Engineering Photonics: Sensor and Instrumentation Development and Application
Lead Research Organisation:
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Sch of Engineering
Abstract
This proposal is to provide a platform for our research programmes that develop and apply advanced engineering photonics sensors and instrumentation to provide innovative measurement solutions. These measurements enable advances in engineering and science across multiple areas recognised as strategically important by the UK government. These areas include aerospace, energy, manufacturing, health, environment and transport.
Cranfield's leading research in engineering photonics based sensors and instrumentation, around which this Platform Grant is focused, provides significant added value to all these themes.
The areas of research to be supported under this Platform Grant are:
(i) Optical sensors and instrumentation for aerodynamic applications including evaluation on a flight test platform available owned and flown by Cranfield; a Scottish Aviation Bulldog aircraft
(ii) Optical gas and chemical sensing
(iii) Optical measurement technology for composite material process monitoring, health monitoring and impact detection
(iv) Advanced optical sensors and instrumentation for point-of-care diagnostics
(v) Novel optical instrumentation to support high added value manufacturing
(vi) Sensors based on nano-structured films deposited on optical fibre devices
Cranfield's leading research in engineering photonics based sensors and instrumentation, around which this Platform Grant is focused, provides significant added value to all these themes.
The areas of research to be supported under this Platform Grant are:
(i) Optical sensors and instrumentation for aerodynamic applications including evaluation on a flight test platform available owned and flown by Cranfield; a Scottish Aviation Bulldog aircraft
(ii) Optical gas and chemical sensing
(iii) Optical measurement technology for composite material process monitoring, health monitoring and impact detection
(iv) Advanced optical sensors and instrumentation for point-of-care diagnostics
(v) Novel optical instrumentation to support high added value manufacturing
(vi) Sensors based on nano-structured films deposited on optical fibre devices
Planned Impact
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 sensors and instrumentation, acknowledged by EPSRC to 'play a key role in enabling high quality transformational research' and to have 'a role to play in taking emerging technologies and sectors further towards application and commercialisation', to provide innovative measurement solutions that enable advances in engineering and science across multiple EPSRC priority areas. These include manufacturing, aerospace, transport, environment, energy and health. 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.
We have existing collaborations with a number of industrial partners in the UK, Europe and internationally. Examples include: Airbus; Alphasense; BAE Systems, Cascade Technologies, EADS Astrium; Corus, Oxford Instruments, Mercedes, Rolls Royce; Siemens; Geotechnical Instruments; 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.
We engage with the Electronics, Sensors, Photonics Network of Innovate UK (previously the TSB). We are also an active partner in the UK "Gas Analysis and Sensing Group (GASG)", for which we hosted a meeting in April 2013 and will be chairing (Hodgkinson) from Jan. 2015.
We will continue to publish in high quality 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.
We will host two free-to-attend dissemination workshops, one in year 3 and the other in year 5, with a target audience of 60.
The research themes to be underpinned by the Platform Grant are adventurous and will make an impact in a time frame of 5-20 years.
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.
We have existing collaborations with a number of industrial partners in the UK, Europe and internationally. Examples include: Airbus; Alphasense; BAE Systems, Cascade Technologies, EADS Astrium; Corus, Oxford Instruments, Mercedes, Rolls Royce; Siemens; Geotechnical Instruments; 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.
We engage with the Electronics, Sensors, Photonics Network of Innovate UK (previously the TSB). We are also an active partner in the UK "Gas Analysis and Sensing Group (GASG)", for which we hosted a meeting in April 2013 and will be chairing (Hodgkinson) from Jan. 2015.
We will continue to publish in high quality 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.
We will host two free-to-attend dissemination workshops, one in year 3 and the other in year 5, with a target audience of 60.
The research themes to be underpinned by the Platform Grant are adventurous and will make an impact in a time frame of 5-20 years.
Organisations
Publications
Kissinger T
(2016)
Fiber Segment Interferometry for Dynamic Strain Measurements
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
Ford HD
(2017)
Passively-coupled, low-coherence interferometric duct profiling with an astigmatism-corrected conical mirror.
in Optics express
Charrett T
(2018)
A non-contact laser speckle sensor for the measurement of robotic tool speed
in Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
Kissinger T
(2018)
Dynamic Fiber-Optic Shape Sensing Using Fiber Segment Interferometry
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
Mullaney K
(2018)
Optimized Process for Fabricating Ultrashort Tapered Long-Period Gratings
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
Charrett T
(2019)
Performance and Analysis of Feature Tracking Approaches in Laser Speckle Instrumentation.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Korposh S
(2019)
Tapered Optical Fibre Sensors: Current Trends and Future Perspectives.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Barrington J
(2019)
The effect of UV irradiation duty cycle on the 2nd harmonic coupling efficiency in optical fiber long period gratings
in Optics & Laser Technology
Description | This grant has partially supported research into a new design of optical fibre based interferometer that is used for displacement, vibration and shape sensing. This outcomes from this research (details confidential) has been licenced to 3 companies, 2 of which are international. |
Exploitation Route | Technology from research supported by this award has been licensed. |
Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Construction,Energy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Transport |
Description | Work partially supported by this grant has resulted in three licence agreements including a new start up company. |
First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Electronics,Other |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | Direct Fibre Optic Shape Sensing for Large Scale Engineering Structures |
Amount | £1,378,766 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/V020218/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2021 |
End | 09/2025 |
Description | Distributed gas sensing using hollow core optical fibre |
Amount | £548,710 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/X011674/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 04/2026 |
Description | Distributed gas sensing using hollow core optical fibre |
Amount | £860,840 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/X012182/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 04/2026 |
Description | EPSRC Impact Acceleration Award (IAA) Custom fibre optic bundles for optical inspection of quasi-cylindrical ducts |
Amount | £20,723 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/K503927/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2016 |
End | 03/2017 |
Description | Integrated optical position and orientation sensing for manufacturing robotics |
Amount | £1,101,012 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/S01313X/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2020 |
End | 01/2024 |
Description | New Wire Additive Manufacturing (NEWAM) |
Amount | £5,886,209 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/R027218/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2018 |
End | 06/2024 |
Description | Paul Instrument Fund - Self-referencing multi-surface precision interferometer |
Amount | £74,835 (GBP) |
Funding ID | PI150046 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2016 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Spectroscopic Analysis of Roads at Traffic Speed (SARTS) |
Amount | £266,700 (GBP) |
Organisation | Transport Research Laboratory Ltd (TRL) |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2019 |
End | 12/2021 |
Description | Volume flow measurement for microfluidic applications using a single access port |
Amount | £41,767 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/R511511/1 IAA award |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2018 |
End | 03/2020 |
Title | Application of fibre optic sensing systems to measure rotor blade structural dynamics - underlying data |
Description | Refer to the paper for full details.Fig9a.csv: Comparison of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of data recorded by the direct optical fibre shape sensing system, an optical fibre Bragg grating strain sensor and a 1D accelerometer with finite element modeling predictions, measured on the top surface of an Airbus Helicopters H135 bearingless main rotor blade on the quarter chord line at approximately 40% rotor radius.Fig9b.csv: Comparison of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of data recorded by the direct optical fibre shape sensing system, an optical fibre Bragg grating strain sensor and a 1D accelerometer with finite element modeling predictions, measured on the top surface of an Airbus Helicopters H135 bearingless main rotor blade on the quarter chord line at approximately 60% rotor radius.Fig10_FBG_top.csv: Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the 7th fibre Bragg grating strain (FBG) sensor (FBG7) in the three FBG arrays bonded to the top surface of the Airbus Helicopters H135 bearingless main rotor blade, located at approximately 60% rotor radius.Fig10_FBG_bottom.csv: Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the 7th fibre Bragg grating strain sensor (FBG7) in the three FBG arrays bonded to the bottom surface of the Airbus Helicopters H135 bearingless main rotor blade, located at approximately 60% rotor radius.Fig11.csv: Time series of raw data of 3F frequency input collected at approximately 60% rotor radius for the accelerometer, fibre Bragg grating strain sensor and direct optical fibre shape sensor (vertical direction).Fig12.csv: Comparison of Power Spectral Density (PSD) for the 3F mode measured at approximately 60% rotor radius by the accelerometer, fibre Bragg grating strain sensor and direct optical fibre shape sensor (vertical direction).Fig14.csv: Mode shapes measured using the direct optical fibre shape sensorFig15.cvs: Comparison of normalised displacement mode shapes measured using a 1D accelerometer, the direct optical fibre shape sensor with the finite element model predictionFig16.csv: Normalised angle measurements performed by the direct optical fibre shape sensor with the ouput from the FE model for Mode 5FFig17.csv:Comparison of normalised strain mode shapes determined by the FBG strain sensors and the output from the FE model. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Application_of_fibre_optic_sensing_systems_to_measure_... |
Title | Data supporting 'Fibre-coupled, multiplexed methane detection using range-resolved interferometry' |
Description | Data associated with paper 'Fibre-coupled, multiplexed methane detection using range-resolved interferometry'We describe the first use of range-resolved interferometric signal processing for measurement of spectral transmission. This was applied to gas sensing using tunable diode laser spectroscopy, allowing the simultaneous and independent measurement of methane concentrations in multiple gas cells. The system uses a single injection-current modulated diode laser and a single photodetector. For three gas cells, we show the ability of the system to measure methane at noise equivalent concentrations of less than 200 ppm for a 0.5 s measurement period and a potential noise equivalent concentration (1s) of |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Data_supporting_Fibre-coupled_multiplexed_methane_dete... |
Title | Fibre-Coupled, Multiplexed Methane Detection Using Range Resolved Interferometry |
Description | Dataset for paper:Fig 2 & Fig3: Time of measurement, The OPD being interrogated, The amplitude of the signal produced by the RRI system, The applied window used, The raw interferrometric signal from the photdiodeNote: The Time measurement only applies to the measurement of the interferometric signal. The RRI signal amplitude is instantaneousFig 4:The extracted light intensity passing through each tube as a function of time over the period of one ramp. (arbitary units)Fig 5 Absorption Heights:The height of the normalised absorption curves in each testFig 5 Recorded Gas Flows:The gas flow measurements in each test that were used to calculate the gas concentrations in each testFig 6: Allan Deviation:The value for the Allan Deviation at each integration periodFig 7: Cross Talk Raw Data:The height of the normalised absorption curve measured for Tube 1 in each test.Fig 7: Cross Talk Protocol:The gas flow supplied to each tube during each test. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Fibre-Coupled_Multiplexed_Methane_Detection_Using_Rang... |
Title | Fibre-optic measurement of strain and shape on a helicopter rotor blade during a ground run: data for the measurement of shape |
Description | FSI_Phase_Data_Shape_CORD.csv contains the raw phase data from the three Fibre Segment interferometry array installed on the Direct Optical Fibre Shape Sensing Rod described in the paper: "Fibre-optic measurement of strain and shape on a helicopter rotor blade during a ground run - part 2: measurement of shape", Smart Materials and Structure, online 25 May 2022. Shape_Data_Vertical_CORD.csv contains the processed shape data in the vertical (flapping) direction, for the T&B2 ground run. Note that the position measurements are relative to the first FSI reflector on the rod, not to the centre of rotation of the blade. Shape_Data_Horizontal_CORD.csv contains the processed shape data n the horizontal (lagging) direction, for the T&B2 ground run. Note that the position measurements are relative to the first FSI reflector on the rod, not to the centre of rotation of the blade. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Fibre-optic_measurement_of_strain_and_shape_on_a_helic... |
Title | Fibre-optic measurement of strain and shape on a helicopter rotor blade during a ground run: data for the measurement of strain |
Description | FBG_Data_CORD.csv contains the raw wavelength data from the 10 FBGs (G1-G10) recorded during the ground run detailed within the paper "Fibre-optic measurement of strain and shape on a helicopter rotor blade during a ground run - part 1: measurement of strain", James et al. Smart Materials and Structures, available online, May 2022. The unit of the "Time" column is seconds, while the units of columns G1-G10 are nanometers. FSI_Data_CORD.csv contains the raw phase data obtained from the interferometers formed between the reflectors (R1-R10,) and the cleaved end of the optical fibre, recorded during the ground run detailed within the paper The unit of the "Time" column is seconds, while the units of columns R1-R10 are radians. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Fibre-optic_measurement_of_strain_and_shape_on_a_helic... |
Title | High sensitivity pressure measurement using optical fibre sensors mounted on a composite diaphragm |
Description | Data underlying the work presented in the paper "High sensitivity pressure measurement usingoptical fibre sensors mounted on a compositediaphragm", published in Optics Express, 2020.Each zip file contains the data and a text file describing the contents. Full details are provided in the paper |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://cord.cranfield.ac.uk/articles/dataset/High_sensitivity_pressure_measurement_using_optical_fi... |
Title | Optical fibre based interferometry |
Description | IP based on our optical fibre based interferometry research has been licenced |
IP Reference | |
Protection | Trade Mark |
Year Protection Granted | 2021 |
Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
Impact | 3 licence agreements have been signed between 2 UK companies and the university and 1 international company and the university. |
Description | Display stand at Laser World of Photonics Exhibition, Munich 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Instrumentation demonstrators from several EPSRC funded programmes exhibited at a major international exhibition & conference. The aim was to increase impact of the our research by engaging with end users. A number of useful new contacts were made that are currently being further developed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://openoptics.info/munich-portal/ |
Description | Display stand at Photonex exhibition, UK, 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Instrumentation demonstrators from several EPSRC funded programmes exhibited at a major international exhibition & conference. The aim was to increase impact of the our research by engaging with end users. A number of useful new contacts were made that are currently being further developed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |