Fiber optic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer diaphragm sensor and method of measurement

US6281976A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM · US

Inventors

• Henry F. Taylor · Alexandria, US
• Ta-Wei Kao · Taipei, TW
• James H. Gardner · Salt Lake City, US
• William N. Gibler · Diemelstraße, US
• Robert A. Atkins · College Station, US
• Chung Eun Lee · Suwon-si, KR
• Victor P. Swenson · Bryan, US
• Matthew Spears · Bryan, US
• Robert X. Perez · Port Aransas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 28, 2001
• Expiry date: Apr 8, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01L9/0079
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A fiber optic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer diaphragm sensor and method of measurement is provided. A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer diaphragm sensor (12a, 12b, 12c) includes a base (54a, 54b, 54c) and a diaphragm (52a, 52b, 52c) with an optic fiber (30) coupled under tension between the base (54a, 54b, 54c) and the diaphragm (52a, 52b, 52c). A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer element (40) is contained within the optic fiber (30) and operates to sense movement of the diaphragm (52a, 52b, 52c). In a particular embodiment, the diaphragm (52a) moves in response to a pressure (P) applied to the diaphragm (52a). In another embodiment, a proof mass (72) is coupled to the diaphragm (52b) such that the diaphragm (52b) moves in response to an acceleration (A). In yet another embodiment, a magnetic body (80) is coupled to the diaphragm (52c) such that the diaphragm (52c) moves in response to a magnetic field (M).