Fiber optic temperature sensor

Patent 6141098 Issued on October 31, 2000. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 6, 2018. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Patent #: 5035511
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Inventors

Application

No. 167138 filed on 10/06/1998

US Classes:

356/477, Using fiber or waveguide interferometer356/35.5, By light interference detector (e.g., interferometer)356/519Having partially reflecting plates in series (e.g., Fabry-Perot type)

Examiners

Primary: Kim, Robert H.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G01B 009/02

Abstract

A fiber optic temperature sensor uses a light source which transmits light through an optical fiber to a sensor head at the opposite end of the optical fiber from the light source. The sensor head has a housing coupled to the end of the optical fiber. A metallic reflective surface is coupled to the housing adjacent the end of the optical fiber to form a gap having a predetermined length between the reflective surface and the optical fiber. A detection system is also coupled to the optical fiber which determines the temperature at the sensor head from an interference pattern of light which is reflected from the reflective surface.

Other References

"Influence of High Temperatures on a Fiber-Optic Probe for Temperature Measurement," E. Milcent, g. Olalde, J.F. Robert, D. Hernandez, and M. Clement, Applied Optics, vol. 33, No. 25, Sep. 1994
"A Fluorescence-Based Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor for Aerospace Applications," Shelle Dawn Tilstra, SPIE vol. 1589 Specialty Fiber Optic Systems for Mobile Platforms (1991)
A. Wang, S. Gollapudi, R.G. May, K.A. Murphy, and R.O. Clause, "Advances in Sapphire-Fiber-Based Intrinsic Interferometric Sensors," Optic Letters, vol. 17, No. 21, Nov. 1, 1992, pp. 1544-1546
Anbo Wang, George Z. Wang, Kent A. Murphy, and Richard O. Claus, "Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensors Based on Differential Spectral Transmittance/Reflectivity and Multiplexed Sensing Systems," Applied Optics, vol. 34, No. 13, May 1, 1995, pp. 2295-2300
Anbo Wang, Sridhar Gollapudi, Kent A. Murphy, Russell G. May, and Richard O. Claus, "Sapphire-Fiber-Based Instrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer," Optic Letters, vol. 17, No. 14, Jul. 15, 1992, pp. 1021-1023
Margaret Tuma, Kristie Elam, Takeo Sawatari, Phil Gaubis and Yuping Lin, NASA Technical Memorandum 113172, "Fabry-Perot Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor System," Prepared for the 17th International Congress on Instrumentation in Aerospace Simultation Facilities sponsored by the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, Sep. 29--Oct. 2, 199