Engineering Photonics: Development and Application of Instrumentation and Sensors

The application is for a platform grant to underpin the photonic instrumentation and sensors activities within the Schools of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Health at Cranfield University. The nature of the platform grant is primarily to support salaries of researchers and support staff. The areas of research to be supported under this grant are:(i) Sensors based on nanostructured films deposited on optical fibre devices(ii) Sensing technology based upon micromachined optical fibres and silica nanowires(iii) Optical Coherence Tomography(iv) Optical instrumentation for aerodynamic applications(v) Optical instrumentation for geotechnical applications(v) Optical fibre sensors for composite material process monitoring (vi) Optical gas detection

Our vision is to provide novel optical measurement solutions to nationally and internationally important applications in engineering. This will be achieved by developing novel photonic instrumentation and sensors to help gain a better understanding of the physical processes and phenomena involved. This information is used by others to produce high quality, lower cost and more environmentally friendly products. For example, lighter weight composite materials in structural and safety critical applications, improved aerodynamic efficiency for aerospace, automotive and energy applications, responding to ever more stringent legislation for safety critical applications, increased monitoring of components to extend their useful lifetime, and faster, lower cost diagnosis in health care. These areas will all benefit from advanced optical sensors and instrumentation, and in many cases optical methods are the only viable measurement solution. In particular the nature of the Platform Grant is such that industry will benefit from the greater stability of the research team and their ability to respond to short-term studies in a timely manner. We collaborate extensively with SMEs and large national and multinational companies. The optical instrumentation and sensing technologies to be underpinned by the Platform Grant will support these industries in a number of ways. We have, for example, engaged with the user base as follows; the design of new optical products; the introduction of new measurement methodologies to manufacturing; the introduction of new measurement methodologies to testing. Our work on optical coherence tomography will be of direct benefit to healthcare, providing a tool to help in the early diagnosis of a range of cancers. We have existing collaborations with a number of industrial partners in the UK, Europe and internationally. Examples include: Airbus; EADS Astrium; Rolls Royce; Oxford Instruments Nanoscience; Siemens; Alphasense; Advantica; Stent; Geotechnical Instruments; Corus; Daher-Socata; Embraer. With many of these companies we have existing agreements and close collaboration making for efficient and timely communication and engagement. This engagement occurs for specific projects and also by running dissemination meeting. For example, our work on fibre optic based process monitoring of composites was presented at Cure Monitoring , a workshop organised by Partridge for industrial users (June 2008). We engage with the Photonics KTN and Sensors KTN, in particular via the Gas Analysis and Sensing Group , for which we hosted a meeting in April 2009. We are also a member of the Sensors & Instrumentation KTN (SIKTN). It is anticipated that we will continue to publish in peer-reviewed journals and at international meetings as well as articles in appropriate trade magazines. Web pages describing the PG and its outcomes, along with our more specific research programmes, will be hosted on the university's site to further communicate the research. We plan to continue this broad range of engagement and dissemination that has operated successfully to-date. The nature of the Platform Grant is such that collaboration on specific programmes with our industrial partners is not yet planned. However, we expect the PG to underpin our research programme portfolio in which we do collaborate extensively with a range of clients. The research themes underpinned by the Platform Grant are new and adventurous and will make an impact in a time frame of 5-15 years.