications such as resource monitoring, disaster prevention, and navigation-assistance. Sensor nodes location in UWSNs is an especially relevant topic. Global Positioning System (GPS) information is not suitable for use in UWSNs because of the underwater propagation problems. Hence, some localization algorithms based on the precise time synchronization between sensor nodes that have been proposed for UWSNs are not feasible. In this paper, we propose a localization algorithm called Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm (TP-TSFLA). TP-TSFLA contains two phases, namely, range-based estimation phase and range-free evaluation phase. In the first phase, we address a time synchronization-free localization scheme based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to obtain the coordinates of the unknown sensor nodes. In the second phase, we propose a Circle-based Range-Free Localization Algorithm (CRFLA) to locate the unlocalized sensor nodes which cannot obtain the location information through the first phase. In the second phase, sensor nodes which are localized in the first phase act as the new anchor nodes to help realize localization. Hence, in this algorithm, we use a small number of mobile beacons to help obtain the location information without any other anchor nodes. Besides, to improve the precision of the range-free method, an extension of CRFLA achieved by designing a coordinate adjustment scheme is updated. The simulation results show that TP-TSFLA can achieve a relative high localization ratio without time synchronization.

A Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm for Underwater Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Luo, Junhai; Fan, Liying

2017-01-01

Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs) can enable a broad range of applications such as resource monitoring, disaster prevention, and navigation-assistance. Sensor nodes location in UWSNs is an especially relevant topic. Global Positioning System (GPS) information is not suitable for use in UWSNs because of the underwater propagation problems. Hence, some localization algorithms based on the precise time synchronization between sensor nodes that have been proposed for UWSNs are not feasible. In this paper, we propose a localization algorithm called Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm (TP-TSFLA). TP-TSFLA contains two phases, namely, range-based estimation phase and range-free evaluation phase. In the first phase, we address a time synchronization-free localization scheme based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to obtain the coordinates of the unknown sensor nodes. In the second phase, we propose a Circle-based Range-Free Localization Algorithm (CRFLA) to locate the unlocalized sensor nodes which cannot obtain the location information through the first phase. In the second phase, sensor nodes which are localized in the first phase act as the new anchor nodes to help realize localization. Hence, in this algorithm, we use a small number of mobile beacons to help obtain the location information without any other anchor nodes. Besides, to improve the precision of the range-free method, an extension of CRFLA achieved by designing a coordinate adjustment scheme is updated. The simulation results show that TP-TSFLA can achieve a relative high localization ratio without time synchronization. PMID:28358342

Link Investigation of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks in Forests

PubMed Central

Ding, Xingjian; Sun, Guodong; Yang, Gaoxiang; Shang, Xinna

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks are expected to automatically monitor the ecological evolution and wildlife habits in forests. Low-power links (transceivers) are often adopted in wireless sensor network applications, in order to save the precious sensor energy and then achieve long-term, unattended monitoring. Recent research has presented some performance characteristics of such low-power wireless links under laboratory or outdoor scenarios with less obstacles, and they have found that low-power wireless links are unreliable and prone to be affected by the target environment. However, there is still less understanding about how well the low-power wireless link performs in real-world forests and to what extent the complex in-forest surrounding environments affect the link performances. In this paper, we empirically evaluate the low-power links of wireless sensors in three typical different forest environments. Our experiment investigates the performance of the link layer compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and analyzes the variation patterns of the packet reception ratio (PRR), the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and the link quality indicator (LQI) under diverse experimental settings. Some observations of this study are inconsistent with or even contradict prior results that are achieved in open fields or relatively clean environments and thus, provide new insights both into effectively evaluating the low-power wireless links and into efficiently deploying wireless sensor network systems in forest environments. PMID:27355957

Link Investigation of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks in Forests.

PubMed

Ding, Xingjian; Sun, Guodong; Yang, Gaoxiang; Shang, Xinna

2016-06-27

Wireless sensor networks are expected to automatically monitor the ecological evolution and wildlife habits in forests. Low-power links (transceivers) are often adopted in wireless sensor network applications, in order to save the precious sensor energy and then achieve long-term, unattended monitoring. Recent research has presented some performance characteristics of such low-power wireless links under laboratory or outdoor scenarios with less obstacles, and they have found that low-power wireless links are unreliable and prone to be affected by the target environment. However, there is still less understanding about how well the low-power wireless link performs in real-world forests and to what extent the complex in-forest surrounding environments affect the link performances. In this paper, we empirically evaluate the low-power links of wireless sensors in three typical different forest environments. Our experiment investigates the performance of the link layer compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and analyzes the variation patterns of the packet reception ratio (PRR), the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and the link quality indicator (LQI) under diverse experimental settings. Some observations of this study are inconsistent with or even contradict prior results that are achieved in open fields or relatively clean environments and thus, provide new insights both into effectively evaluating the low-power wireless links and into efficiently deploying wireless sensor network systems in forest environments.

Magnetoelectric(ME) Composites and Functional Devices Based on ME Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Junqi

Magnetoelectric (ME) effect, a cross-coupling effect between magnetic and electric orders, has stimulated lots of investigations due to the potential for applications as multifunctional devices. In this thesis, I have investigated and optimized the ME effect in Metglas/piezo-fibers ME composites with a multi-push pull configuration. Moreover, I have also proposed several devices based on such composites. In this thesis, several methods for ME composites optimization have been investigated. (i) the ME coefficients can be enhanced greatly by using single crystal fibers with high piezoelectric properties; (ii) the influence of volume ratio between Metglas and piezo-fibers on ME coefficients has been studied both experimentally and theoretically. Modulating the volume ratio can increase the ME coefficient greatly; and (iii) the annealing process can change the properties of Metglas, which can enhance the ME response as well. Moreover, one differential structure for ME composites has been proposed, which can reject the external vibration noise by a factor of 10 to 20 dB. This differential structure may allow for practical applications of such sensors in real-world environments. Based on optimized ME composites, two types of AC magnetic sensor have been developed. The objective is to develop one alternative type of magnetic sensor with low noise, low cost and room-temperature operation; that makes the sensor competitive with the commercially available magnetic sensor, such as Fluxgate, GMR, SQUID, etc. Conventional passive sensors have been fully investigated, including the design of sensor working at specific frequency range, sensitivity, noise density characterization, etc. Furthermore, the extremely low frequency (< 10-3 Hz) magnetic sensor has undergone a redesign of the charge amplifier circuit. Additionally, the noise model has been established to simulate the noise density for this device which can predict the noise floor precisely. Based on theoretical noise analysis, the noise floor can be eliminated greatly. Moreover, another active magnetic senor based on nonlinear ME voltage coefficient is also developed. Such sensor is not required for external DC bias that can help the sensor for sensor arrays application. Inspired by the bio-behaviors in nature, the geomagnetic sensor is designed for sensing geomagnetic fields; it is also potentially used for positioning systems based on the geomagnetic field. In this section, some works for DC sensor optimization have been performed, including the different piezo-fibers, driving frequency and magnetic flux concentration. Meanwhile, the lock-in circuit is designed for the magnetic sensor to replace of the commercial instruments. Finally, the man-portable multi-axial geomagnetic sensor has been developed which has the highest resolution of 10 nT for DC magnetic field. Based on the geomagnetic sensor, some demonstrations have been finished, such as orientation monitor, magnetic field mapping, and geomagnetic sensing. Other devices have been also developed besides the magnetic sensor: (i) magnetic energy harvesters are developed under the resonant frequency condition. Especially, one 60 Hz magnetic harvester is designed which can harvester the magnetic energy source generated by instruments; and (ii) frequency multiplication tuned by geomagnetic field is investigated which potentially can be used for frequency multiplier or geomagnetic guidance devices.

Solutions Network Formulation Report. Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor Measurements of Diffuse-to-Global Irradiance Ratio for Improved Forecasting of Plant Productivity and Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowlton, Kelly; Andrews, Jane C.; Ryan, Robert E.

2007-01-01

Studies have shown that vegetation is directly sensitive to changes in the diffuse-to-global irradiance ratio and that increased percentage of diffuse irradiation can accelerate photosynthesis. Therefore, measurements of diffuse versus global irradiance could be useful for monitoring crop productivity and overall vegetative health as they relate to the total amount of particulates in the air that result from natural disasters or anthropogenic (manmade) causes. While the components of solar irradiance are measured by satellite and surface sensors and calculated with atmospheric models, disagreement exists between the results, creating a need for more accurate and comprehensive retrievals of atmospheric aerosol parameters. Two satellite sensors--APS and VIIRS--show promise for retrieving aerosol properties at an unprecedented level of accuracy. APS is expected to be launched in December 2008. The planned launch date for VIIRS onboard NPP is September 2009. Identified partners include the USDA s ARS, North Carolina State University, Purdue Climate Change Research Center, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University. Although at present no formal DSSs (decision support systems) require accurate values of diffuse-to-global irradiance, this parameter is sufficiently important that models are being developed that will incorporate these measurements. This candidate solution is aligned with the Agricultural Efficiency and Air Quality National Applications.

A Review on Surface Stress-Based Miniaturized Piezoresistive SU-8 Polymeric Cantilever Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Ribu; Ravi Sankar, A.

2018-06-01

In the last decade, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with piezoresistive readout combined with the advances in molecular recognition techniques have found versatile applications, especially in the field of chemical and biological sensing. Compared to conventional solid-state semiconductor-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors, SU-8 polymeric cantilevers have advantages in terms of better sensitivity along with reduced material and fabrication cost. In recent times, numerous researchers have investigated their potential as a sensing platform due to high performance-to-cost ratio of SU-8 polymer-based cantilever sensors. In this article, we critically review the design, fabrication, and performance aspects of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors. The evolution of surface stress-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors from solid-state semiconductor materials to polymers, especially SU-8 polymer, is discussed in detail. Theoretical principles of surface stress generation and their application in cantilever sensing technology are also devised. Variants of SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with different composition of materials in cantilever stacks are explained. Furthermore, the interdependence of the material selection, geometrical design parameters, and fabrication process of piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors and their cumulative impact on the sensor response are also explained in detail. In addition to the design-, fabrication-, and performance-related factors, this article also describes various challenges in engineering SU-8 polymeric cantilevers as a universal sensing platform such as temperature and moisture vulnerability. This review article would serve as a guideline for researchers to understand specifics and functionality of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 cantilever sensors.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Forecasting Plant Productivity and Health Using Diffuse-to-Global Irradiance Ratios Extracted from the OMI Aerosol Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowlton, Kelly; Andrews, Jane C.; Ryan, Robert E.

2007-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols are a major contributor to diffuse irradiance. This Candidate Solution suggests using the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) aerosol product as input into a radiative transfer model, which would calculate the ratio of diffuse to global irradiance at the Earth s surface. This ratio can significantly influence the rate of photosynthesis in plants; increasing the ratio of diffuse to global irradiance can accelerate photosynthesis, resulting in greater plant productivity. Accurate values of this ratio could be useful in predicting crop productivity, thereby improving forecasts of regional food resources. However, disagreements exist between diffuse-to-global irradiance values measured by different satellites and ground sensors. OMI, with its unique combination of spectral bands, high resolution, and daily global coverage, may be able to provide more accurate aerosol measurements than other comparable sensors.

Stress controlled pulsed direct current co-sputtered Al{sub 1−x}Sc{sub x}N as piezoelectric phase for micromechanical sensor applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fichtner, Simon, E-mail: sif@tf.uni-kiel.de; Reimer, Tim; Chemnitz, Steffen

2015-11-01

Scandium alloyed aluminum nitride (Al{sub 1−x}Sc{sub x}N) thin films were fabricated by reactive pulsed direct current co-sputtering of separate scandium and aluminum targets with x ≤ 0.37. A significant improvement of the clamped transversal piezoelectric response to strain e{sub 31,f} from −1.28 C/m{sup 2} to −3.01 C/m{sup 2} was recorded, while dielectric constant and loss angle remain low. Further, the built-in stress level of Al{sub 1−x}Sc{sub x}N was found to be tuneable by varying pressure, Ar/N{sub 2} ratio, and Sc content. The thus resulting enhancement of the expectable signal to noise ratio by a factor of 2.1 and the abilitymore » to control built-in stress make the integration of Al{sub 1−x}Sc{sub x}N as the piezoelectric phase of micro-electro-mechanical system sensor applications highly attractive.« less

High performance monolithic power management system with dynamic maximum power point tracking for microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Erbay, Celal; Carreon-Bautista, Salvador; Sanchez-Sinencio, Edgar; Han, Arum

2014-12-02

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) that can directly generate electricity from organic waste or biomass is a promising renewable and clean technology. However, low power and low voltage output of MFCs typically do not allow directly operating most electrical applications, whether it is supplementing electricity to wastewater treatment plants or for powering autonomous wireless sensor networks. Power management systems (PMSs) can overcome this limitation by boosting the MFC output voltage and managing the power for maximum efficiency. We present a monolithic low-power-consuming PMS integrated circuit (IC) chip capable of dynamic maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to maximize the extracted power from MFCs, regardless of the power and voltage fluctuations from MFCs over time. The proposed PMS continuously detects the maximum power point (MPP) of the MFC and matches the load impedance of the PMS for maximum efficiency. The system also operates autonomously by directly drawing power from the MFC itself without any external power. The overall system efficiency, defined as the ratio between input energy from the MFC and output energy stored into the supercapacitor of the PMS, was 30%. As a demonstration, the PMS connected to a 240 mL two-chamber MFC (generating 0.4 V and 512 μW at MPP) successfully powered a wireless temperature sensor that requires a voltage of 2.5 V and consumes power of 85 mW each time it transmit the sensor data, and successfully transmitted a sensor reading every 7.5 min. The PMS also efficiently managed the power output of a lower-power producing MFC, demonstrating that the PMS works efficiently at various MFC power output level.

Circuit design for the retina-like image sensor based on space-variant lens array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Hongxun; Hao, Qun; Jin, Xuefeng; Cao, Jie; Liu, Yue; Song, Yong; Fan, Fan

2013-12-01

Retina-like image sensor is based on the non-uniformity of the human eyes and the log-polar coordinate theory. It has advantages of high-quality data compression and redundant information elimination. However, retina-like image sensors based on the CMOS craft have drawbacks such as high cost, low sensitivity and signal outputting efficiency and updating inconvenience. Therefore, this paper proposes a retina-like image sensor based on space-variant lens array, focusing on the circuit design to provide circuit support to the whole system. The circuit includes the following parts: (1) A photo-detector array with a lens array to convert optical signals to electrical signals; (2) a strobe circuit for time-gating of the pixels and parallel paths for high-speed transmission of the data; (3) a high-precision digital potentiometer for the I-V conversion, ratio normalization and sensitivity adjustment, a programmable gain amplifier for automatic generation control(AGC), and a A/D converter for the A/D conversion in every path; (4) the digital data is displayed on LCD and stored temporarily in DDR2 SDRAM; (5) a USB port to transfer the data to PC; (6) the whole system is controlled by FPGA. This circuit has advantages as lower cost, larger pixels, updating convenience and higher signal outputting efficiency. Experiments have proved that the grayscale output of every pixel basically matches the target and a non-uniform image of the target is ideally achieved in real time. The circuit can provide adequate technical support to retina-like image sensors based on space-variant lens array.

On-demand drawing of high aspect-ratio, microsphere-tipped elastomeric micropillars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qiang; Kim, Jaeyoun

2017-08-01

High aspect-ratio elastomeric micropillars are widely used in a plethora of applications, such as functional surfaces, actuators, and sensors. Their fabrication at arbitrary positions on non-planar substrates, however, has rarely been reported. Here we demonstrate a new technique for facile fabrication of high aspect-ratio, microsphere-tipped elastomeric micropillars on structures with uncommon geometries. As a proof-of-concept exemplary application, a fiber optic contact sensor is realized by integrating a micropillar onto the end facet of an optical fiber. Overall, both the fabrication technique and the resulting outcomes of this work will add new tools to the toolbox of soft-MEMS and softrobotics.

Auxetic Mechanical Metamaterials to Enhance Sensitivity of Stretchable Strain Sensors.

PubMed

Jiang, Ying; Liu, Zhiyuan; Matsuhisa, Naoji; Qi, Dianpeng; Leow, Wan Ru; Yang, Hui; Yu, Jiancan; Chen, Geng; Liu, Yaqing; Wan, Changjin; Liu, Zhuangjian; Chen, Xiaodong

2018-03-01

Stretchable strain sensors play a pivotal role in wearable devices, soft robotics, and Internet-of-Things, yet these viable applications, which require subtle strain detection under various strain, are often limited by low sensitivity. This inadequate sensitivity stems from the Poisson effect in conventional strain sensors, where stretched elastomer substrates expand in the longitudinal direction but compress transversely. In stretchable strain sensors, expansion separates the active materials and contributes to the sensitivity, while Poisson compression squeezes active materials together, and thus intrinsically limits the sensitivity. Alternatively, auxetic mechanical metamaterials undergo 2D expansion in both directions, due to their negative structural Poisson's ratio. Herein, it is demonstrated that such auxetic metamaterials can be incorporated into stretchable strain sensors to significantly enhance the sensitivity. Compared to conventional sensors, the sensitivity is greatly elevated with a 24-fold improvement. This sensitivity enhancement is due to the synergistic effect of reduced structural Poisson's ratio and strain concentration. Furthermore, microcracks are elongated as an underlying mechanism, verified by both experiments and numerical simulations. This strategy of employing auxetic metamaterials can be further applied to other stretchable strain sensors with different constituent materials. Moreover, it paves the way for utilizing mechanical metamaterials into a broader library of stretchable electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optical and laser spectroscopic diagnostics for energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Markandey Mani

The continuing need for greater energy security and energy independence has motivated researchers to develop new energy technologies for better energy resource management and efficient energy usage. The focus of this dissertation is the development of optical (spectroscopic) sensing methodologies for various fuels, and energy applications. A fiber-optic NIR sensing methodology was developed for predicting water content in bio-oil. The feasibility of using the designed near infrared (NIR) system for estimating water content in bio-oil was tested by applying multivariate analysis to NIR spectral data. The calibration results demonstrated that the spectral information can successfully predict the bio-oil water content (from 16% to 36%). The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on the chemical stability of bio-oil was studied by employing laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. To simulate the UV light exposure, a laser in the UV region (325 nm) was employed for bio-oil excitation. The LIF, as a signature of chemical change, was recorded from bio-oil. From this study, it was concluded that phenols present in the bio-oil show chemical instability, when exposed to UV light. A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)-based optical sensor was designed, developed, and tested for detection of four important trace impurities in rocket fuel (hydrogen). The sensor can simultaneously measure the concentrations of nitrogen, argon, oxygen, and helium in hydrogen from storage tanks and supply lines. The sensor had estimated lower detection limits of 80 ppm for nitrogen, 97 ppm for argon, 10 ppm for oxygen, and 25 ppm for helium. A chemiluminescence-based spectroscopic diagnostics were performed to measure equivalence ratios in methane-air premixed flames. A partial least-squares regression (PLS-R)-based multivariate sensing methodology was investigated. It was found that the equivalence ratios predicted with the PLS-R-based multivariate calibration model matched with the experimentally measured equivalence ratios within 7 %. A comparative study was performed for equivalence ratios measurement in atmospheric premixed methane-air flames with ungated LIBS and chemiluminescence spectroscopy. It was reported that LIBS-based calibration, which carries spectroscopic information from a "point-like-volume," provides better predictions of equivalence ratios compared to chemiluminescence-based calibration, which is essentially a "line-of-sight" measurement.

Effect of sensor systems for cow management on milk production, somatic cell count, and reproduction.

PubMed

Steeneveld, W; Vernooij, J C M; Hogeveen, H

2015-06-01

To improve management on dairy herds, sensor systems have been developed that can measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual cows. It is not known whether using sensor systems also improves measures of health and production in dairy herds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of using sensor systems on measures of health and production in dairy herds. Data of 414 Dutch dairy farms with (n=152) and without (n=262) sensor systems were available. For these herds, information on milk production per cow, days to first service, first calving age, and somatic cell count (SCC) was provided for the years 2003 to 2013. Moreover, year of investment in sensor systems was available. For every farm year, we determined whether that year was before or after the year of investment in sensor systems on farms with an automatic milking system (AMS) or a conventional milking system (CMS), or whether it was a year on a farm that never invested in sensor systems. Separate statistical analyses were performed to determine the effect of sensor systems for mastitis detection (color, SCC, electrical conductivity, and lactate dehydrogenase sensors), estrus detection for dairy cows, estrus detection for young stock, and other sensor systems (weighing platform, rumination time sensor, fat and protein sensor, temperature sensor, milk temperature sensor, urea sensor, β-hydroxybutyrate sensor, and other sensor systems). The AMS farms had a higher average SCC (by 12,000 cells/mL) after sensor investment, and CMS farms with a mastitis detection system had a lower average SCC (by 10,000 cells/mL) in the years after sensor investment. Having sensor systems was associated with a higher average production per cow on AMS farms, and with a lower average production per cow on CMS farms in the years after investment. The most likely reason for this lower milk production after investment was that on 96% of CMS farms, the sensor system investment occurred together with another major change at the farm, such as a new barn or a new milking system. Most likely, these other changes had led to a decrease in milk production that could not be compensated for by the use of sensor systems. Having estrus detection sensor systems did not improve reproduction performance. Labor reduction was an important reason for investing in sensor systems. Therefore, economic benefits from investments in sensor systems can be expected more from the reduction in labor costs than from improvements in measures of health and production in dairy herds. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method of calibrating a fluid-level measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A method of calibrating a fluid-level measurement system is provided. A first response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) not in contact with a fluid of interest. A second response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) fully immersed in the fluid of interest. Using the first and second responses, a plurality of expected responses of the system's sensor(s) is (are) generated for a corresponding plurality of levels of immersion of the sensor(s) in the fluid of interest.

Fuzzy Logic Control Based QoS Management in Wireless Sensor/Actuator Networks

PubMed Central

Xia, Feng; Zhao, Wenhong; Sun, Youxian; Tian, Yu-Chu

2007-01-01

Wireless sensor/actuator networks (WSANs) are emerging rapidly as a new generation of sensor networks. Despite intensive research in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), limited work has been found in the open literature in the field of WSANs. In particular, quality-of-service (QoS) management in WSANs remains an important issue yet to be investigated. As an attempt in this direction, this paper develops a fuzzy logic control based QoS management (FLC-QM) scheme for WSANs with constrained resources and in dynamic and unpredictable environments. Taking advantage of the feedback control technology, this scheme deals with the impact of unpredictable changes in traffic load on the QoS of WSANs. It utilizes a fuzzy logic controller inside each source sensor node to adapt sampling period to the deadline miss ratio associated with data transmission from the sensor to the actuator. The deadline miss ratio is maintained at a pre-determined desired level so that the required QoS can be achieved. The FLC-QM has the advantages of generality, scalability, and simplicity. Simulation results show that the FLC-QM can provide WSANs with QoS support. PMID:28903288

Piezoresistive Composite Silicon Dioxide Nanocantilever Surface Stress Sensor: Design and Optimization.

PubMed

Mathew, Ribu; Sankar, A Ravi

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present the design and optimization of a rectangular piezoresistive composite silicon dioxide nanocantilever sensor. Unlike the conventional design approach, we perform the sensor optimization by not only considering its electro-mechanical response but also incorporating the impact of self-heating induced thermal drift in its terminal characteristics. Through extensive simulations first we comprehend and quantify the inaccuracies due to self-heating effect induced by the geometrical and intrinsic parameters of the piezoresistor. Then, by optimizing the ratio of electrical sensitivity to thermal sensitivity defined as the sensitivity ratio (υ) we improve the sensor performance and measurement reliability. Results show that to ensure υ ≥ 1, shorter and wider piezoresistors are better. In addition, it is observed that unlike the general belief that high doping concentration of piezoresistor reduces thermal sensitivity in piezoresistive sensors, to ensure υ ≥ 1 doping concentration (p) should be in the range: 1E18 cm-3 ≤ p ≤ 1E19 cm-3. Finally, we provide a set of design guidelines that will help NEMS engineers to optimize the performance of such sensors for chemical and biological sensing applications.

Closed loop adaptive optics for microscopy without a wavefront sensor

PubMed Central

Kner, Peter; Winoto, Lukman; Agard, David A.; Sedat, John W.

2013-01-01

A three-dimensional wide-field image of a small fluorescent bead contains more than enough information to accurately calculate the wavefront in the microscope objective back pupil plane using the phase retrieval technique. The phase-retrieved wavefront can then be used to set a deformable mirror to correct the point-spread function (PSF) of the microscope without the use of a wavefront sensor. This technique will be useful for aligning the deformable mirror in a widefield microscope with adaptive optics and could potentially be used to correct aberrations in samples where small fluorescent beads or other point sources are used as reference beacons. Another advantage is the high resolution of the retrieved wavefont as compared with current Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. Here we demonstrate effective correction of the PSF in 3 iterations. Starting from a severely aberrated system, we achieve a Strehl ratio of 0.78 and a greater than 10-fold increase in maximum intensity. PMID:24392198

Magnetic moment investigation by frequency mixing techniques.

PubMed

Teliban, I; Thede, C; Chemnitz, S; Bechtold, C; Quadakkers, W J; Schütze, M; Quandt, E

2009-11-01

Gas turbines and other large industrial equipment are subjected to high-temperature oxidation and corrosion. Research and development of efficient protective coatings is the main task in the field. Also, knowledge about the depletion state of the coating during the operation time is important. To date, practical nondestructive methods for the measurement of the depletion state do not exist. By integrating magnetic phases into the coating, the condition of the coating can be determined by measuring its magnetic properties. In this paper, a new technique using frequency mixing is proposed to investigate the thickness of the coatings based on their magnetic properties. A sensor system is designed and tested on specific magnetic coatings. New approaches are proposed to overcome the dependency of the measurement on the distance between coil and sample that all noncontact techniques face. The novelty is a low cost sensor with high sensibility and selectivity which can provide very high signal-to-noise ratios. Prospects and limitations are discussed for future use of the sensor in industrial applications.

Load-adaptive practical multi-channel communications in wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Islam, Md Shariful; Alam, Muhammad Mahbub; Hong, Choong Seon; Lee, Sungwon

2010-01-01

In recent years, a significant number of sensor node prototypes have been designed that provide communications in multiple channels. This multi-channel feature can be effectively exploited to increase the overall capacity and performance of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we present a multi-channel communications system for WSNs that is referred to as load-adaptive practical multi-channel communications (LPMC). LPMC estimates the active load of a channel at the sink since it has a more comprehensive view of the network behavior, and dynamically adds or removes channels based on the estimated load. LPMC updates the routing path to balance the loads of the channels. The nodes in a path use the same channel; therefore, they do not need to switch channels to receive or forward packets. LPMC has been evaluated through extensive simulations, and the results demonstrate that it can effectively increase the delivery ratio, network throughput, and channel utilization, and that it can decrease the end-to-end delay and energy consumption.

Secure Data Aggregation in Wireless Sensor Network-Fujisaki Okamoto(FO) Authentication Scheme against Sybil Attack.

PubMed

Nirmal Raja, K; Maraline Beno, M

2017-07-01

In the wireless sensor network(WSN) security is a major issue. There are several network security schemes proposed in research. In the network, malicious nodes obstruct the performance of the network. The network can be vulnerable by Sybil attack. When a node illicitly assertions multiple identities or claims fake IDs, the WSN grieves from an attack named Sybil attack. This attack threatens wireless sensor network in data aggregation, synchronizing system, routing, fair resource allocation and misbehavior detection. Henceforth, the research is carried out to prevent the Sybil attack and increase the performance of the network. This paper presents the novel security mechanism and Fujisaki Okamoto algorithm and also application of the work. The Fujisaki-Okamoto (FO) algorithm is ID based cryptographic scheme and gives strong authentication against Sybil attack. By using Network simulator2 (NS2) the scheme is simulated. In this proposed scheme broadcasting key, time taken for different key sizes, energy consumption, Packet delivery ratio, Throughput were analyzed.

Short-Range Vital Signs Sensing Based on EEMD and CWT Using IR-UWB Radar.

PubMed

Hu, Xikun; Jin, Tian

2016-11-30

The radar sensor described realizes healthcare monitoring capable of detecting subject chest-wall movement caused by cardiopulmonary activities and wirelessly estimating the respiration and heartbeat rates of the subject without attaching any devices to the body. Conventional single-tone Doppler radar can only capture Doppler signatures because of a lack of bandwidth information with noncontact sensors. In contrast, we take full advantage of impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar to achieve low power consumption and convenient portability, with a flexible detection range and desirable accuracy. A noise reduction method based on improved ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and a vital sign separation method based on the continuous-wavelet transform (CWT) are proposed jointly to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in order to acquire accurate respiration and heartbeat rates. Experimental results illustrate that respiration and heartbeat signals can be extracted accurately under different conditions. This noncontact healthcare sensor system proves the commercial feasibility and considerable accessibility of using compact IR-UWB radar for emerging biomedical applications.

Performance optimization of apodized FBG-based temperature sensors in single and quasi-distributed DWDM systems with new and different apodization profiles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohammed, Nazmi A.; Ali, Taha A., E-mail: Taha25@gmail.com; Aly, Moustafa H.

2013-12-15

In this work, different FBG temperature sensors are designed and evaluated with various apodization profiles. Evaluation is done under a wide range of controlling design parameters like sensor length and refractive index modulation amplitude, targeting a remarkable temperature sensing performance. New judgment techniques are introduced such as apodization window roll-off rate, asymptotic sidelobe (SL) decay level, number of SLs, and average SL level (SLav). Evaluation techniques like reflectivity, Full width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and Sidelobe Suppression Ratio (SLSR) are also used. A “New” apodization function is proposed, which achieves better performance like asymptotic decay of 18.4 dB/nm, high SLSRmore » of 60 dB, high channel isolation of 57.9 dB, and narrow FWHM less than 0.15 nm. For a single accurate temperature sensor measurement in extensive noisy environment, optimum results are obtained by the Nuttall apodization profile and the new apodization function, which have remarkable SLSR. For a quasi-distributed FBG temperature sensor the Barthann and the new apodization profiles obtain optimum results. Barthann achieves a high asymptotic decay of 40 dB/nm, a narrow FWHM (less than 25 GHZ), a very low SLav of −45.3 dB, high isolation of 44.6 dB, and a high SLSR of 35 dB. The new apodization function achieves narrow FWHM of 0.177 nm, very low SL of −60.1, very low SLav of −63.6 dB, and very high SLSR of −57.7 dB. A study is performed on including an unapodized sensor among apodized sensors in a quasi-distributed sensing system. Finally, an isolation examination is performed on all the discussed apodizations and a linear relation between temperature and the Bragg wavelength shift is observed experimentally and matched with the simulated results.« less

Application of a taste evaluation system to the monitoring of Kimchi fermentation.

PubMed

Kim, Namsoo; Park, Kyung-Rim; Park, In-Seon; Cho, Yong-Jin; Bae, Young Min

2005-05-15

As an objective method, taste evaluation with an instrument is able to supplement the subjective sensory evaluation and to be applied to the optimization of food processing. Kimchi, a Korean traditional pickle fermented with lactic acid bacteria, is expanding its consumption worldwide. The fermentation control of it has been routinely done by measuring titratable acidity and pH. In this study, an eight-channel taste evaluation system was prepared, followed by an application to the monitoring of Kimchi fermentation. Eight polymer membranes which individually responded to cationic or anionic substances were prepared by mixing electroactive materials such as tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride, bis(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate as the plasticizer and polyvinyl chloride in the ratio of 1:66:33. Each membrane prepared was separately installed onto the sensitive area of an ion-selective electrode to produce the respective taste sensor. The eight-channel sensor array and a double junction reference electrode were connected to a 16-channel high input impedance amplifier. The amplified sensor signals were stored to a personal computer via a multi-channel A/D converter. Two sensor groups composed of the cation-selective and anion-selective polymer membrane electrodes showed characteristic concentration-dependency to various artificial taste substances. As a whole, the response potentials of the sensor array increased during the fermentation period at 4, 10 and 25 degrees C. Even the response potentials of the anion-selective taste sensors slightly increased possibly due to the protonation of anions by liberated H+ ions, thereby leading to a decrease in the anion concentration. When the signal data were interpreted by principal component analysis (PCA), the first PC at 4 degrees C explained most of the total data variance. A close correlation was found between the values of titratable acidity and the first PC, which indicated a possible applicability of the multi-channel taste sensor of this study to the process monitoring of various pickle.

Performance optimization of apodized FBG-based temperature sensors in single and quasi-distributed DWDM systems with new and different apodization profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, Nazmi A.; Ali, Taha A.; Aly, Moustafa H.

2013-12-01

In this work, different FBG temperature sensors are designed and evaluated with various apodization profiles. Evaluation is done under a wide range of controlling design parameters like sensor length and refractive index modulation amplitude, targeting a remarkable temperature sensing performance. New judgment techniques are introduced such as apodization window roll-off rate, asymptotic sidelobe (SL) decay level, number of SLs, and average SL level (SLav). Evaluation techniques like reflectivity, Full width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and Sidelobe Suppression Ratio (SLSR) are also used. A "New" apodization function is proposed, which achieves better performance like asymptotic decay of 18.4 dB/nm, high SLSR of 60 dB, high channel isolation of 57.9 dB, and narrow FWHM less than 0.15 nm. For a single accurate temperature sensor measurement in extensive noisy environment, optimum results are obtained by the Nuttall apodization profile and the new apodization function, which have remarkable SLSR. For a quasi-distributed FBG temperature sensor the Barthann and the new apodization profiles obtain optimum results. Barthann achieves a high asymptotic decay of 40 dB/nm, a narrow FWHM (less than 25 GHZ), a very low SLav of -45.3 dB, high isolation of 44.6 dB, and a high SLSR of 35 dB. The new apodization function achieves narrow FWHM of 0.177 nm, very low SL of -60.1, very low SLav of -63.6 dB, and very high SLSR of -57.7 dB. A study is performed on including an unapodized sensor among apodized sensors in a quasi-distributed sensing system. Finally, an isolation examination is performed on all the discussed apodizations and a linear relation between temperature and the Bragg wavelength shift is observed experimentally and matched with the simulated results.

Aerospace Sensor Systems: From Sensor Development To Vehicle Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2008-01-01

This paper presents an overview of years of sensor system development and application for aerospace systems. The emphasis of this work is on developing advanced capabilities for measurement and control of aeropropulsion and crew vehicle systems as well as monitoring the safety of those systems. Specific areas of work include chemical species sensors, thin film thermocouples and strain gages, heat flux gages, fuel gages, SiC based electronic devices and sensors, space qualified electronics, and MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as well as integrated and multifunctional sensor systems. Each sensor type has its own technical challenges related to integration and reliability in a given application. The general approach has been to develop base sensor technology using microfabrication techniques, integrate sensors with "smart" hardware and software, and demonstrate those systems in a range of aerospace applications. Descriptions of the sensor elements, their integration into sensors systems, and examples of sensor system applications will be discussed. Finally, suggestions related to the future of sensor technology will be given. It is concluded that smart micro/nano sensor technology can revolutionize aerospace applications, but significant challenges exist in maturing the technology and demonstrating its value in real-life applications.

Evaluation and optimization of quartz resonant-frequency retuned fork force sensors with high Q factors, and the associated electric circuits, for non-contact atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Ooe, Hiroaki; Fujii, Mikihiro; Tomitori, Masahiko; Arai, Toyoko

2016-02-01

High-Q factor retuned fork (RTF) force sensors made from quartz tuning forks, and the electric circuits for the sensors, were evaluated and optimized to improve the performance of non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) performed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. To exploit the high Q factor of the RTF sensor, the oscillation of the RTF sensor was excited at its resonant frequency, using a stray capacitance compensation circuit to cancel the excitation signal leaked through the stray capacitor of the sensor. To improve the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in the detected signal, a small capacitor was inserted before the input of an operational (OP) amplifier placed in an UHV chamber, which reduced the output noise from the amplifier. A low-noise, wideband OP amplifier produced a superior S/N ratio, compared with a precision OP amplifier. The thermal vibrational density spectra of the RTF sensors were evaluated using the circuit. The RTF sensor with an effective spring constant value as low as 1000 N/m provided a lower minimum detection limit for force differentiation. A nc-AFM image of a Si(111)-7 × 7 surface was produced with atomic resolution using the RTF sensor in a constant frequency shift mode; tunneling current and energy dissipation images with atomic resolution were also simultaneously produced. The high-Q factor RTF sensor showed potential for the high sensitivity of energy dissipation as small as 1 meV/cycle and the high-resolution analysis of non-conservative force interactions.

Multi-Objective Sliding Mode Control on Vehicle Cornering Stability with Variable Gear Ratio Actuator-Based Active Front Steering Systems

PubMed Central

Ma, Xinbo; Wong, Pak Kin; Zhao, Jing; Xie, Zhengchao

2016-01-01

Active front steering (AFS) is an emerging technology to improve the vehicle cornering stability by introducing an additional small steering angle to the driver’s input. This paper proposes an AFS system with a variable gear ratio steering (VGRS) actuator which is controlled by using the sliding mode control (SMC) strategy to improve the cornering stability of vehicles. In the design of an AFS system, different sensors are considered to measure the vehicle state, and the mechanism of the AFS system is also modelled in detail. Moreover, in order to improve the cornering stability of vehicles, two dependent objectives, namely sideslip angle and yaw rate, are considered together in the design of SMC strategy. By evaluating the cornering performance, Sine with Dwell and accident avoidance tests are conducted, and the simulation results indicate that the proposed SMC strategy is capable of improving the cornering stability of vehicles in practice. PMID:28036037

A Brief Overview of NASA Glenn Research Center Sensor and Electronics Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2012-01-01

Aerospace applications require a range of sensing technologies. There is a range of sensor and sensor system technologies being developed using microfabrication and micromachining technology to form smart sensor systems and intelligent microsystems. Drive system intelligence to the local (sensor) level -- distributed smart sensor systems. Sensor and sensor system development examples: (1) Thin-film physical sensors (2) High temperature electronics and wireless (3) "lick and stick" technology. NASA GRC is a world leader in aerospace sensor technology with a broad range of development and application experience. Core microsystems technology applicable to a range of application environmentS.

Massively parallel diffuse optical tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandusky, John V.; Pitts, Todd A.

Diffuse optical tomography systems and methods are described herein. In a general embodiment, the diffuse optical tomography system comprises a plurality of sensor heads, the plurality of sensor heads comprising respective optical emitter systems and respective sensor systems. A sensor head in the plurality of sensors heads is caused to act as an illuminator, such that its optical emitter system transmits a transillumination beam towards a portion of a sample. Other sensor heads in the plurality of sensor heads act as observers, detecting portions of the transillumination beam that radiate from the sample in the fields of view of themore » respective sensory systems of the other sensor heads. Thus, sensor heads in the plurality of sensors heads generate sensor data in parallel.« less

Integration of a laser doppler vibrometer and adaptive optics system for acoustic-optical detection in the presence of random water wave distortions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Land, Phillip; Robinson, Dennis; Roeder, James; Cook, Dean; Majumdar, Arun K.

2016-05-01

A new technique has been developed for improving the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of underwater acoustic signals measured above the water's surface. This technique uses a Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) and an Adaptive Optics (AO) system (consisting of a fast steering mirror, deformable mirror, and Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor) for mitigating the effect of surface water distortions encountered while remotely recording underwater acoustic signals. The LDV is used to perform non-contact vibration measurements of a surface via a two beam laser interferometer. We have demonstrated the feasibility of this technique to overcome water distortions artificially generated on the surface of the water in a laboratory tank. In this setup, the LDV beam penetrates the surface of the water and travels down to be reflected off a submerged acoustic transducer. The reflected or returned beam is then recorded by the LDV as a vibration wave measurement. The LDV extracts the acoustic wave information while the AO mitigates the water surface distortions, increasing the overall SNR. The AO system records the Strehl ratio, which is a measure of the quality of optical image formation. In a perfect optical system the Strehl ratio is unity, however realistic systems with imperfections have Strehl ratios below one. The operation of the AO control system in open-loop and closed-loop configurations demonstrates the utility of the AO-based LDV for many applications.

Study of a computer-controlled integrated optical gas-concentration sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Egorov, A A; Egorov, M A; Chekhlova, T K

2008-08-31

A computer-controlled integrated optical waveguide sensor based on an optical waveguide of the diffusion type with the low attenuation coefficient is developed and studied. It is shown that the response time of the sensor is {approx}0.15 s. According to tests and computer simulations, the sensor can detect gaseous ammonia in air with the limiting theoretical concentration of {approx}0.1 ppm for the signal-to-noise ratio no less than 20. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Study of a computer-controlled integrated optical gas-concentration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorov, A. A.; Egorov, M. A.; Chekhlova, T. K.; Timakin, A. G.

2008-08-01

A computer-controlled integrated optical waveguide sensor based on an optical waveguide of the diffusion type with the low attenuation coefficient is developed and studied. It is shown that the response time of the sensor is ≈0.15 s. According to tests and computer simulations, the sensor can detect gaseous ammonia in air with the limiting theoretical concentration of ≈0.1 ppm for the signal-to-noise ratio no less than 20.

Diastolic time – frequency relation in the stress echo lab: filling timing and flow at different heart rates

PubMed Central

Bombardini, Tonino; Gemignani, Vincenzo; Bianchini, Elisabetta; Venneri, Lucia; Petersen, Christina; Pasanisi, Emilio; Pratali, Lorenza; Alonso-Rodriguez, David; Pianelli, Mascia; Faita, Francesco; Giannoni, Massimo; Arpesella, Giorgio; Picano, Eugenio

2008-01-01

A cutaneous force-frequency relation recording system based on first heart sound amplitude vibrations has been recently validated. Second heart sound can be simultaneously recorded in order to quantify both systole and diastole duration. Aims 1- To assess the feasibility and extra-value of operator-independent, force sensor-based, diastolic time recording during stress. Methods We enrolled 161 patients referred for stress echocardiography (exercise 115, dipyridamole 40, pacing 6 patients). The sensor was fastened in the precordial region by a standard ECG electrode. The acceleration signal was converted into digital and recorded together with ECG signal. Both systolic and diastolic times were acquired continuously during stress and were displayed by plotting times vs. heart rate. Diastolic filling rate was calculated as echo-measured mitral filling volume/sensor-monitored diastolic time. Results Diastolic time decreased during stress more markedly than systolic time. At peak stress 62 of the 161 pts showed reversal of the systolic/diastolic ratio with the duration of systole longer than diastole. In the exercise group, at 100 bpm HR, systolic/diastolic time ratio was lower in the 17 controls (0.74 ± 0.12) than in patients (0.86 ± 0.10, p < 0.05 vs. controls). Diastolic filling rate increased from 101 ± 36 (rest) to 219 ± 92 ml/m2* s-1 at peak stress (p < 0.5 vs. rest). Conclusion Cardiological systolic and diastolic duration can be monitored during stress by using an acceleration force sensor. Simultaneous calculation of stroke volume allows monitoring diastolic filling rate. Stress-induced "systolic-diastolic mismatch" can be easily quantified and is associated to several cardiac diseases, possibly expanding the spectrum of information obtainable during stress. PMID:18426559

Selected examples of intelligent (micro) sensor systems: state-of-the-art and tendencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauptmann, Peter R.

2006-03-01

The capability of intelligent sensors to have more intelligence built into them continues to drive their application in areas including automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial, intelligent house and wear, medical and homeland security. In principle it is difficult to overestimate the importance of intelligent (micro) sensors or sensor systems within advanced societies but one characteristic feature is the global market for sensors, which is now about 20 billion annually. Therefore sensors or sensor systems play a dominant role in many fields from the macro sensor in manufacturing industry down to the miniaturized sensor for medical applications. The diversity of sensors precludes a complete description of the state-of-the-art; selected examples will illustrate the current situation. MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices are of special interest in the context of micro sensor systems. In past the main requirements of a sensor were in terms of metrological performance. The electrical (or optical) signal produced by the sensor needed to match the measure relatively accurately. Such basic functionality is no longer sufficient. Data processing near the sensor, the extraction of more information than just the direct sensor information by signal analysis, system aspects and multi-sensor information are the new demands. A shifting can be observed away from aiming to design perfect single-function transducers and towards the utilization of system-based sensors as system components. In the ideal case such systems contain sensors, actuators and electronics. They can be realized in monolithic, hybrid or discrete form—which kind is used depends on the application. In this article the state-of-the-art of intelligent sensors or sensor systems is reviewed using selected examples. Future trends are deduced.

A high selective cataluminescence sensor for the determination of tetrahydrofuran vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xiaoan; Dai, Huimei; Chen, Suilin; Zeng, Jiayi; Zhang, Keke; Sun, Yan

2013-02-01

A novel tetrahydrofuran (THF) vapor sensor was designed based on the cataluminescence (CTL) of THF on nanosized γ-Al2O3/MgO (mol ratio = 1.5:1). SEM and XRD were applied for its characterization. We found that the CTL was strongly produced when THF vapor flowed through a nanosized Al-Mg mixed-metal oxide surface, while the CTL was weakly generated when THF vapor flowed through a single nanosized γ-Al2O3 or MgO surface. Quantitative analysis was performed at an optimal temperature of 279 °C, a wavelength of 460 nm and a flow rate of 360 mL min-1. The linear range of the CTL intensity versus concentrations of THF vapor was 1.0-3000 mL m-3 with a detection limit of 0.67 mL m-3. No (or only very low) interference was observed by formaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, benzene, toluene, ethyl acetate, ammonia, cyclohexane, chloroform, glycol armour ether, glycol ether, isopropyl ether and n-butyl ether or acetic acid. Since the response of the sensor was rapid and the system was easy to handle, we believe that the sensor has great potential for real-world use.

Micro-array versus nano-array platforms: a comparative study for ODN detection based on SPR enhanced ellipsometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celen, Burcu; Demirel, Gökhan; Piskin, Erhan

2011-04-01

The rapid and sensitive detection of DNA has recently attracted worldwide attention for a variety of disease diagnoses and detection of harmful bacteria in food and drink. In this paper, we carried out a comparative study based on surface plasmon resonance enhanced ellipsometry (SPREE) for the detection of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) using micro- and nano-array platforms. The micro-arrayed surfaces were fabricated by a photolithography approach using different types of mask having varying size and shape. Well-ordered arrays of high aspect ratio polymeric nanotubes were also obtained using high molecular weight polystyrene (PS) and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes having 200 nm pore diameters. The SPREE sensors were then prepared by direct coupling of thiolated probe-ODNs, which contain suitable spacer arms, on gold-coated micro- and nano-arrayed surfaces. We experimentally demonstrated that, for the first time, gold-coated free standing polymeric nano-arrayed platforms can easily be produced and lead to a significant sensor sensitivity gain compared to that of the conventional SPREE surfaces of about four times. We believe that such an enhancement in sensor response could be useful for next generation sensor systems.

Polyvinylidene fluoride sensor-based method for unconstrained snoring detection.

PubMed

Hwang, Su Hwan; Han, Chung Min; Yoon, Hee Nam; Jung, Da Woon; Lee, Yu Jin; Jeong, Do-Un; Park, Kwang Suk

2015-07-01

We established and tested a snoring detection method using a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensor for accurate, fast, and motion-artifact-robust monitoring of snoring events during sleep. Twenty patients with obstructive sleep apnea participated in this study. The PVDF sensor was located between a mattress cover and mattress, and the patients' snoring signals were unconstrainedly measured with the sensor during polysomnography. The power ratio and peak frequency from the short-time Fourier transform were used to extract spectral features from the PVDF data. A support vector machine was applied to the spectral features to classify the data into either the snore or non-snore class. The performance of the method was assessed using manual labelling by three human observers as a reference. For event-by-event snoring detection, PVDF data that contained 'snoring' (SN), 'snoring with movement' (SM), and 'normal breathing' epochs were selected for each subject. As a result, the overall sensitivity and the positive predictive values were 94.6% and 97.5%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the SN and SM results. The proposed method can be applied in both residential and ambulatory snoring monitoring systems.

Demodulation System for Fiber Optic Bragg Grating Dynamic Pressure Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lekki, John D.; Adamovsky, Grigory; Floyd, Bertram

2001-01-01

Fiber optic Bragg gratings have been used for years to measure quasi-static phenomena. In aircraft engine applications there is a need to measure dynamic signals such as variable pressures. In order to monitor these pressures a detection system with broad dynamic range is needed. This paper describes an interferometric demodulator that was developed and optimized for this particular application. The signal to noise ratio was maximized through temporal coherence analysis. The demodulator was incorporated in a laboratory system that simulates conditions to be measured. Several pressure sensor configurations incorporating a fiber optic Bragg grating were also explored. The results of the experiments are reported in this paper.

A high-temperature shape memory alloy sensor for combustion monitoring and control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Greg S.; Snyder, Joseph T.; Prince, Troy S.; Willett, Michael C.

2005-05-01

Innovations in the use of thin film SMA materials have enabled the development of a harsh environment pressure sensor useful for combustion monitoring and control. Development of such active combustion control has been driven by rising fuel costs and environmental pressures. Active combustion control, whether in diesel, spark ignited or turbine engines requires feedback to the engine control system in order to adjust the quantity, timing, and placement of fuel charges. To be fully effective, sensors must be integrated into each engine in a manner that will allow continuous combustion monitoring (turbine engines) or monitoring of each discrete combustion event (diesel and SI engines). To date, the sensors available for detection of combustion events and processes have suffered from one or more of three problems: 1) Low sensitivity: The sensors are unable to provide and adequate signal-to-noise ratio in the high temperature and electrically noisy environment of the engine compartment. Attempts to overcome this difficulty have focused on heat removal and/or temperature compensation or more challenging high temperature electronics. 2) Low reliability: Sensors and/or sensor packages have been unable to withstand the engine environment for extended periods of time. Issues have included gross degradation and more subtle issues such as migration of dopants in semiconductor sensor materials. 3) High cost: The materials that have been used, the package concepts employed, and the required support electronics have all contributed to the high cost of the few sensor systems available. Prices have remained high due to the limited demand associated with the poor reliability and the high price itself. Ternary titanium nickel alloys, with platinum group metal substitution for the nickel, are deposited as thin films on MEMS-based diaphragms and patterned to form strain gages of a standard metal film configuration. The strain induced phase transformation of the SMA is used as a natural signal enhancement. These sensors are maintained at a temperature just in excess of the austenite finish temperature (Af). When the diaphragm is deformed by an applied pressure, the film undergoes the reversible martensite phase transformation. The fraction of the austenite transformed to martensite is a fraction of the applied pressure. The large difference in the resistivity of the two phases results in a very sensitive strain gage, and hence a pressure sensor with a very high gage factor. The combination of the thin film and the fact that the transformation is strain induced (rather than thermally induced) results in a sensor with very high response rate. In fact, the response rate of the sensor has been shown to be strictly a function of the mechanical response of the diaphragm. Unlike other sensor systems, the temperature of the SMA sensor is controlled above the temperature of the local environment. By controlling above the temperature of the environment, the sensor is largely immune to temperature fluctuations that can affect the response of other sensors. This technology has been demonstrated for a variety of target temperature regimes and a variety of pressure regimes. Sensor design and testing to date has ranged from 180C to >500C and design pressures of 50 to 3500 psi, with higher pressures achievable. Characterization has included analysis of the response rate, the temperature sensitivity, reliability, and the effect of gross alloy changes. Sensor performance has also been evaluated in a diesel engine test cell. Ongoing work includes the sensitivity to minor composition changes, sensitivity to film thickness, and extended reliability and engine testing.

Manufacture of high aspect ratio micro-pillar wall shear stress sensor arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnanamanickam, Ebenezer P.; Sullivan, John P.

2012-12-01

In the field of experimental fluid mechanics the measurement of unsteady, distributed wall shear stress has proved historically challenging. Recently, sensors based on an array of flexible micro-pillars have shown promise in carrying out such measurements. Similar sensors find use in other applications such as cellular mechanics. This work presents a manufacturing technique that can manufacture micro-pillar arrays of high aspect ratio. An electric discharge machine (EDM) is used to manufacture a micro-drilling tool. This micro-drilling tool is used to form holes in a wax sheet which acts as the mold for the micro-pillar array. Silicone rubber is cast in these molds to yield a micro-pillar array. Using this technique, micro-pillar arrays with a maximum aspect ratio of about 10 have been manufactured. Manufacturing issues encountered, steps to alleviate them and the potential of the process to manufacture similar micro-pillar arrays in a time-efficient manner are also discussed.

An Improved Scheduling Algorithm for Data Transmission in Ultrasonic Phased Arrays with Multi-Group Ultrasonic Sensors

PubMed Central

Tang, Wenming; Liu, Guixiong; Li, Yuzhong; Tan, Daji

2017-01-01

High data transmission efficiency is a key requirement for an ultrasonic phased array with multi-group ultrasonic sensors. Here, a novel FIFOs scheduling algorithm was proposed and the data transmission efficiency with hardware technology was improved. This algorithm includes FIFOs as caches for the ultrasonic scanning data obtained from the sensors with the output data in a bandwidth-sharing way, on the basis of which an optimal length ratio of all the FIFOs is achieved, allowing the reading operations to be switched among all the FIFOs without time slot waiting. Therefore, this algorithm enhances the utilization ratio of the reading bandwidth resources so as to obtain higher efficiency than the traditional scheduling algorithms. The reliability and validity of the algorithm are substantiated after its implementation in the field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, and the bandwidth utilization ratio and the real-time performance of the ultrasonic phased array are enhanced. PMID:29035345

Two-probe versus van der Pauw method in studying the piezoresistivity of single-wall carbon nanotube thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Yanbo; Duan, Xiaoshuang; Luo, Jiangjiang; Liu, Tao

2017-11-01

The use of the van der Pauw (VDP) method for characterizing and evaluating the piezoresistive behavior of carbon nanomaterial enabled piezoresistive sensors have not been systematically studied. By using single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin films as a model system, herein we report a coupled electrical-mechanical experimental study in conjunction with a multiphysics finite element simulation as well as an analytic analysis to compare the two-probe and VDP testing configuration in evaluating the piezoresistive behavior of carbon nanomaterial enabled piezoresistive sensors. The key features regarding the sample aspect ratio dependent piezoresistive sensitivity or gauge factor were identified for the VDP testing configuration. It was found that the VDP test configuration offers consistently higher piezoresistive sensitivity than the two-probe testing method.

Laser-boosted lightcraft technology demonstrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richard, J. C.; Morales, C.; Smith, W. L.; Myrabo, L. N.

1990-01-01

The detailed description and performance analysis of a 1.4 meter diameter Lightcraft Technology Demonstator (LTD) is presented. The launch system employs a 100 MW-class ground-based laser to transmit power directly to an advanced combined-cycle engine that propels the 120 kg LTD to orbit - with a mass ratio of two. The single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) LTD machine then becomes an autonomous sensor satellite that can deliver precise, high quality information typical of today's large orbital platforms. The dominant motivation behind this study is to provide an example of how laser propulsion and its low launch costs can induce a comparable order-of-magnitude reduction in sensor satellite packaging costs. The issue is simply one of production technology for future, survivable SSTO aerospace vehicles that intimately share both laser propulsion engine and satellite functional hardware.

Phase discrepancy induced from least squares wavefront reconstruction of wrapped phase measurements with high noise or large localized wavefront gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinbock, Michael J.; Hyde, Milo W.

2012-10-01

Adaptive optics is used in applications such as laser communication, remote sensing, and laser weapon systems to estimate and correct for atmospheric distortions of propagated light in real-time. Within an adaptive optics system, a reconstruction process interprets the raw wavefront sensor measurements and calculates an estimate for the unwrapped phase function to be sent through a control law and applied to a wavefront correction device. This research is focused on adaptive optics using a self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor, which directly measures the wrapped wavefront phase. Therefore, its measurements must be reconstructed for use on a continuous facesheet deformable mirror. In testing and evaluating a novel class of branch-point- tolerant wavefront reconstructors based on the post-processing congruence operation technique, an increase in Strehl ratio compared to a traditional least squares reconstructor was noted even in non-scintillated fields. To investigate this further, this paper uses wave-optics simulations to eliminate many of the variables from a hardware adaptive optics system, so as to focus on the reconstruction techniques alone. The simulation results along with a discussion of the physical reasoning for this phenomenon are provided. For any applications using a self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor with low signal levels or high localized wavefront gradients, understanding this phenomena is critical when applying a traditional least squares wavefront reconstructor.

Design and implementation of temperature and humidity monitoring system for poultry farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnomo, Hindriyanto Dwi; Somya, Ramos; Fibriani, Charitas; Purwoko, Angga; Sadiyah, Ulfa

2016-10-01

Automatic monitoring system gains significant interest in poultry industry due to the need of consistent environment condition. Appropriate environment increase the feed conversion ratio as well as birds productivity. This will increase the competitiveness of the poultry industry. In this research, a temperature and humidity monitoring system is proposed to observer the temperature and relative humidity of a poultry house. The system is intended to be applied in the poultry industry with partnership schema. The proposed system is equipped with CCTV for visual monitoring. The measured temperature and humidity implement wireless sensor network technology. The experiment results reveals that proposed system have the potential to increase the effectiveness of monitoring of poultry house in poultry industry with partnership schema.

Frequency shift of a crystal quartz resonator in thickness-shear modes induced by an array of hemispherical material units.

PubMed

Yuantai Hu; Huiliang Hu; Bin Luo; Huan Xue; Jiemin Xie; Ji Wang

2013-08-01

A two-dimensional model was established to study the dynamic characteristics of a quartz crystal resonator with the upper surface covered by an array of hemispherical material units. A frequency-dependent equivalent mass ratio was proposed to simulate the effect of the covered units on frequency shift of the resonator system. It was found that the equivalent mass ratio alternately becomes positive or negative with change of shear modulus and radius of each material unit, which indicates that the equivalent mass ratio is strongly related to the vibration mode of the covered loadings. The further numerical results show the cyclical feature in the relationship of frequency shift and shear modulus/radius as expected. The solutions are useful in the analysis of frequency stability of quartz resonators and acoustic wave sensors.

An operational earth resources satellite system - The Landsat follow-on program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stroud, W. G.

1977-01-01

The Landsats 1 and 2 have demonstrated the role of remote sensing from satellite in research, development, and operational activities essential to the better management of our resources. Hundreds of agricultural, geological, hydrological, urban land use, and other investigations have raised the question of the development of an operational system providing continuous, timely data. The Landsat follow-on study addressed the economics, technological performance, and design of a system in transition from R&D to operations. Economic benefits were identified; and a complete system from sensors to the utilization in forecasting crop production, oil and mineral exploration, water resources management was designed. Benefits-to-costs ratio in present-worth dollars is at least 4:1.

Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Cantilever Wide Dynamic Range Acceleration/Vibration /Pressure Sensor

DOEpatents

Krauss, Alan R.; Gruen, Dieter M.; Pellin, Michael J.; Auciello, Orlando

2003-09-02

An ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) element formed in a cantilever configuration is used in a highly sensitive, ultra-small sensor for measuring acceleration, shock, vibration and static pressure over a wide dynamic range. The cantilever UNCD element may be used in combination with a single anode, with measurements made either optically or by capacitance. In another embodiment, the cantilever UNCD element is disposed between two anodes, with DC voltages applied to the two anodes. With a small AC modulated voltage applied to the UNCD cantilever element and because of the symmetry of the applied voltage and the anode-cathode gap distance in the Fowler-Nordheim equation, any change in the anode voltage ratio V1/V2 required to maintain a specified current ratio precisely matches any displacement of the UNCD cantilever element from equilibrium. By measuring changes in the anode voltage ratio required to maintain a specified current ratio, the deflection of the UNCD cantilever can be precisely determined. By appropriately modulating the voltages applied between the UNCD cantilever and the two anodes, or limit electrodes, precise independent measurements of pressure, uniaxial acceleration, vibration and shock can be made. This invention also contemplates a method for fabricating the cantilever UNCD structure for the sensor.

Ultrananocrystalline diamond cantilever wide dynamic range acceleration/vibration/pressure sensor

DOEpatents

Krauss, Alan R [Naperville, IL; Gruen, Dieter M [Downers Grove, IL; Pellin, Michael J [Naperville, IL; Auciello, Orlando [Bolingbrook, IL

2002-07-23

An ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) element formed in a cantilever configuration is used in a highly sensitive, ultra-small sensor for measuring acceleration, shock, vibration and static pressure over a wide dynamic range. The cantilever UNCD element may be used in combination with a single anode, with measurements made either optically or by capacitance. In another embodiment, the cantilever UNCD element is disposed between two anodes, with DC voltages applied to the two anodes. With a small AC modulated voltage applied to the UNCD cantilever element and because of the symmetry of the applied voltage and the anode-cathode gap distance in the Fowler-Nordheim equation, any change in the anode voltage ratio V1/N2 required to maintain a specified current ratio precisely matches any displacement of the UNCD cantilever element from equilibrium. By measuring changes in the anode voltage ratio required to maintain a specified current ratio, the deflection of the UNCD cantilever can be precisely determined. By appropriately modulating the voltages applied between the UNCD cantilever and the two anodes, or limit electrodes, precise independent measurements of pressure, uniaxial acceleration, vibration and shock can be made. This invention also contemplates a method for fabricating the cantilever UNCD structure for the sensor.

Separating light absorption layer from channel in ZnO vertical nanorod arrays based photodetectors for high-performance image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yang; Wu, Congjun; Xu, Zhihao; Wang, Fei; Wang, Min

2018-05-01

Photoconductor arrays with both high responsivity and large ON/OFF ratios are of great importance for the application of image sensors. Herein, a ZnO vertical nanorod array based photoconductor with a light absorption layer separated from the device channel has been designed, in which the photo-generated carriers along the axial ZnO nanorods drive to the external electrodes through nanorod-nanorod junctions in the dense layer at the bottom. This design allows us to enhance the photocurrent with unchanged dark current by increasing the ratio between the ZnO nanorod length and the thickness of the dense layer to achieve both high responsivity and large ON/OFF ratios. As a result, the as-fabricated devices possess a high responsivity of 1.3 × 105 A/W, a high ON/OFF ratio of 790, a high detectivity of 1.3 × 1013 Jones, and a low detectable light intensity of 1 μW/cm2. More importantly, the developed approach enables the integration of ZnO vertical nanorod array based photodetectors as image sensors with uniform device-to-device performance.

Application of a Broadband Active Vibration Control System to a Helicopter Trim Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, Randolph H.; Schiller, Noah H.; Simon, Frank

2013-01-01

This paper discusses testing of a broadband active vibration control concept on an interior trim panel in a helicopter cabin mockup located at ONERA's Centre de Toulouse. The control system consisted of twelve diamond-shaped piezoelectric actuators distributed around a 1.2m x 1.2m trim panel. Accelerometers were mounted at the four vertices of each diamond. The aspect ratio of the diamond was based on the dielectric constants of the piezoelectric material in order to create an actuator-sensor pair that was collocated over a broad frequency range. This allowed robust control to be implemented using simple, low power analog electronics. Initial testing on a thick acrylic window demonstrated the capability of the controller, but actuator performance was less satisfactory when mounted on a composite sandwich trim panel. This may have been due to the orthotropic nature of the trim panel, or due to its much higher stiffness relative to the acrylic window. Insights gained from a finite element study of the actuator-sensor-structural system are discussed.

Joint sparsity based heterogeneous data-level fusion for target detection and estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Ruixin; Zulch, Peter; Distasio, Marcello; Blasch, Erik; Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe

2017-05-01

Typical surveillance systems employ decision- or feature-level fusion approaches to integrate heterogeneous sensor data, which are sub-optimal and incur information loss. In this paper, we investigate data-level heterogeneous sensor fusion. Since the sensors monitor the common targets of interest, whose states can be determined by only a few parameters, it is reasonable to assume that the measurement domain has a low intrinsic dimensionality. For heterogeneous sensor data, we develop a joint-sparse data-level fusion (JSDLF) approach based on the emerging joint sparse signal recovery techniques by discretizing the target state space. This approach is applied to fuse signals from multiple distributed radio frequency (RF) signal sensors and a video camera for joint target detection and state estimation. The JSDLF approach is data-driven and requires minimum prior information, since there is no need to know the time-varying RF signal amplitudes, or the image intensity of the targets. It can handle non-linearity in the sensor data due to state space discretization and the use of frequency/pixel selection matrices. Furthermore, for a multi-target case with J targets, the JSDLF approach only requires discretization in a single-target state space, instead of discretization in a J-target state space, as in the case of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) or the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate that the proposed JSDLF approach achieves excellent performance with near real-time accurate target position and velocity estimates.

Method of simultaneous measurement of two direction force and temperature using FBG sensor head.

PubMed

Kisała, Piotr; Cięszczyk, Sławomir

2015-04-01

This paper presents a method for measuring two components of bending force and temperature using one sensor head. Indirect inference based on the spectra of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) placed on a cantilever beam is used. The method was developed during work on the inverse problem of determining a nonuniform stress distribution based on FBG spectra. A gradient in the FBG stress profile results in a characteristic shape of its reflective spectrum. The simultaneous measurements of force and temperature were possible through the use of an appropriate layout of the sensor head. The spectral characteristics of the sensor's gratings do not retain full symmetry, which is due to the geometry of the sensor's head and the related difference in the distribution of the axial stress of the gratings. In the proposed approach, the change in width of the sum of the normalized transmission spectra was used to determine the value of the applied force. In the presented method, an increase in the sensitivity of this change to the force is obtained relative to the other known systems. A change in the spectral width was observed for an increase in bending forces from 0 to 150 N. The sensitivity coefficient of the spectral width to force, defined as the ratio of the change of the spectral half-width to the change in force was 2.6e-3  nm/N for the first grating and 1.2e-3  nm/N for the second grating. However, the sensitivity of the whole sensor system was 5.8e-3  nm/N, which is greater than the sum of the sensitivities of the individual gratings. For the purpose of this work, a station with a thermal chamber has been designed with a bracket on which fiber optic transducers have been mounted for use in further measurements. The sensor head in this experiment is considered to be a universal device with potential applications in other types of optical sensors, and it can be treated as a module for development through its multiplication on a single optical fiber.

Medusa Sea Floor Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, Michael

2004-01-01

The objective of the research described in this poster presentation is to develop technologies to enable fundamental research into understanding the potential for and limits to chemolithoautotrophic life. The Medusa Isosampler (isobaric sampler), for sampling fluids eminating from deep sea hydrothermal vents and cold seep sites analogous to extraterrestrial environments, is described by the presentation. The following instruments are integrated with the isosampler, and also described: in situ flow-through chemical sensor, intrinsic fluorescent-based microbial detector, isotope ratio spectral detector.

Energy Systems Sensor Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration Facility |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Sensor Laboratory Energy Systems Sensor Laboratory The Energy Systems Integration Facility's Energy Systems Sensor Laboratory is designed to support research, development, testing, and evaluation of advanced hydrogen sensor technologies to support the needs of the emerging hydrogen

Estimation of forest biomass using remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarker, Md. Latifur Rahman

Forest biomass estimation is essential for greenhouse gas inventories, terrestrial carbon accounting and climate change modelling studies. The availability of new SAR, (C-band RADARSAT-2 and L-band PALSAR) and optical sensors (SPOT-5 and AVNIR-2) has opened new possibilities for biomass estimation because these new SAR sensors can provide data with varying polarizations, incidence angles and fine spatial resolutions. 'Therefore, this study investigated the potential of two SAR sensors (RADARSAT-2 with C-band and PALSAR with L-band) and two optical sensors (SPOT-5 and AVNIR2) for the estimation of biomass in Hong Kong. Three common major processing steps were used for data processing, namely (i) spectral reflectance/intensity, (ii) texture measurements and (iii) polarization or band ratios of texture parameters. Simple linear and stepwise multiple regression models were developed to establish a relationship between the image parameters and the biomass of field plots. The results demonstrate the ineffectiveness of raw data. However, significant improvements in performance (r2) (RADARSAT-2=0.78; PALSAR=0.679; AVNIR-2=0.786; SPOT-5=0.854; AVNIR-2 + SPOT-5=0.911) were achieved using texture parameters of all sensors. The performances were further improved and very promising performances (r2) were obtained using the ratio of texture parameters (RADARSAT-2=0.91; PALSAR=0.823; PALSAR two-date=0.921; AVNIR-2=0.899; SPOT-5=0.916; AVNIR-2 + SPOT-5=0.939). These performances suggest four main contributions arising from this research, namely (i) biomass estimation can be significantly improved by using texture parameters, (ii) further improvements can be obtained using the ratio of texture parameters, (iii) multisensor texture parameters and their ratios have more potential than texture from a single sensor, and (iv) biomass can be accurately estimated far beyond the previously perceived saturation levels of SAR and optical data using texture parameters or the ratios of texture parameters. A further important contribution resulting from the fusion of SAR & optical images produced accuracies (r2) of 0.706 and 0.77 from the simple fusion, and the texture processing of the fused image, respectively. Although these performances were not as attractive as the performances obtained from the other four processing steps, the wavelet fusion procedure improved the saturation level of the optical (AVNIR-2) image very significantly after fusion with SAR, image. Keywords: biomass, climate change, SAR, optical, multisensors, RADARSAT-2, PALSAR, AVNIR-2, SPOT-5, texture measurement, ratio of texture parameters, wavelets, fusion, saturation

Fiber-optic temperature sensors based on differential spectral transmittance/reflectivity and multiplexed sensing systems.

PubMed

Wang, A; Wang, G Z; Murphy, K A; Claus, R O

1995-05-01

A concept for optical temperature sensing based on the differential spectral reflectivity/transmittance from a multilayer dielectric edge filter is described and demonstrated. Two wavelengths, λ(1) and λ(2), from the spectrum of a broadband light source are selected so that they are located on the sloped and flat regions of the reflection or transmission spectrum of the filter, respectively. As temperature variations shift the reflection or transmission spectrum of the filter, they change the output power of the light at λ(1), but the output power of the light at λ(2) is insensitive to the shift and therefore to the temperature variation. The temperature information can be extracted from the ratio of the light powers at λ(1) to the light at λ(2). This ratio is immune to changes in the output power of the light source, fiber losses induced by microbending, and hence modal-power distribution fluctuations. The best resolution of 0.2 °C has been obtained over a range of 30-120 °C. Based on such a basic temperature-sensing concept, a wavelength-division-multiplexed, temperature-sensing system is constructed by cascading three sensing-edge filters that have different cutoff wavelengths along a multimode fiber. The signals from the three sensors are resolved by detecting the correspondent outputs at different wavelengths.

Multifunctional Optical Sensors for Nanomanometry and Nanothermometry: High-Pressure and High-Temperature Upconversion Luminescence of Lanthanide-Doped Phosphates-LaPO4/YPO4:Yb3+-Tm3.

PubMed

Runowski, Marcin; Shyichuk, Andrii; Tymiński, Artur; Grzyb, Tomasz; Lavín, Víctor; Lis, Stefan

2018-05-23

Upconversion luminescence of nano-sized Yb 3+ and Tm 3+ codoped rare earth phosphates, that is, LaPO 4 and YPO 4 , has been investigated under high-pressure (HP, up to ∼25 GPa) and high-temperature (293-773 K) conditions. The pressure-dependent luminescence properties of the nanocrystals, that is, energy red shift of the band centroids, changes of the band ratios, shortening of upconversion lifetimes, and so forth, make the studied nanomaterials suitable for optical pressure sensing in nanomanometry. Furthermore, thanks to the large energy difference (∼1800 cm -1 ), the thermalized states of Tm 3+ ions are spectrally well-separated, providing high-temperature resolution, required in optical nanothermometry. The temperature of the system containing such active nanomaterials can be determined on the basis of the thermally induced changes of the Tm 3+ band ratio ( 3 F 2,3 → 3 H 6 / 3 H 4 → 3 H 6 ), observed in the emission spectra. The advantage of such upconverting optical sensors is the use of near-infrared light, which is highly penetrable for many materials. The investigated nanomanometers/nanothermometers have been successfully applied, as a proof-of-concept of a novel bimodal optical gauge, for the determination of the temperature of the heated system (473 K), which was simultaneously compressed under HP (1.5 and 5 GPa).

Evaluation of electrical capacitance tomography sensor based on the coupling of fluid field and electrostatic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Yang, Wuqiang

2016-07-01

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is based on capacitance measurements from electrode pairs mounted outside of a pipe or vessel. The structure of ECT sensors is vital to image quality. In this paper, issues with the number of electrodes and the electrode covering ratio for complex liquid-solids flows in a rotating device are investigated based on a new coupling simulation model. The number of electrodes is increased from 4 to 32 while the electrode covering ratio is changed from 0.1 to 0.9. Using the coupling simulation method, real permittivity distributions and the corresponding capacitance data at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 s with a rotation speed of 96 rotations per minute (rpm) are collected. Linear back projection (LBP) and Landweber iteration algorithms are used for image reconstruction. The quality of reconstructed images is evaluated by correlation coefficient compared with the real permittivity distributions obtained from the coupling simulation. The sensitivity for each sensor is analyzed and compared with the correlation coefficient. The capacitance data with a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of 45, 50, 55 and 60 dB are generated to evaluate the effect of data noise on the performance of ECT sensors. Furthermore, the SNRs of experimental data are analyzed for a stationary pipe with permittivity distribution. Based on the coupling simulation, 16-electrode ECT sensors are recommended to achieve good image quality.

A Fiber-Optic Borehole Seismic Vector Sensor System for Geothermal Site Characterization and Monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paulsson, Bjorn N.P.; Thornburg, Jon A.; He, Ruiqing

2015-04-21

Seismic techniques are the dominant geophysical techniques for the characterization of subsurface structures and stratigraphy. The seismic techniques also dominate the monitoring and mapping of reservoir injection and production processes. Borehole seismology, of all the seismic techniques, despite its current shortcomings, has been shown to provide the highest resolution characterization and most precise monitoring results because it generates higher signal to noise ratio and higher frequency data than surface seismic techniques. The operational environments for borehole seismic instruments are however much more demanding than for surface seismic instruments making both the instruments and the installation much more expensive. The currentmore » state-of-the-art borehole seismic instruments have not been robust enough for long term monitoring compounding the problems with expensive instruments and installations. Furthermore, they have also not been able to record the large bandwidth data available in boreholes or having the sensitivity allowing them to record small high frequency micro seismic events with high vector fidelity. To reliably achieve high resolution characterization and long term monitoring of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) sites a new generation of borehole seismic instruments must therefore be developed and deployed. To address the critical site characterization and monitoring needs for EGS programs, US Department of Energy (DOE) funded Paulsson, Inc. in 2010 to develop a fiber optic based ultra-large bandwidth clamped borehole seismic vector array capable of deploying up to one thousand 3C sensor pods suitable for deployment into ultra-high temperature and high pressure boreholes. Tests of the fiber optic seismic vector sensors developed on the DOE funding have shown that the new borehole seismic sensor technology is capable of generating outstanding high vector fidelity data with extremely large bandwidth: 0.01 – 6,000 Hz. Field tests have shown that the system can record events at magnitudes much smaller than M-2.6 at frequencies up to 2,000 Hz. The sensors have also proved to be about 100 times more sensitive than the regular coil geophones that are used in borehole seismic systems today. The fiber optic seismic sensors have furthermore been qualified to operate at temperatures over 300°C (572°F). Simultaneously with the fiber optic based seismic 3C vector sensors we are using the lead-in fiber to acquire Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) data from the surface to the bottom of the vector array. While the DAS data is of much lower quality than the vector sensor data it provides a 1 m spatial sampling of the downgoing wavefield which will be used to build the high resolution velocity model which is an essential component in high resolution imaging and monitoring.« less

Remote detection of buried explosives by fluorescent and bioluminescent microbial sensors (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkin, Shimshon; Yagur-Kroll, Sharon; Zohar, Cheinat; Rabinovitz, Zahi; Nussinovitch, Amos; Kabessa, Yossi; Agranat, Aharon J.

2017-06-01

Current landmine detection methodologies are not much different in principle from those employed 75 years ago, in that they require actual presence in the minefield, with obvious risks to personnel and equipment. Other limitations include an extremely large ratio of false positives, as well as a very limited ability to detect non-metallic landmines. In this lecture a microbial-based solution for the remote detection of buried landmines described. The small size requirements, rapid responses and sensing versatility of bacterial bioreporters allow their integration into diverse types of devices, for laboratory as well as field applications. The relative ease by which molecular sensing and reporting elements can be fused together to generate dose-dependent quantifiable physical (luminescent, fluorescent, colorimetric, electrochemical) responses to pre-determined conditions allows the construction of diverse classes of sensors. Over the last two decades we and others have employed this principle to design and construct microbial bioreporter strains for the sensitive detection of (a) specific chemicals of environmental concern (heavy metals, halogenated organics etc.) or (b) their deleterious biological effects on living systems (such as toxicity or genotoxicity). In many of these cases, additional molecular manipulations beyond the initial sensor-reporter fusion may be highly beneficial for enhancing the performance of the engineered sensor systems. This presentation highlights several of the approaches we have adopted over the years to achieve this aim, while focusing on the application of live cell microbeads for the remote detection of buried landmines and other explosive devices.

Determination of technical readiness for an atmospheric carbon imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mobilia, Joseph; Kumer, John B.; Palmer, Alice; Sawyer, Kevin; Mao, Yalan; Katz, Noah; Mix, Jack; Nast, Ted; Clark, Charles S.; Vanbezooijen, Roel; Magoncelli, Antonio; Baraze, Ronald A.; Chenette, David L.

2013-09-01

The geoCARB sensor uses a 4-channel push broom slit-scan infrared imaging grating spectrometer to measure the absorption spectra of sunlight reflected from the ground in narrow wavelength regions. The instrument is designed for flight at geostationary orbit to provide mapping of greenhouse gases over continental scales, several times per day, with a spatial resolution of a few kilometers. The sensor provides multiple daily maps of column-averaged mixing ratios of CO2, CH4, and CO over the regions of interest, which enables flux determination at unprecedented time, space, and accuracy scales. The geoCARB sensor development is based on our experience in successful implementation of advanced space deployed optical instruments for remote sensing. A few recent examples include the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on the geostationary Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS GEO-1) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), along with sensors under development, the Near Infared camera (NIRCam) for James Webb (JWST), and the Global Lightning Mapper (GLM) and Solar UltraViolet Imager (SUVI) for the GOES-R series. The Tropospheric Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (TIMS), developed in part through the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), provides an important part of the strong technological foundation for geoCARB. The paper discusses subsystem heritage and technology readiness levels for these subsystems. The system level flight technology readiness and methods used to determine this level are presented along with plans to enhance the level.

Multigrid preconditioned conjugate-gradient method for large-scale wave-front reconstruction.

PubMed

Gilles, Luc; Vogel, Curtis R; Ellerbroek, Brent L

2002-09-01

We introduce a multigrid preconditioned conjugate-gradient (MGCG) iterative scheme for computing open-loop wave-front reconstructors for extreme adaptive optics systems. We present numerical simulations for a 17-m class telescope with n = 48756 sensor measurement grid points within the aperture, which indicate that our MGCG method has a rapid convergence rate for a wide range of subaperture average slope measurement signal-to-noise ratios. The total computational cost is of order n log n. Hence our scheme provides for fast wave-front simulation and control in large-scale adaptive optics systems.

Micro-Electronic Nose System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zee, Frank C.

2011-12-01

The ability to "smell" various gas vapors and complex odors is important for many applications such as environmental monitoring for detecting toxic gases as well as quality control in the processing of food, cosmetics, and other chemical products for commercial industries. Mimicking the architecture of the biological nose, a miniature electronic nose system was designed and developed consisting of an array of sensor devices, signal-processing circuits, and software pattern-recognition algorithms. The array of sensors used polymer/carbon-black composite thin-films, which would swell or expand reversibly and reproducibly and cause a resistance change upon exposure to a wide variety of gases. Two types of sensor devices were fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques to form "wells" that confined the polymer/carbon-black to a small and specific area. The first type of sensor device formed the "well" by etching into the silicon substrate using bulk micromachining. The second type built a high-aspect-ratio "well" on the surface of a silicon wafer using SU-8 photoresist. Two sizes of "wells" were fabricated: 500 x 600 mum² and 250 x 250 mum². Custom signal-processing circuits were implemented on a printed circuit board and as an application-specific integrated-circuit (ASIC) chip. The circuits were not only able to measure and amplify the small resistance changes, which corresponded to small ppm (parts-per-million) changes in gas concentrations, but were also adaptable to accommodate the various characteristics of the different thin-films. Since the thin-films were not specific to any one particular gas vapor, an array of sensors each containing a different thin-film was used to produce a distributed response pattern when exposed to a gas vapor. Pattern recognition, including a clustering algorithm and two artificial neural network algorithms, was used to classify the response pattern and identify the gas vapor or odor. Two gas experiments were performed, one at low gas concentrations between 100 and 600 ppm for two gas vapors and the other at high gas concentrations between 2000 ppm and the saturated vapor pressure of three gas vapors. The array of sensors and circuits were able to uniquely detect and measure these gas vapors and showed a linear response to their concentration levels for both experiments. The results also demonstrated that a reduction in the sensor area by two orders of magnitude (from 4.32 mm² to 0.0625 mm²) did not affect the sensor response. By applying pattern-recognition algorithms, the electronic nose system was able to correctly identify the different gas vapors from the pattern responses of the sensor array.

Characterization of total ionizing dose damage in COTS pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zujun, E-mail: wangzujun@nint.ac.cn; Ma, Wuying; Huang, Shaoyan

The characterization of total ionizing dose (TID) damage in COTS pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) is investigated. The radiation experiments are carried out at a {sup 60}Co γ-ray source. The CISs are produced by 0.18-μm CMOS technology and the pixel architecture is 8T global shutter pixel with correlated double sampling (CDS) based on a 4T PPD front end. The parameters of CISs such as temporal domain, spatial domain, and spectral domain are measured at the CIS test system as the EMVA 1288 standard before and after irradiation. The dark current, random noise, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), photo responsemore » non-uniformity (PRNU), overall system gain, saturation output, dynamic range (DR), signal to noise ratio (SNR), quantum efficiency (QE), and responsivity versus the TID are reported. The behaviors of the tested CISs show remarkable degradations after radiation. The degradation mechanisms of CISs induced by TID damage are also analyzed.« less

Protein-templated gold nanoclusters based sensor for off-on detection of ciprofloxacin with a high selectivity.

PubMed

Chen, Zhanguang; Qian, Sihua; Chen, Junhui; Cai, Jie; Wu, Shuyan; Cai, Ziping

2012-05-30

In this contribution, bovine serum albumin stabilized gold nanoclusters as novel fluorescent probes were successfully utilized for the detection of ciprofloxacin for the first time. Our prepared gold nanoclusters exhibited strong emission with peak maximum at 635 nm. Cu(2+) was employed to quench the strong fluorescence of the gold nanoclusters, whereas the addition of ciprofloxacin caused the fluorescence intensity restoration of the Cu(2+)-gold nanoclusters system. The increase in fluorescence intensity of Cu(2+)-gold nanoclusters system caused by ciprofloxacin allows the sensitive detection of ciprofloxacin in the range of 0.4 ng mL(-1) to 50 ng mL(-1). The detection limit for ciprofloxacin is 0.3 ng mL(-1) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The present sensor for ciprofloxacin detection possesses a low detection limit and wide linear range. In addition, the real samples were analyzed with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of total ionizing dose damage in COTS pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zujun; Ma, Wuying; Huang, Shaoyan; Yao, Zhibin; Liu, Minbo; He, Baoping; Liu, Jing; Sheng, Jiangkun; Xue, Yuan

2016-03-01

The characterization of total ionizing dose (TID) damage in COTS pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) is investigated. The radiation experiments are carried out at a 60Co γ-ray source. The CISs are produced by 0.18-μm CMOS technology and the pixel architecture is 8T global shutter pixel with correlated double sampling (CDS) based on a 4T PPD front end. The parameters of CISs such as temporal domain, spatial domain, and spectral domain are measured at the CIS test system as the EMVA 1288 standard before and after irradiation. The dark current, random noise, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), photo response non-uniformity (PRNU), overall system gain, saturation output, dynamic range (DR), signal to noise ratio (SNR), quantum efficiency (QE), and responsivity versus the TID are reported. The behaviors of the tested CISs show remarkable degradations after radiation. The degradation mechanisms of CISs induced by TID damage are also analyzed.

Enhanced Airport Capacity Through Safe, Dynamic Reductions in Aircraft Separation: NASA's Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

OConnor, Cornelius J.; Rutishauser, David K.

2001-01-01

An aspect of airport terminal operations that holds potential for efficiency improvements is the separation criteria applied to aircraft for wake vortex avoidance. These criteria evolved to represent safe spacing under weather conditions conducive to the longest wake hazards, and are consequently overly conservative during a significant portion of operations. Under many ambient conditions, such as moderate crosswinds or turbulence, wake hazard durations are substantially reduced. To realize this reduction NASA has developed a proof-of-concept Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). Successfully operated in a real-time field demonstration during July 2000 at the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, AVOSS is a novel integration of weather sensors, wake sensors, and analytical wake prediction algorithms. Gains in airport throughput using AVOSS spacing as compared to the current criteria averaged 6%, with peak values approaching the theoretical maximum of 16%. The average throughput gain translates to 15-40% reductions in delay when applied to realistic capacity ratios at major airports.

Multi-sensor system for in situ shape monitoring and damage identification of high-speed composite rotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, K.; Filippatos, A.; Kuschmierz, R.; Langkamp, A.; Gude, M.; Fischer, A.; Czarske, J.

2016-08-01

Glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites offer a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than conventional rotor materials used in turbomachinery. However, the material behaviour of GFRP high-speed rotors is difficult to predict due to the complexity of the composite material and the dynamic loading conditions. Consequently dynamic expansion measurements of GRFP rotors are required in situ and with micron precision. However, the whirling motion amplitude is about two orders of magnitude higher than the desired precision. To overcome this problem, a multi-sensor system capable of separating rotor expansion and whirling motion is proposed. High measurement rates well above the rotational frequency and micron uncertainty are achieved at whirling amplitudes up to 120μm and surface velocities up to 300 m/s. The dynamic elliptical expansion of a GFRP rotor is investigated in a rotor loading test rig under vacuum conditions. In situ measurements identified not only the introduced damage but also damage initiation and propagation.

A fiber optic multi-stress monitoring system for power transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae-gil; Sampath, Umesh; Kim, Hyunjin; Song, Minho

2017-04-01

A fiber-optic multi-stress monitoring system which uses 4 FBG sensors and a fiber-optic mandrel acoustic emission sensor is proposed. FBG sensors and a mandrel sensor measure different types of stresses occurring in electrical power transformer, such as temperature and acoustic signals. The sensor system uses single broadband light source to address the outputs of both sensors using single fiber-optic circuitry. An athermal-packaged FBG is used to supply quasi-coherent light for the Sagnac interferometer demodulation which processes the mandrel sensor output. The proposed sensor system could simplify the optical circuit for the multi-stress measurements and enhance the cost-effectiveness of the sensor system.

Cooperative Opportunistic Pressure Based Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Javaid, Nadeem; Muhammad; Sher, Arshad; Abdul, Wadood; Niaz, Iftikhar Azim; Almogren, Ahmad; Alamri, Atif

2017-03-19

In this paper, three opportunistic pressure based routing techniques for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are proposed. The first one is the cooperative opportunistic pressure based routing protocol (Co-Hydrocast), second technique is the improved Hydrocast (improved-Hydrocast), and third one is the cooperative improved Hydrocast (Co-improved Hydrocast). In order to minimize lengthy routing paths between the source and the destination and to avoid void holes at the sparse networks, sensor nodes are deployed at different strategic locations. The deployment of sensor nodes at strategic locations assure the maximum monitoring of the network field. To conserve the energy consumption and minimize the number of hops, greedy algorithm is used to transmit data packets from the source to the destination. Moreover, the opportunistic routing is also exploited to avoid void regions by making backward transmissions to find reliable path towards the destination in the network. The relay cooperation mechanism is used for reliable data packet delivery, when signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal is not within the predefined threshold then the maximal ratio combining (MRC) is used as a diversity technique to improve the SNR of the received signals at the destination. Extensive simulations validate that our schemes perform better in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption than the existing technique; Hydrocast.

Cooperative Opportunistic Pressure Based Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Javaid, Nadeem; Muhammad; Sher, Arshad; Abdul, Wadood; Niaz, Iftikhar Azim; Almogren, Ahmad; Alamri, Atif

2017-01-01

In this paper, three opportunistic pressure based routing techniques for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are proposed. The first one is the cooperative opportunistic pressure based routing protocol (Co-Hydrocast), second technique is the improved Hydrocast (improved-Hydrocast), and third one is the cooperative improved Hydrocast (Co-improved Hydrocast). In order to minimize lengthy routing paths between the source and the destination and to avoid void holes at the sparse networks, sensor nodes are deployed at different strategic locations. The deployment of sensor nodes at strategic locations assure the maximum monitoring of the network field. To conserve the energy consumption and minimize the number of hops, greedy algorithm is used to transmit data packets from the source to the destination. Moreover, the opportunistic routing is also exploited to avoid void regions by making backward transmissions to find reliable path towards the destination in the network. The relay cooperation mechanism is used for reliable data packet delivery, when signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal is not within the predefined threshold then the maximal ratio combining (MRC) is used as a diversity technique to improve the SNR of the received signals at the destination. Extensive simulations validate that our schemes perform better in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption than the existing technique; Hydrocast. PMID:28335494

Dual fiber Bragg gratings configuration-based fiber acoustic sensor for low-frequency signal detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dong; Wang, Shun; Lu, Ping; Liu, Deming

2014-11-01

We propose and fabricate a new type fiber acoustic sensor based on dual fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) configuration. The acoustic sensor head is constructed by putting the sensing cells enclosed in an aluminum cylinder space built by two Cband FBGs and a titanium diaphragm of 50 um thickness. One end of each FBG is longitudinally adhered to the diaphragm by UV glue. Both of the two FBGs are employed for reflecting light. The dual FBGs play roles not only as signal transmission system but also as sensing component, and they demodulate each other's optical signal mutually during the measurement. Both of the two FBGs are pre-strained and the output optical power experiences fluctuation in a linear relationship along with a variation of axial strain and surrounding acoustic interference. So a precise approach to measure the frequency and sound pressure of the acoustic disturbance is achieved. Experiments are performed and results show that a relatively flat frequency response in a range from 200 Hz to 1 kHz with the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) above 21 dB is obtained. The maximum sound pressure sensitivity of 11.35mV/Pa is achieved with the Rsquared value of 0.99131 when the sound pressure in the range of 87.7-106.6dB. It has potential applications in low frequency signal detection. Owing to its direct self-demodulation method, the sensing system reveals the advantages of easy to demodulate, good temperature stability and measurement reliability. Besides, performance of the proposed sensor could be improved by optimizing the parameters of the sensor, especially the diaphragm.

Development of a fast temperature sensor for combustion gases using a single tunable diode laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, X.; Jeffries, J. B.; Hanson, R. K.

2005-09-01

The 12 best NIR water transition line pairs for temperature measurements with a single DFB laser in flames are determined by systematic analysis of the HITRAN simulation of the water spectra in the 1-2 μm spectral region. A specific line pair near 1.4 μm was targeted for non-intrusive measurements of gas temperature in combustion systems using a scanned-wavelength technique with wavelength modulation and 2f detection. This sensor uses a single diode laser (distributed-feedback), operating near 1.4 μm and is wavelength scanned over a pair of H2O absorption transitions (7154.354 cm-1 & 7153.748 cm-1) at a 2 kHz repetition rate. The wavelength is modulated (f=500 kHz) with modulation amplitude a=0.056 cm-1. Gas temperature is inferred from the ratio of the second harmonic signals of the two selected H2O transitions. The fiber-coupled-single-laser design makes the system compact, rugged, low cost and simple to assemble. As part of the sensor development effort, design rules were applied to optimize the line selection, and fundamental spectroscopic parameters of the selected transitions were determined via laboratory measurements including the temperature-dependent line strength, self-broadening coefficients, and air-broadening coefficients. The new sensor design includes considerations of hardware and software to enable fast data acquisition and analysis; a temperature readout rate of 2 kHz was demonstrated for measurements in a laboratory flame at atmospheric pressure. The combination of scanned-wavelength and wavelength-modulation minimizes interference from emission and beam steering, resulting in a robust temperature sensor that is promising for combustion control applications.

Measurements of upper atmosphere water vapor made in situ with a new moisture sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chleck, D.

1979-01-01

A new thin-film aluminum oxide sensor, Aquamax II, has been developed for the measurement of stratospheric and upper tropospheric water vapor levels. The sensor is briefly described with attention given to its calibration and performance. Data obtained from six balloon flights are presented; almost all the results show a constant water vapor mixing ratio, in agreement with other data from midlatitude regions.

Towards development of nanofibrous large strain flexible strain sensors with programmable shape memory properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalili, N.; Asif, H.; Naguib, H. E.

2018-05-01

Electrospun polymeric fibers can be used as strain sensors due to their large surface to weight/volume ratio, high porosity and pore interconnectivity. Large strain flexible strain sensors are used in numerous applications including rehabilitation, health monitoring, and sports performance monitoring where large strain detection should be accommodated by the sensor. This has boosted the demand for a stretchable, flexible and highly sensitive sensor able to detect a wide range of mechanically induced deformations. Herein, a physically cross-linked polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blend is made into nanofiber networks via electrospinning. The PLA/TPU weight ratio is optimized to obtain a maximum attainable strain of 100% while maintaining its mechanical integrity. The TPU/PLA fibers also allowed for their thermally activated recovery due to shape memory properties of the substrate. This novel feature enhances the sensor’s performance as it is no longer limited by its plastic deformation. Using spray coating method, a homogeneous layer of single-walled carbon nanotube is deposited onto the as-spun fiber mat to induce electrical conductivity to the surface of the fibers. It is shown that stretching and bending the sensor result in a highly sensitive and linear response with a maximum gauge factor of 33.

Fabrication and Characteristics of an nc-Si/c-Si Heterojunction MOSFETs Pressure Sensor

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiaofeng; Wen, Dianzhong; Li, Gang

2012-01-01

A novel nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs pressure sensor is proposed in this paper, with four p-MOSFETs with nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction as source and drain. The four p-MOSFETs are designed and fabricated on a square silicon membrane by CMOS process and MEMS technology where channel resistances of the four nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs form a Wheatstone bridge. When the additional pressure is P, the nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs pressure sensor can measure this additional pressure P. The experimental results show that when the supply voltage is 3 V, length-width (L:W) ratio is 2:1, and the silicon membrane thickness is 75 μm, the full scale output voltage of the pressure sensor is 15.50 mV at room temperature, and pressure sensitivity is 0.097 mV/kPa. When the supply voltage and L:W ratio are the same as the above, and the silicon membrane thickness is 45 μm, the full scale output voltage is 43.05 mV, and pressure sensitivity is 2.153 mV/kPa. Therefore, the sensor has higher sensitivity and good temperature characteristics compared to the traditional piezoresistive pressure sensor. PMID:22778646

Crack Monitoring Method for an FRP-Strengthened Steel Structure Based on an Antenna Sensor.

PubMed

Liu, Zhiping; Chen, Kai; Li, Zongchen; Jiang, Xiaoli

2017-10-20

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has been increasingly applied to steel structures for structural strengthening or crack repair, given its high strength-to-weight ratio and high stiffness-to-weight ratio. Cracks in steel structures are the dominant hidden threats to structural safety. However, it is difficult to monitor structural cracks under FRP coverage and there is little related research. In this paper, a crack monitoring method for an FRP-strengthened steel structure deploying a microstrip antenna sensor is presented. A theoretical model of the dual-substrate antenna sensor with FRP is established and the sensitivity of crack monitoring is studied. The effects of the weak conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) on the performance of crack monitoring are analyzed via contrast experiments. The effects of FRP thickness on the performance of the antenna sensor are studied. The influence of structural strain on crack detection coupling is studied through strain-crack coupling experiments. The results indicate that the antenna sensor can detect cracks in steel structures covered by FRP (including CFRP). FRP thickness affects the antenna sensor's performance significantly, while the effects of strain can be ignored. The results provide a new approach for crack monitoring of FRP-strengthened steel structures with extensive application prospects.

An efficient management system for wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Ma, Yi-Wei; Chen, Jiann-Liang; Huang, Yueh-Min; Lee, Mei-Yu

2010-01-01

Wireless sensor networks have garnered considerable attention recently. Networks typically have many sensor nodes, and are used in commercial, medical, scientific, and military applications for sensing and monitoring the physical world. Many researchers have attempted to improve wireless sensor network management efficiency. A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based sensor network management system was developed that is a convenient and effective way for managers to monitor and control sensor network operations. This paper proposes a novel WSNManagement system that can show the connections stated of relationships among sensor nodes and can be used for monitoring, collecting, and analyzing information obtained by wireless sensor networks. The proposed network management system uses collected information for system configuration. The function of performance analysis facilitates convenient management of sensors. Experimental results show that the proposed method enhances the alive rate of an overall sensor node system, reduces the packet lost rate by roughly 5%, and reduces delay time by roughly 0.2 seconds. Performance analysis demonstrates that the proposed system is effective for wireless sensor network management.

Design and Performance of a Multiwavelength Airborne Polarimetric Lidar for Vegetation Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Songxin; Narayanan, Ram M.

2004-04-01

The University of Nebraska has developed a multiwavelength airborne polarimetric lidar (MAPL) system to support its Airborne Remote Sensing Program for vegetation remote sensing. The MAPL design and instrumentation are described in detail. Characteristics of the MAPL system include lidar waveform capture and polarimetric measurement capabilities, which provide enhanced opportunities for vegetation remote sensing compared with current sensors. Field tests were conducted to calibrate the range measurement. Polarimetric calibration of the system is also discussed. Backscattered polarimetric returns, as well as the cross-polarization ratios, were obtained from a small forested area to validate the system's ability for vegetation canopy detection. The system has been packaged to fly abroad a Piper Saratoga aircraft for airborne vegetation remote sensing applications.

Photon-counting image sensors for the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, E. B.

1985-01-01

An investigation on specific performance details of photon counting, ultraviolet image sensors having 2-dimensional formats is reviewed. In one study, controlled experiments were performed which compare the quantum efficiencies, in pulse counting mode, of CsI photocathodes deposited on: (1) the front surface of a microchannel plate (MCP), (2) a solid surface in front of an MCP, and (3) an intensified CCD image sensor (ICCD) where a CCD is directly bombarded by accelerated photoelectrons. Tests indicated that the detection efficiency of the CsI-coated MCP at 1026 A is lower by a factor of 2.5 than that of the MCP with a separate, opaque CsI photocathode, and the detection efficiency ratio increases substantially at longer wavelengths (ratio is 5 at 1216 A and 20 at 1608 A).

Silicon Nanotips Antireflection Surface for Micro Sun Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bae, Sam Y.; Lee, Choonsup; Mobasser, Sohrab; Manohara, Harish

2006-01-01

We have developed a new technique to fabricate antireflection surface using silicon nano-tips for use on a micro sun sensor for Mars rovers. We have achieved randomly distributed nano-tips of radius spanning from 20 nm to 100 nm and aspect ratio of 200 using a two-step dry etching process. The 30(deg) specular reflectance at the target wavelength of 1 (mu)m is only about 0.09 %, nearly three orders of magnitude lower than that of bare silicon, and the hemispherical reflectance is 8%. By changing the density and aspect ratio of these nanotips, the change in reflectance is demonstrated. Using surfaces covered with these nano-tips, the critical problem of ghost images that are caused by multiple internal reflections in a micro sun sensor was solved.

High aspect ratio, remote controlled pumping assembly

DOEpatents

Brown, Steve B.; Milanovich, Fred P.

1995-01-01

A miniature dual syringe-type pump assembly which has a high aspect ratio and which is remotely controlled, for use such as in a small diameter penetrometer cone or well packer used in water contamination applications. The pump assembly may be used to supply and remove a reagent to a water contamination sensor, for example, and includes a motor, gearhead and motor encoder assembly for turning a drive screw for an actuator which provides pushing on one syringe and pulling on the other syringe for injecting new reagent and withdrawing used reagent from an associated sensor.

Sensor Tasking for Detection and Custody of HAMR Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frueh, C.; Paul, S. M.; Fiedler, H.

High area-to-mass ratio objects (HAMR) are objects that are highly perturbed especially by non-conservative forces such as drag and solar radiation pressure. As a consequence, they are population different orbital regions than low area-to-mass ratio objects. This makes the objects hard to detect. After initial detection those objects are often lost, because standard follow-up times of thirty periods are not sufficient for redetection. This paper applies a sensor tasking and follow-up strategy to the problem of detecting and keeping custody of HAMR objects.

Distributed fiber optic vibration sensor with enhanced response bandwidth and high signal-to-noise ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dian; Liu, Qingwen; Fan, Xinyu; He, Zuyuan

2017-04-01

A novel distributed fiber-optic vibration sensor (DVS) is proposed based on multi-pulse time-gated digital optical frequency domain reflectometry (TGD-OFDR), which can solve both the trade-off between the maximum measurable distance and the spatial resolution, and the one between the measurement distance and the vibration response bandwidth. A 21-kHz vibration is detected experimentally over 10-kilometer-long fiber, with a signal-to-noise ratio approaching 25 dB and a spatial resolution of 10 m.

Determination of water pH using absorption-based optical sensors: evaluation of different calculation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongliang; Liu, Baohua; Ding, Zhongjun; Wang, Xiangxin

2017-02-01

Absorption-based optical sensors have been developed for the determination of water pH. In this paper, based on the preparation of a transparent sol-gel thin film with a phenol red (PR) indicator, several calculation methods, including simple linear regression analysis, quadratic regression analysis and dual-wavelength absorbance ratio analysis, were used to calculate water pH. Results of MSSRR show that dual-wavelength absorbance ratio analysis can improve the calculation accuracy of water pH in long-term measurement.

MP3 - A Meteorology and Physical Properties Package to explore Air:Sea interaction on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, R. D.

2012-04-01

The exchange of mass, heat and momentum at the air:sea interface are profound influences on our environment. Titan presents us with an opportunity to study these processes in a novel physical context. The MP3 instrument, under development for the proposed Discovery mission TiME (Titan Mare Explorer) is an integrated suite of small, simple sensors that combines the a traditional meteorology package with liquid physical properties and depth-sounding. In TiME's 6-Titan-day (96-day) nominal mission, MP3 will have an extended measurement opportunity in one of the most evocative environments in the solar system. The mission and instrument benefit from APL's expertise and experience in marine as well as space systems. The topside meteorology sensors (METH, WIND, PRES, TEMP) will yield the first long-duration in-situ data to constrain Global Circulation Models. The sea sensors (TEMP, TURB, DIEL, SOSO) allow high cadence bulk composition measurements to detect heterogeneities as the TiME capsule drifts across Ligeia, while a depth sounder (SONR) will measure the bottom profile. The combination of these sensors (and vehicle dynamics, ACCL) will characterize air:sea exchange. In addition to surface data, a measurement subset (ACCL, PRES, METH, TEMP) is made during descent to characterize the structure of the polar troposphere and marine boundary layer. A single electronics box inside the vehicle performs supervising and data handling functions and is connected to the sensors on the exterior via a wire and fiber optic harness. ACCL: MEMS accelerometers and angular rate sensors measure the vehicle motion during descent and on the surface, to recover wave amplitude and period and to correct wind measurements for vehicle motion. TEMP: Precision sensors are installed at several locations above and below the 'waterline' to measure air and sea temperatures. Installation of topside sensors at several locations ensures that at least one is on the upwind side of the vehicle. PRES: The barometer subsystem uses pressure sensors from FMI of the type flown on Huygens. METH. Methane humidity (and the presence of fog) is measured with a near-IR differential absorption spectro-photometer. The humidity may vary with and fetch, as well as on nearby rainfall. WIND. An ultrasonic anemometer, mounted on a mast to minimize flow perturbations, measures wind speed and direction. DIEL : An immersed parallel-plate capacitor (spare from Huygens SSP) fills with liquid to measure the dielectric constant. This is sensitive to the methane/ethane ratio, and to the possible presence of nitriles such as HCN. SOSO : A pair of ultrasound transducers (SSP spares) measure the speed of sound in the liquid, a function of the methane/ethane ratio (unaffected by trace nitriles). SONR : A down-looking piezoelectric depth-sounder to measure the bottom profile. The echo record will also indicate suspended scatterers and the presence of bubble noise at the sea surface. TURB. A visible light beam is passed through the liquid and the direct and scattered intensity is measured to gauge particles in the liquid and the deposition of solar heat with depth.

Finite element analysis-based study of fiber Bragg grating sensor for cracks detection in reinforced concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lili; Xin, Xiangjun; Song, Jun; Wang, Honggang; Sai, Yaozhang

2018-02-01

Fiber Bragg sensor is applied for detecting and monitoring the cracks that occur in the reinforced concrete. We use the three-dimensional finite element model to provide the three-axial stresses along the fiber Bragg sensor and then converted the stresses as a wavelength deformation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) reflected spectrum. For the crack detection, an FBG sensor with 10-mm length is embedded in the reinforced concrete, and its reflection spectrum is measured after loading is applied to the concrete slab. As a result, the main peak wavelength and the ratio of the peak reflectivity to the maximal side-mode reflectivity of the optic-fiber grating represent the fracture severity. The fact that the sharp decreasing of the ratio of the peak reflectivity to the maximal side-mode reflectivity represents the early crack is confirmed by the theoretical calculation. The method can be used to detect the cracks in the reinforced concrete and give safety evaluation of large-scale infrastructure.

Measurement of respiratory acoustical signals. Comparison of sensors.

PubMed

Pasterkamp, H; Kraman, S S; DeFrain, P D; Wodicka, G R

1993-11-01

We assessed the performance of three air-coupled and four contact sensors under standardized conditions of lung sound recording. Recordings were obtained from three of the investigators at the best site on the posterior lower chest as determined by auscultation. Lung sounds were band-pass filtered between 100 and 2,000 Hz and sampled simultaneously with calibrated airflow at a rate of 10 kHz. Fourier techniques were used for power spectral analysis. Average spectra for inspiratory sounds at flows of 2 +/- 0.5 L/s were referenced against background noise at zero flow. Air-coupled and contact sensors had comparable maximum signal-to-noise ratios and gave similar values for most spectral parameters. Unexpectedly, less sensitivity (lower signal-to-noise ratio) at high frequencies was observed in the air-coupled devices. Sensor performance needs to be characterized in studies of lung sounds. We suggest that lung sound spectra should be averaged at known airflows over several breaths and that all measurements should be reported relative to sounds recorded at zero flow.

Monitoring and controlling the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration within the high aspect ratio vessel (HARV).

PubMed

Saarinen, Mark A; Reece, Julie S; Arnold, Mark A; Murhammer, David W

2003-01-01

A probe-type oxygen sensor was developed utilizing a radioluminescent (RL)-based light source and a ruthenium-based sensing chemistry for monitoring the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in a modified version of the NASA-designed high aspect ratio vessel (HARV), a batch rotating wall vessel. This sensor provided the means to monitor the DO concentration in the HARV without influencing the flow pattern, thereby retaining the low shear HARV environment conducive to the formation of 3-dimensional cell aggregates. This sensor lost significant signal as a result of exposure to the first three autoclave cycles, but only minimal change in signal was observed following exposure to subsequent autoclave cycles. A new calibration model requiring only one fitted parameter was developed that accurately fit data over the entire range from 0% to 100% oxygen saturation. The ability for DO concentration control within the vessel was demonstrated by using this sensor to monitor the DO concentration inside the HARV.

Modified Organosilica Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Stable pH Sensing in Biological Solutions.

PubMed

Robinson, Kye J; Huynh, Gabriel T; Kouskousis, Betty P; Fletcher, Nicholas L; Houston, Zachary H; Thurecht, Kristofer J; Corrie, Simon R

2018-04-19

Continuous monitoring using nanoparticle-based sensors has been successfully employed in complex biological systems, yet the sensors still suffer from poor long-term stability partially because of the scaffold materials chosen to date. Organosilica core-shell nanoparticles containing a mixture of covalently incorporated pH-sensitive (shell) and pH-insensitive (core) fluorophores is presented as a continuous pH sensor for application in biological media. In contrast to previous studies focusing on similar materials, we sought to investigate the sensor characteristics (dynamic range, sensitivity, response time, stability) as a function of material properties. The ratio of the fluorescence intensities at specific wavelengths was found to be highly sensitive to pH over a physiologically relevant range (4.5-8) with a response time of <100 ms, significantly faster than that of previously reported response times using silica-based particles. Particles produced stable, pH-specific signals when stored at room temperature for more than 80 days. Finally, we demonstrated that the nanosensors successfully monitored the pH of a bacterial culture over 15 h and that pH changes in the skin of mouse cadavers could also be observed via in vivo fluorescence imaging following subcutaneous injection. The understanding gained from linking sensor characteristics and material properties will inform the next generation of optical nanosensors for continuous-monitoring applications.

Three-dimensional, multiwavelength Monte Carlo simulations of dermally implantable luminescent sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Ruiqi; McShane, Mike

2010-03-01

Dermally implanted luminescent sensors have been proposed for monitoring of tissue biochemistry, which has the potential to improve treatments for conditions such as diabetes and kidney failure. Effective in vivo monitoring via noninvasive transdermal measurement of emission from injected microparticles requires a matched optoelectronic system for excitation and collection of luminescence. We applied Monte Carlo modeling to predict the characteristics of output luminescence from microparticles in skin to facilitate hardware design. Three-dimensional, multiwavelength Monte Carlo simulations were used to determine the spatial and spectral distribution of the escaping luminescence for different implantation depths, excitation light source properties, particle characteristics, and particle packing density. Results indicate that the ratio of output emission to input excitation power ranged 10-3 to 10-6 for sensors at the upper and lower dermal boundaries, respectively, and 95% of the escaping emission photons induced by a 10-mm-diam excitation beam were confined within an 18-mm circle. Tightly packed sensor configurations yielded higher output intensity with fewer particles, even after luminophore concentration effects were removed. Most importantly, for the visible wavelengths studied, the ability to measure spectral changes in emission due to glucose changes was not significantly affected by absorption and scattering of tissue, which supports the potential to accurately track changes in luminescence of sensor implants that respond to the biochemistry of the skin.

A comparative evaluation of piezoelectric sensors for acoustic emission-based impact location estimation and damage classification in composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uprety, Bibhisha; Kim, Sungwon; Mathews, V. John; Adams, Daniel O.

2015-03-01

Acoustic Emission (AE) based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is of great interest for detecting impact damage in composite structures. Within the aerospace industry the need to detect and locate these events, even when no visible damage is present, is important both from the maintenance and design perspectives. In this investigation, four commercially available piezoelectric sensors were evaluated for usage in an AE-based SHM system. Of particular interest was comparing the acoustic response of the candidate piezoelectric sensors for impact location estimations as well as damage classification resulting from the impact in fiber-reinforced composite structures. Sensor assessment was performed based on response signal characterization and performance for active testing at 300 kHz and steel-ball drop testing using both aluminum and carbon/epoxy composite plates. Wave mode velocities calculated from the measured arrival times were found to be in good agreement with predictions obtained using both the Disperse code and finite element analysis. Differences in the relative strength of the received wave modes, the overall signal strengths and signal-to-noise ratios were observed through the use of both active testing as well as passive steel-ball drop testing. Further comparative is focusing on assessing AE sensor performance for use in impact location estimation algorithms as well as detecting and classifying damage produced in composite structures due to impact events.

New hybrid reflectance optical pulse oximetry sensor for lower oxygen saturation measurement and for broader clinical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogawa, Masamichi; Ching, Chong Thong; Ida, Takeyuki; Itakura, Keiko; Takatani, Setsuo

1997-06-01

A new reflectance pulse oximeter sensor for lower arterial oxygen saturation (Sa)2) measurement has been designed and evaluated in animals prior to clinical trials. The new sensor incorporates ten light emitting diode chips for each wavelength of 730 and 880 nm mounted symmetrically and at the radial separation distance of 7 mm around a photodiode chip. The separation distance of 7 mm was chosen to maximize the ratio of the pulsatile to the average plethysmographic signal level at each wavelength. The 730 and 880 wavelength combination was determined to obtain a linear relationship between the reflectance ratio of the 730 and 880 nm wavelengths and Sa)2. In addition to these features of the sensor, the Fast Fourier Transform method was employed to compute the pulsatile and average signal level at each wavelength. The performance of the new reflectance pulse oximeter sensor was evaluated in dogs in comparison to the 665/910 nm sensor. As predicted by the theoretical simulation based on a 3D photon diffusion theory, the 730/880 nm sensor demonstrated an excellent linearity over the SaO2 range from 100 to 30 percent. For the SaO2 range between 100 and 70 percent, the 665/910 and 730/880 sensors showed the standard error of around 3.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, in comparison to the blood samples. For the range between 70 and 30 percent, the standard error of the 730/880 nm sensor was only 2.7 percent, while that of the 665/910 nm sensor was 9.5 percent. The 730/880 sensor showed improved accuracy for a wide range of SaO2 particularly over the range between 70 and 30 percent. This new reflectance sensor can provide noninvasive measurement of SaO2 accurately over the wide saturation range from 100 to 30 percent.

Electronic 4-wheel drive control device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayato, S.; Takanori, S.; Shigeru, H.; Tatsunori, S.

1984-01-01

The internal rotation torque generated during operation of a 4-wheel drive vehicle is reduced using a control device whose clutch is attached to one part of the rear-wheel drive shaft. One torque sensor senses the drive torque associated with the rear wheel drive shaft. A second sensor senses the drive torque associated with the front wheel drive shaft. Revolution count sensors sense the revolutions of each drive shaft. By means of a microcomputer, the engagement of the clutch is changed to insure that the ratio of the torque sensors remains constant.

Variable Deflection Response of Sensitive CNT-on-Fiber Artificial Hair Sensors from CNT Synthesis in High Aspect Ratio Microcavities (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

sensors are suitable flow sensor candidates for insect to bird scale low-Reynolds-number flyers due to their low power consumption, light weight, high...elastic measurements and modeling,” Carbon, 66(0), 377-386 (2014). [14] M. R. Maschmann, G. J. Ehlert, S. J. Park et al., “Visualizing Strain Evolution ...Maschmann, and J. Baur, " Morphology control in hierarchical fibers for applications in hair flow sensors." [20] N. Yamamoto, A. John Hart, E. J

Optical Delineation of Benthic Habitat Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moline, Mark A.; Woodruff, Dana L.; Evans, Nathan R.

To improve understanding and characterization of coastal regions, there has been an increasing emphasis on autonomous systems that can sample the ocean on relevant scales. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with active propulsion are especially well suited for studies of the coastal ocean because they are able to provide systematic and near-synoptic spatial observations. With this capability, science users are beginning to integrate sensor suits for a broad range of specific and often novel applications. Here, the relatively mature Remote Environmental Monitoring Units (REMUS) AUV system is configured with multi-spectral radiometers to delineate benthic habitat in Sequim Bay, WA. The vehiclemore » was deployed in a grid pattern along 5 km of coastline in depths from 30 to less than 2 meters. Similar to satellite and/or aerial remote sensing, the bandwidth ratios from the downward looking radiance sensor and upward looking irradiance sensor were used to identify beds of eelgrass on sub-meter scales. Strong correlations were found between the optical reflectance signals and the geo-referenced in situ data collected with underwater video within the grid. Results demonstrate the ability of AUVs to map littoral habitats at high resolution and highlight the overall utility of the REMUS vehicle for nearshore oceanography.« less

Vehicle Fault Diagnose Based on Smart Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhining, Li; Peng, Wang; Jianmin, Mei; Jianwei, Li; Fei, Teng

In the vehicle's traditional fault diagnose system, we usually use a computer system with a A/D card and with many sensors connected to it. The disadvantage of this system is that these sensor can hardly be shared with control system and other systems, there are too many connect lines and the electro magnetic compatibility(EMC) will be affected. In this paper, smart speed sensor, smart acoustic press sensor, smart oil press sensor, smart acceleration sensor and smart order tracking sensor were designed to solve this problem. With the CAN BUS these smart sensors, fault diagnose computer and other computer could be connected together to establish a network system which can monitor and control the vehicle's diesel and other system without any duplicate sensor. The hard and soft ware of the smart sensor system was introduced, the oil press, vibration and acoustic signal are resampled by constant angle increment to eliminate the influence of the rotate speed. After the resample, the signal in every working cycle could be averaged in angle domain and do other analysis like order spectrum.

Effects of spectrometer band pass, sampling, and signal-to-noise ratio on spectral identification using the Tetracorder algorithm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swayze, G.A.; Clark, R.N.; Goetz, A.F.H.; Chrien, T.H.; Gorelick, N.S.

2003-01-01

Estimates of spectrometer band pass, sampling interval, and signal-to-noise ratio required for identification of pure minerals and plants were derived using reflectance spectra convolved to AVIRIS, HYDICE, MIVIS, VIMS, and other imaging spectrometers. For each spectral simulation, various levels of random noise were added to the reflectance spectra after convolution, and then each was analyzed with the Tetracorder spectra identification algorithm [Clark et al., 2003]. The outcome of each identification attempt was tabulated to provide an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio at which a given percentage of the noisy spectra were identified correctly. Results show that spectral identification is most sensitive to the signal-to-noise ratio at narrow sampling interval values but is more sensitive to the sampling interval itself at broad sampling interval values because of spectral aliasing, a condition when absorption features of different materials can resemble one another. The band pass is less critical to spectral identification than the sampling interval or signal-to-noise ratio because broadening the band pass does not induce spectral aliasing. These conclusions are empirically corroborated by analysis of mineral maps of AVIRIS data collected at Cuprite, Nevada, between 1990 and 1995, a period during which the sensor signal-to-noise ratio increased up to sixfold. There are values of spectrometer sampling and band pass beyond which spectral identification of materials will require an abrupt increase in sensor signal-to-noise ratio due to the effects of spectral aliasing. Factors that control this threshold are the uniqueness of a material's diagnostic absorptions in terms of shape and wavelength isolation, and the spectral diversity of the materials found in nature and in the spectral library used for comparison. Array spectrometers provide the best data for identification when they critically sample spectra. The sampling interval should not be broadened to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in a photon-noise-limited system when high levels of accuracy are desired. It is possible, using this simulation method, to select optimum combinations of band-pass, sampling interval, and signal-to-noise ratio values for a particular application that maximize identification accuracy and minimize the volume of imaging data.

Efficient, nonlinear phase estimation with the nonmodulated pyramid wavefront sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazin, Richard A.

2018-04-01

The sensitivity of the the pyramid wavefront sensor (PyWFS) has made it a popular choice for astronomical adaptive optics (AAO) systems, and it is at its most sensitive when it is used without modulation of the input beam. In non-modulated mode, the device is highly nonlinear. Hence, all PyWFS implementations on current AAO systems employ modulation to make the device more linear. The upcoming era of 30-m class telescopes and the demand for ultra-precise wavefront control stemming from science objectives that include direct imaging of exoplanets make using the PyWFS without modulation desirable. This article argues that nonlinear estimation based on Newton's method for nonlinear optimization can be useful for mitigating the effects of nonlinearity in the non-modulated PyWFS. The proposed approach requires all optical modeling to be pre-computed, which has the advantage of avoiding real-time simulations of beam propagation. Further, the required real-time calculations are amenable to massively parallel computation. Numerical experiments simulate a currently operational PyWFS. A singular value analysis shows that the common practice of calculating two "slope" images from the four PyWFS pupil images discards critical information and is unsuitable for the non-modulated PyWFS simulated here. Instead, this article advocates estimators that use the raw pixel values not only from the four geometrical images of the pupil, but from surrounding pixels as well. The simulations indicate that nonlinear estimation can be effective when the Strehl ratio of the input beam is greater than 0.3, and the improvement relative to linear estimation tends to increase at larger Strehl ratios. At Strehl ratios less than about 0.5, the performances of both the nonlinear and linear estimators are relatively insensitive to noise, since they are dominated by nonlinearity error.

An Assessment of Stream Confluence Flow Dynamics using Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry Captured from Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Q. W.; Rhoads, B. L.

2017-12-01

The merging of rivers at confluences results in complex three-dimensional flow patterns that influence sediment transport, bed morphology, downstream mixing, and physical habitat conditions. The capacity to characterize comprehensively flow at confluences using traditional sensors, such as acoustic Doppler velocimeters and profiles, is limited by the restricted spatial resolution of these sensors and difficulties in measuring velocities simultaneously at many locations within a confluence. This study assesses two-dimensional surficial patterns of flow structure at a small stream confluence in Illinois, USA, using large scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) derived from videos captured by unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The method captures surface velocity patterns at high spatial and temporal resolution over multiple scales, ranging from the entire confluence to details of flow within the confluence mixing interface. Flow patterns at high momentum ratio are compared to flow patterns when the two incoming flows have nearly equal momentum flux. Mean surface flow patterns during the two types of events provide details on mean patterns of surface flow in different hydrodynamic regions of the confluence and on changes in these patterns with changing momentum flux ratio. LSPIV data derived from the highest resolution imagery also reveal general characteristics of large-scale vortices that form along the shear layer between the flows during the high-momentum ratio event. The results indicate that the use of LSPIV and UAS is well-suited for capturing in detail mean surface patterns of flow at small confluences, but that characterization of evolving turbulent structures is limited by scale considerations related to structure size, image resolution, and camera instability. Complementary methods, including camera platforms mounted at fixed positions close to the water surface, provide opportunities to accurately characterize evolving turbulent flow structures in confluences.

High-performance flexible hydrogen sensor made of WS2 nanosheet-Pd nanoparticle composite film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuru, Cihan; Choi, Duyoung; Kargar, Alireza; Liu, Chin Hung; Yavuz, Serdar; Choi, Chulmin; Jin, Sungho; Bandaru, Prabhakar R.

2016-05-01

We report a flexible hydrogen sensor, composed of WS2 nanosheet-Pd nanoparticle composite film, fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate. The sensor offers the advantages of light-weight, mechanical durability, room temperature operation, and high sensitivity. The WS2-Pd composite film exhibits sensitivity (R 1/R 2, the ratio of the initial resistance to final resistance of the sensor) of 7.8 to 50 000 ppm hydrogen. Moreover, the WS2-Pd composite film distinctly outperforms the graphene-Pd composite, whose sensitivity is only 1.14. Furthermore, the ease of fabrication holds great potential for scalable and low-cost manufacturing of hydrogen sensors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sreedharan, Priya

The sudden release of toxic contaminants that reach indoor spaces can be hazardousto building occupants. To respond effectively, the contaminant release must be quicklydetected and characterized to determine unobserved parameters, such as release locationand strength. Characterizing the release requires solving an inverse problem. Designinga robust real-time sensor system that solves the inverse problem is challenging becausethe fate and transport of contaminants is complex, sensor information is limited andimperfect, and real-time estimation is computationally constrained.This dissertation uses a system-level approach, based on a Bayes Monte Carloframework, to develop sensor-system design concepts and methods. I describe threeinvestigations that explore complex relationships amongmore » sensors, network architecture,interpretation algorithms, and system performance. The investigations use data obtainedfrom tracer gas experiments conducted in a real building. The influence of individual sensor characteristics on the sensor-system performance for binary-type contaminant sensors is analyzed. Performance tradeoffs among sensor accuracy, threshold level and response time are identified; these attributes could not be inferred without a system-level analysis. For example, more accurate but slower sensors are found to outperform less accurate but faster sensors. Secondly, I investigate how the sensor-system performance can be understood in terms of contaminant transport processes and the model representation that is used to solve the inverse problem. The determination of release location and mass are shown to be related to and constrained by transport and mixing time scales. These time scales explain performance differences among different sensor networks. For example, the effect of longer sensor response times is comparably less for releases with longer mixing time scales. The third investigation explores how information fusion from heterogeneous sensors may improve the sensor-system performance and offset the need for more contaminant sensors. Physics- and algorithm-based frameworks are presented for selecting and fusing information from noncontaminant sensors. The frameworks are demonstrated with door-position sensors, which are found to be more useful in natural airflow conditions, but which cannot compensate for poor placement of contaminant sensors. The concepts and empirical findings have the potential to help in the design of sensor systems for more complex building systems. The research has broader relevance to additional environmental monitoring problems, fault detection and diagnostics, and system design.« less

POF-IMU sensor system: A fusion between inertial measurement units and POF sensors for low-cost and highly reliable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leal-Junior, Arnaldo G.; Vargas-Valencia, Laura; dos Santos, Wilian M.; Schneider, Felipe B. A.; Siqueira, Adriano A. G.; Pontes, Maria José; Frizera, Anselmo

2018-07-01

This paper presents a low cost and highly reliable system for angle measurement based on a sensor fusion between inertial and fiber optic sensors. The system consists of the sensor fusion through Kalman filter of two inertial measurement units (IMUs) and an intensity variation-based polymer optical fiber (POF) curvature sensor. In addition, the IMU was applied as a reference for a compensation technique of POF curvature sensor hysteresis. The proposed system was applied on the knee angle measurement of a lower limb exoskeleton in flexion/extension cycles and in gait analysis. Results show the accuracy of the system, where the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between the POF-IMU sensor system and the encoder was below 4° in the worst case and about 1° in the best case. Then, the POF-IMU sensor system was evaluated as a wearable sensor for knee joint angle assessment without the exoskeleton, where its suitability for this purpose was demonstrated. The results obtained in this paper pave the way for future applications of sensor fusion between electronic and fiber optic sensors in movement analysis.

Rooftop package unit diagnostician

DOEpatents

Chassin, David P [Pasco, WA; Pratt, Robert G [Kennewick, WA; Reid, Larry Dean [Benton City, WA

2004-08-17

A diagnostic system for an HVAC system includes a number of sensors used to measure the operation of the HVAC system. Sensor readings are measured by timing the delay between when a strobe signal is sent to a sensor and when an interrupt signal from the sensor is received. A device driver used to measure the sensor readings stores the sensor readings in pseudo-character device files, which are universally accessible by different subsystems of the diagnostic system. Based on the readings from these sensors, this diagnostic system is able to determine the operational status of the HVAC system and if an economizer in the HVAC system is operating properly.

Advanced sensor-simulation capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cota, Stephen A.; Kalman, Linda S.; Keller, Robert A.

1990-09-01

This paper provides an overview of an advanced simulation capability currently in use for analyzing visible and infrared sensor systems. The software system, called VISTAS (VISIBLE/INFRARED SENSOR TRADES, ANALYSES, AND SIMULATIONS) combines classical image processing techniques with detailed sensor models to produce static and time dependent simulations of a variety of sensor systems including imaging, tracking, and point target detection systems. Systems modelled to date include space-based scanning line-array sensors as well as staring 2-dimensional array sensors which can be used for either imaging or point source detection.

Fiber Optic Control System Integration program: for optical flight control system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Thomas L.; Seal, Daniel W.

1994-10-01

Hardware and software were developed for optical feedback links in the flight control system of an F/A-18 aircraft. Developments included passive optical sensors and optoelectronics to operate the sensors. Sensors with different methods of operation were obtained from different manufacturers and integrated with common optoelectronics. The sensors were the following: Air Data Temperature; Air Data Pressure; and Leading Edge Flap, Nose Wheel Steering, Trailing Edge Flap, Pitch Stick, Rudder, Rudder Pedal, Stabilator, and Engine Power Lever Control Position. The sensors were built for a variety of aircraft locations and harsh environments. The sensors and optoelectronics were as similar as practical to a production system. The integrated system was installed by NASA for flight testing. Wavelength Division Multiplexing proved successful as a system design philosophy. Some sensors appeared to be better choices for aircraft applications than others, with digital sensors generally being better than analog sensors, and rotary sensors generally being better than linear sensors. The most successful sensor approaches were selected for use in a follow-on program in which the sensors will not just be flown on the aircraft and their performance recorded; but, the optical sensors will be used in closing flight control loops.

Ion track based tunable device as humidity sensor: a neural network approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Mamta; Sharma, Anuradha; Bhattacherjee, Vandana

2013-01-01

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been applied in statistical model development, adaptive control system, pattern recognition in data mining, and decision making under uncertainty. The nonlinear dependence of any sensor output on the input physical variable has been the motivation for many researchers to attempt unconventional modeling techniques such as neural networks and other machine learning approaches. Artificial neural network (ANN) is a computational tool inspired by the network of neurons in biological nervous system. It is a network consisting of arrays of artificial neurons linked together with different weights of connection. The states of the neurons as well as the weights of connections among them evolve according to certain learning rules.. In the present work we focus on the category of sensors which respond to electrical property changes such as impedance or capacitance. Recently, sensor materials have been embedded in etched tracks due to their nanometric dimensions and high aspect ratio which give high surface area available for exposure to sensing material. Various materials can be used for this purpose to probe physical (light intensity, temperature etc.), chemical (humidity, ammonia gas, alcohol etc.) or biological (germs, hormones etc.) parameters. The present work involves the application of TEMPOS structures as humidity sensors. The sample to be studied was prepared using the polymer electrolyte (PEO/NH4ClO4) with CdS nano-particles dispersed in the polymer electrolyte. In the present research we have attempted to correlate the combined effects of voltage and frequency on impedance of humidity sensors using a neural network model and results have indicated that the mean absolute error of the ANN Model for the training data was 3.95% while for the validation data it was 4.65%. The corresponding values for the LR model were 8.28% and 8.35% respectively. It was also demonstrated the percentage improvement of the ANN Model with respect to the linear regression model. This demonstrates the suitability of neural networks to perform such modeling.

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications †

PubMed Central

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-01-01

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human–robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as “sensor platform LSI”) as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated. PMID:29061954

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications.

PubMed

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Nonomura, Yutaka; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-08-28

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human-robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as "sensor platform LSI") as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated.

Optical fiber sensors: Systems and applications. Volume 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culshaw, Brian; Dakin, John

State-of-the-art fiber-optic (FO) sensors and their applications are described in chapters contributed by leading experts. Consideration is given to interferometers, FO gyros, intensity- and wavelength-based sensors and optical actuators, Si in FO sensors, point-sensor multiplexing principles, and distributed FO sensor systems. Also examined are chemical, biochemical, and medical sensors; physical and chemical sensors for process control; FO-sensor applications in the marine and aerospace industries; FO-sensor monitoring systems for security and safety, structural integrity, NDE, and the electric-power industry; and the market situation for FO-sensor technology. Diagrams, drawings, graphs, and photographs are provided.

Open architecture of smart sensor suites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Wilmuth; Kuwertz, Achim; Grönwall, Christina; Petersson, Henrik; Dekker, Rob; Reinert, Frank; Ditzel, Maarten

2017-10-01

Experiences from recent conflicts show the strong need for smart sensor suites comprising different multi-spectral imaging sensors as core elements as well as additional non-imaging sensors. Smart sensor suites should be part of a smart sensor network - a network of sensors, databases, evaluation stations and user terminals. Its goal is to optimize the use of various information sources for military operations such as situation assessment, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target recognition and tracking. Such a smart sensor network will enable commanders to achieve higher levels of situational awareness. Within the study at hand, an open system architecture was developed in order to increase the efficiency of sensor suites. The open system architecture for smart sensor suites, based on a system-of-systems approach, enables combining different sensors in multiple physical configurations, such as distributed sensors, co-located sensors combined in a single package, tower-mounted sensors, sensors integrated in a mobile platform, and trigger sensors. The architecture was derived from a set of system requirements and relevant scenarios. Its mode of operation is adaptable to a series of scenarios with respect to relevant objects of interest, activities to be observed, available transmission bandwidth, etc. The presented open architecture is designed in accordance with the NATO Architecture Framework (NAF). The architecture allows smart sensor suites to be part of a surveillance network, linked e.g. to a sensor planning system and a C4ISR center, and to be used in combination with future RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) for supporting a more flexible dynamic configuration of RPAS payloads.

Performance analysis of a full-field and full-range swept-source OCT system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauter, J.; Boettcher, T.; Körner, K.; Gronle, M.; Osten, W.; Passilly, N.; Froehly, L.; Perrin, S.; Gorecki, C.

2015-09-01

In recent years, optical coherence tomography (OCT) became gained importance in medical disciplines like ophthalmology, due to its noninvasive optical imaging technique with micrometer resolution and short measurement time. It enables e. g. the measurement and visualization of the depth structure of the retina. In other medical disciplines like dermatology, histopathological analysis is still the gold standard for skin cancer diagnosis. The EU-funded project VIAMOS (Vertically Integrated Array-type Mirau-based OCT System) proposes a new type of OCT system combined with micro-technologies to provide a hand-held, low-cost and miniaturized OCT system. The concept is a combination of full-field and full-range swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) detection in a multi-channel sensor based on a micro-optical Mirau-interferometer array, which is fabricated by means of wafer fabrication. This paper presents the study of an experimental proof-of-concept OCT system as a one-channel sensor with bulk optics. This sensor is a Linnik-interferometer type with similar optical parameters as the Mirau-interferometer array. A commercial wavelength tunable light source with a center wavelength at 845nm and 50nm spectral bandwidth is used with a camera for parallel OCT A-Scan detection. In addition, the reference microscope objective lens of the Linnik-interferometer is mounted on a piezo-actuated phase-shifter. Phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) techniques are applied for resolving the conjugate complex artifact and consequently contribute to an increase of image quality and depth range. A suppression ratio of the complex conjugate term of 36 dB is shown and a system sensitivity greater than 96 dB could be measured.

Interactive 3-D registration of ultrasound and magnetic resonance images based on a magnetic position sensor.

PubMed

Pagoulatos, N; Edwards, W S; Haynor, D R; Kim, Y

1999-12-01

The use of stereotactic systems has been one of the main approaches for image-based guidance of the surgical tool within the brain. The main limitation of stereotactic systems is that they are based on preoperative images that might become outdated and invalid during the course of surgery. Ultrasound (US) is considered the most practical and cost-effective intraoperative imaging modality, but US images inherently have a low signal-to-noise ratio. Integrating intraoperative US with stereotactic systems has recently been attempted. In this paper, we present a new system for interactively registering two-dimensional US and three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) images. This registration is based on tracking the US probe with a dc magnetic position sensor. We have performed an extensive analysis of the errors of our system by using a custom-built phantom. The registration error between the MR and the position sensor space was found to have a mean value of 1.78 mm and a standard deviation of 0.18 mm. The registration error between US and MR space was dependent on the distance of the target point from the US probe face. For a 3.5-MHz phased one-dimensional array transducer and a depth of 6 cm, the mean value of the registration error was 2.00 mm and the standard deviation was 0.75 mm. The registered MR images were reconstructed using either zeroth-order or first-order interpolation. The ease of use and the interactive nature of our system (approximately 6.5 frames/s for 344 x 310 images and first-order interpolation on a Pentium II 450 MHz) demonstrates its potential to be used in the operating room.

Unmanned aircraft system sense and avoid integrity and continuity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamoom, Michael B.

This thesis describes new methods to guarantee safety of sense and avoid (SAA) functions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) by evaluating integrity and continuity risks. Previous SAA efforts focused on relative safety metrics, such as risk ratios, comparing the risk of using an SAA system versus not using it. The methods in this thesis evaluate integrity and continuity risks as absolute measures of safety, as is the established practice in commercial aircraft terminal area navigation applications. The main contribution of this thesis is a derivation of a new method, based on a standard intruder relative constant velocity assumption, that uses hazard state estimates and estimate error covariances to establish (1) the integrity risk of the SAA system not detecting imminent loss of '"well clear," which is the time and distance required to maintain safe separation from intruder aircraft, and (2) the probability of false alert, the continuity risk. Another contribution is applying these integrity and continuity risk evaluation methods to set quantifiable and certifiable safety requirements on sensors. A sensitivity analysis uses this methodology to evaluate the impact of sensor errors on integrity and continuity risks. The penultimate contribution is an integrity and continuity risk evaluation where the estimation model is refined to address realistic intruder relative linear accelerations, which goes beyond the current constant velocity standard. The final contribution is an integrity and continuity risk evaluation addressing multiple intruders. This evaluation is a new innovation-based method to determine the risk of mis-associating intruder measurements. A mis-association occurs when the SAA system incorrectly associates a measurement to the wrong intruder, causing large errors in the estimated intruder trajectories. The new methods described in this thesis can help ensure safe encounters between aircraft and enable SAA sensor certification for UAS integration into the National Airspace System.

Fast response air-to-fuel ratio measurements using a novel device based on a wide band lambda sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regitz, S.; Collings, N.

2008-07-01

A crucial parameter influencing the formation of pollutant gases in internal combustion engines is the air-to-fuel ratio (AFR). During transients on gasoline and diesel engines, significant AFR excursions from target values can occur, but cycle-by-cycle AFR resolution, which is helpful in understanding the origin of deviations, is difficult to achieve with existing hardware. This is because current electrochemical devices such as universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensors have a time constant of 50-100 ms, depending on the engine running conditions. This paper describes the development of a fast reacting device based on a wide band lambda sensor which has a maximum time constant of ~20 ms and enables cyclic AFR measurements for engine speeds of up to ~4000 rpm. The design incorporates a controlled sensor environment which results in insensitivity to sample temperature and pressure. In order to guide the development process, a computational model was developed to predict the effect of pressure and temperature on the diffusion mechanism. Investigations regarding the sensor output and response were carried out, and sensitivities to temperature and pressure are examined. Finally, engine measurements are presented.

Image Quality Modeling and Characterization of Nyquist Sampled Framing Systems with Operational Considerations for Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garma, Rey Jan D.

The trade between detector and optics performance is often conveyed through the Q metric, which is defined as the ratio of detector sampling frequency and optical cutoff frequency. Historically sensors have operated at Q ≈ 1, which introduces aliasing but increases the system modulation transfer function (MTF) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Though mathematically suboptimal, such designs have been operationally ideal when considering system parameters such as pointing stability and detector performance. Substantial advances in read noise and quantum efficiency of modern detectors may compensate for the negative aspects associated with balancing detector/optics performance, presenting an opportunity to revisit the potential for implementing Nyquist-sampled (Q ≈ 2) sensors. A digital image chain simulation is developed and validated against a laboratory testbed using objective and subjective assessments. Objective assessments are accomplished by comparison of the modeled MTF and measurements from slant-edge photographs. Subjective assessments are carried out by performing a psychophysical study where subjects are asked to rate simulation and testbed imagery against a DeltaNIIRS scale with the aid of a marker set. Using the validated model, additional test cases are simulated to study the effects of increased detector sampling on image quality with operational considerations. First, a factorial experiment using Q-sampling, pointing stability, integration time, and detector performance is conducted to measure the main effects and interactions of each on the response variable, DeltaNIIRS. To assess the fidelity of current models, variants of the General Image Quality Equation (GIQE) are evaluated against subject-provided ratings and two modified GIQE versions are proposed. Finally, using the validated simulation and modified IQE, trades are conducted to ascertain the feasibility of implementing Q ≈ 2 designs in future systems.

Bio-Inspired Flexible Cellular Actuating Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-21

spline . 4) Finally, the control law does not require that a, b, or M be known for the purpose of regulation. We only need to know bounds on a and M to...would have to be modeled as plates rather than beams. Although several MAV wings do have aspect ratios smaller than 3 (such as the one built by the... spline fitting. Such an array of sensors is light and cheap enough to implement in a practical setting, and more so compared with a distributed actuation

Optical Characterization of Lorentz Force Based CMOS-MEMS Magnetic Field Sensor

PubMed Central

Dennis, John Ojur; Ahmad, Farooq; Khir, M. Haris Bin Md; Hamid, Nor Hisham Bin

2015-01-01

Magnetic field sensors are becoming an essential part of everyday life due to the improvements in their sensitivities and resolutions, while at the same time they have become compact, smaller in size and economical. In the work presented herein a Lorentz force based CMOS-MEMS magnetic field sensor is designed, fabricated and optically characterized. The sensor is fabricated by using CMOS thin layers and dry post micromachining is used to release the device structure and finally the sensor chip is packaged in DIP. The sensor consists of a shuttle which is designed to resonate in the lateral direction (first mode of resonance). In the presence of an external magnetic field, the Lorentz force actuates the shuttle in the lateral direction and the amplitude of resonance is measured using an optical method. The differential change in the amplitude of the resonating shuttle shows the strength of the external magnetic field. The resonance frequency of the shuttle is determined to be 8164 Hz experimentally and from the resonance curve, the quality factor and damping ratio are obtained. In an open environment, the quality factor and damping ratio are found to be 51.34 and 0.00973 respectively. The sensitivity of the sensor is determined in static mode to be 0.034 µm/mT when a current of 10 mA passes through the shuttle, while it is found to be higher at resonance with a value of 1.35 µm/mT at 8 mA current. Finally, the resolution of the sensor is found to be 370.37 µT. PMID:26225972