Mechanical Strain, Temperature, and Misalignment Effects on Data Communication between Piezoceramic Ultrasonic Transducers.

Acoustic waves can be used for wireless telemetry as an alternative to situations where electrical or optical penetrators are unsuitable. However, the response of the ultrasonic transducer can be greatly affected by temperature variations, mechanical deformations, misalignment between transducers, and multiple layers in the propagation zone. Therefore, this work sought to quantify such influences on communication between ultrasonic transducers.

Fabry-Perot Cavity Optimization for Absolute Strain Sensing Using Finite Element Analysis.

The finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the optical-mechanical behavior of a Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) composed of a capillary segment spliced between two sections of standard optical fiber. The developed FEM model was validated by comparing it with theory and with previously published experimental data. The model was then used to show that the absolute strain on the host substrate is usually smaller than the strain measurement obtained with the sensor.

Ultrasonic Energy and Data Transfer through a Metal-Liquid Multi-Layer Channel Enhanced by Automatic Gain and Carrier Control.

Ultrasonic communication and power transfer are attractive solutions when conventional electromagnetic-based or wired connections are unfeasible. Most ultrasonic communication applications concern a single-solid barrier. Nevertheless, some relevant scenarios can be composed of several fluid-solid media, through which communication and power transfer are intended.

Ultrasonic Power and Data Transfer through Multiple Curved Layers Applied to Pipe Instrumentation.

Ultrasonic power and data transfer through multilayered curved walls was investigated using numerical and experimental analysis. The acoustic channel used in this paper was formed by two concentric pipes filled with water, aiming for applications that involve powering and monitoring sensors installed behind the pipe walls. The analysis was carried out in the frequency and time domains using numerical and experimental models.

Passive Downhole Pressure Sensor Based on Surface Acoustic Wave Technology.

A passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) pressure sensor was developed for real-time pressure monitoring in downhole application. The passive pressure sensor consists of a SAW resonator, which is attached to a circular metal diaphragm used as a pressure transducer. While the membrane deflects as a function of pressure applied, the frequency response changes due to the variation of the SAW propagation parameters.

Derivation of acoustoelastic Lamb wave dispersion curves in anisotropic plates at the initial and natural frames of reference.

The propagation speed of ultrasonic waves in pre-stressed media can be evaluated either at the natural or initial frames of reference. In this paper general equations that can be applied to the partial wave technique are presented in order to obtain the dispersion spectra of acoustoelastic Lamb waves in anisotropic plates in either frame of reference. Employing these equations, dispersion curves for the fundamental modes in a pre-stressed transversely isotropic aluminum plate were numerically obtained in both reference frames under longitudinal and transverse loading with the material transverse axis along each of the Cartesian directions, as well as the propagation along a non-principal direction.

In-fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer for strain and magnetic field sensing.

In this paper we discuss the results obtained with an in-fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) used in strain and magnetic field (or force) sensing. The intrinsic FPI was constructed by splicing a small section of a capillary optical fiber between two pieces of standard telecommunication fiber. The sensor was built by attaching the FPI to a magnetostrictive alloy in one configuration and also by attaching the FPI to a small magnet in another.

Dengue immunoassay with an LSPR fiber optic sensor.

Dengue fever is a viral disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Specific tests for dengue are not usually performed due to high costs, complicated procedures and, in some cases, long time to yield a result. For widespread use of specific tests to be possible, fast, reliable and fairly simple methods are needed.

Gold nanoparticles on the surface of soda-lime glass: morphological, linear and nonlinear optical characterization.

Materials presenting high optical nonlinearity, such as materials containing metal nanoparticles (NPs), can be used in various applications in photonics. This motivated the research presented in this paper, where morphological, linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of gold NPs on the surface of bulk soda-lime glass substrates were investigated as a function of nanoparticle height. The NPs were obtained by annealing gold (Au) thin films previously deposited on the substrates.

Magnetic field measurements based on Terfenol coated photonic crystal fibers.

A magnetic field sensor based on the integration of a high birefringence photonic crystal fiber and a composite material made of Terfenol particles and an epoxy resin is proposed. An in-fiber modal interferometer is assembled by evenly exciting both eigenemodes of the HiBi fiber. Changes in the cavity length as well as the effective refractive index are induced by exposing the sensor head to magnetic fields.

Design of a highly-birefringent microstructured photonic crystal fiber for pressure monitoring.

We present the design of an air hole microstructured photonic crystal fiber for pressure sensing applications. The air-hole photonic crystal lattices were designed to produce a large intrinsic birefringence of 1.16 x 10(-3).

A magnetostrictive composite-fiber Bragg Grating sensor.

This paper presents a light and compact optical fiber Bragg Grating sensor for DC and AC magnetic field measurements. The fiber is coated by a thick layer of a magnetostrictive composite consisting of particles of Terfenol-D dispersed in a polymeric matrix. Among the different compositions for the coating that were tested, the best magnetostrictive response was obtained using an epoxy resin as binder and a 30% volume fraction of Terfenol-D particles with sizes ranging from 212 to 300 μm.

Hydrostatic pressure sensing with high birefringence photonic crystal fibers.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the waveguiding properties of high birefringence photonic crystal fibers (HiBi PCF) is evaluated both numerically and experimentally. A fiber design presenting form birefringence induced by two enlarged holes in the innermost ring defining the fiber core is investigated. Numerical results show that modal sensitivity to the applied pressure depends on the diameters of the holes, and can be tailored by independently varying the sizes of the large or small holes.

Reconstructing the adhesion stiffness distribution in a laminated elastic plate: Exact and approximate inverse scattering solutions.

This paper formulates and solves a time harmonic inverse scattering problem to reconstruct the effective stiffness distribution of an adhesive bond in a layered elastic plate. The motivation is based on the assumption that localized adhesion flaws that diminish bond stiffness also tend to diminish bond strength. The formulation is based on the invariant imbedding method, applies to isotropic and anisotropic elastic layers, and is essentially that of identifying embedded acoustic sources in elastic layered structures.