In this paper, a novel heat energy harvesting system that is constructed by a combination of thermoelectric generators (TEG) and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells that are configured to operate in parallel is presented. The resulting hybrid TEG-TPV heat energy harvester can therefore generate significantly more electrical energy than is possible for a given TEG surface area. The hybrid TEG-TPV heat energy harvester is designed to generate electrical energy from sources with highly varying and high temperatures. The hybrid harvester is designed to provide a constant temperature gradient to TEG members and allow the TPV cells to operate within their allowable temperature range.
In time critical power up applications, such as pre-launch preparation of smart munitions, both power and guidance information needs to be transferred rapidly from the host to the munitions. Tethered solutions are not practical and the existing magnetic inductive charging methods are slow and have limited data transfer rate capability. A wireless solution based on the use of high power laser diodes is presented. Custom dual-junction photo-voltaic cells achieve power conversion efficiencies exceeding 50% at a single wavelength of operation. Energy transfer times of 3.5 s have been achieved for energy levels of 90 J. Guidance and other control data is uploaded to on-board memory devices at a rate of 500 kb/s, through the use of an additional photodiode, which can receive a small fraction of the modulated power beam. A removable collar provides an alignment free charging/data solution enabling rapid deployment of multiple munitions.
A robust onboard full angular orientation sensor solution, based on a polarization scanning reference source and polarized geometrical cavity orientation sensors is presented. The sensor system provides a new non-GPS and non-inertial approach to angle measurements, with several key advantages over other methods, which include traditional phased-array antenna systems and the like. In this novel approach, the angular orientation information is coded into a time dependent pattern, which is insensitive to noise, while making the angle measurement independent of distance from the referencing source. The manuscript presents data from a field deployable system.
This book is an introductory text describing methods of harvesting electrical energy from mechanical potential and kinetic energy. The book focuses on the methods of transferring mechanical energy to energy conversion transducers of various types, including piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electrostatic, and magnetostrictive transducers. Methods that have been developed for collecting, conditioning, and delivering the generated electrical energy to a load, as well as their potential use as self-powered sensors, are described. The book should be of interest to those who want to know the potentials as well as shortcomings of energy harvesting technology. The book is particularly useful for energy harvesting system designers as it provides a systematic approach to the selection of the proper transduction mechanisms and methods of interfacing with a host system and electrical energy collection and conditioning options. An extensive bibliography is provided to direct the reader to appropriate references for detailed material not included in the book.
High contrast imaging, in the presence of a bright background, is a challenging problem encountered in diverse applications ranging from the daily chore of driving into a sun-drenched scene to in vivo use of biomedical imaging in various types of keyhole surgeries. Imaging in the presence of bright sources saturates the vision system, resulting in loss of scene fidelity, corresponding to low image contrast and reduced resolution. The problem is exacerbated in retro-reflective imaging systems where the light sources illuminating the object are unavoidably strong, typically masking the object features. This manuscript presents a novel theoretical framework, based on nonlinear analysis and adaptive focal plane transmittance, to selectively remove object domain sources of background light from the image plane, resulting in local and global increases in image contrast. The background signal can either be of a global specular nature, giving rise to parallel illumination from the entire object surface or can be represented by a mosaic of randomly orientated, small specular surfaces. The latter is more representative of real world practical imaging systems. Thus, the background signal comprises of groups of oblique rays corresponding to distributions of the mosaic surfaces. Through the imaging system, light from group of like surfaces, converges to a localized spot in the focal plane of the lens and then diverges to cast a localized bright spot in the image plane. Thus, transmittance of a spatial light modulator, positioned in the focal plane, can be adaptively controlled to block a particular source of background light. Consequently, the image plane intensity is entirely due to the object features. Experimental image data is presented to verify the efficacy of the methodology.
KEYWORDS: Free space, Free space optics, Solar energy, Radio optics, Data transmission, Semiconductor lasers, Diodes, Fiber lasers, Neodymium, Thermography
Design and experimental data for a high power laser diode based free space point-to-point optical power/data link is presented. In time critical power up applications, such as providing power and guidance information to a munition shell just prior to deployment, energy of the order of 100 J needs to be transferred in under 10 s. Current inductive technology is slow and broadcasts a radio-frequency signal which is undesirable for stealth operation. Rapid energy transfer times require high irradiance levels at the surface of the photovoltaic cells, typically, exceeding 1000X suns. Through efficient thermal design of heat sinks, high optical to electrical power conversion efficiencies of 50%, which are usually attainable at low power levels of 1 W, are achievable at higher power levels.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Polarization, Antennas, Environmental sensing, Radar, Modulation, Finite element methods, Signal to noise ratio, Data modeling, Wave propagation
Angular orientation of both mobile and stationary objects continues to be an ongoing topic of interest for guidance and control as well as for non-GPS based solutions for geolocations of assets in any environment. Currently available sensors, which include inertia devices such as accelerometers and gyros; magnetometers; surface mounted antennas; radars; GPS; and optical line of sight devices, do not provide an acceptable solution for many applications, particularly for gun-fired munitions and for all-weather and all environment scenarios. A robust onboard full angular orientation sensor solution, based on a scanning polarized reference source and a polarized geometrical cavity orientation sensor, is presented. The full position of the object, in the reference source coordinate system, is determined by combining range data obtained using established time-of-flight techniques, with the angular orientation information.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Antennas, Modulation, Polarization, Global Positioning System, Distance measurement, Finite element methods, Radar, Environmental sensing, Signal to noise ratio
Angular orientation of an object such as a projectile, relative to the earth or another object such as a mobile platform continues to be an ongoing topic of interest for guidance and/or steering. Currently available sensors, which include inertia devices such as accelerometers and gyros; magnetometers; surface mounted antennas; radars; GPS; and optical line of sight devices, do not provide an acceptable on-board solution for many applications, particularly for gun-fired munitions. We present a viable solution, which combines open-aperture sensors with custom designed radiation patterns and one or more amplitude modulated polarization scanning reference sources. Subsequently, the sensor system presents a new approach to angle measurements, with several key advantages over traditional cross-polarization based rotation sensors. Primarily, angular information is coded into a complex spatiotemporal pattern, which is insensitive to power fluctuations caused by environmental factors, while making the angle measurement independent of distance from the referencing source. Triangulation, using multiple sources, may be also used for onboard position measurement. Both measurements are independent of GPS localization; are direct and relative to the established local referencing system; and not subject to drift and/or error accumulation. Results of laboratory tests as well as field tests are presented.
An adaptive spatial filtering technique is described for enhancing image contrast of objects viewed against the background of an intense light source, both in the transmitting and reflecting imaging modes. The spatial distribution of the source captured in the back focal plane of the imaging lens corresponds to the angular distribution of the source. The measured distribution of energy is used to adaptively control the transmittance of a spatial light modulator positioned in the back focal plane of the imaging lens. The spatial light modulator blocks the transmission of the high energy hot spots through to the image plane. Subsequently the image formed by the objective lens is free of the bright background. Thus, the digital image capture system can use the full dynamic range of the detector and the analog to digital converter, giving rise to a captured image with the highest contrast possible. Contrast enhanced images of MEMS accelerometer are presented.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Telecommunications, Epoxies, Data communications, Actuators, Electronic components, Composites, Packaging, Wireless communications, Control systems
Electronic systems comprising of subassemblies, distributed across different physical media, require seamless communication between processors and sensors embedded in the disparate volumes. For example, smart munitions systems embed sensors and other key control electronics, throughout the structure, in vastly different physical media. In addition to the obvious space constraints, these structures are subjected to high G forces during launch. Thus, communications through wire harnesses becomes cumbersome, make assembly process and testing difficult, and challenging to make survive high G firing. Here we focus on an approach that takes advantage of the partial optical transparency of epoxy material commonly used in potting electronic components in munitions, as well as the wave guiding that is possible through the body of the munitions wall which is made from composite materials. Experimental results show that a wireless optical link, connecting various parts of the distributed system, is possible at near IR frequencies. Data can be rapidly parsed between a processor, sensors and actuators. We present experimental data for a commercial epoxy system, which is used to embed a number of IrDA devices inside the cone of 120 mm mortar shell. IrDA devices using the FIR data rates establish point-to-point communication through various media, representative of the environment inside the 120 mm mortar cone.
Need exists for untethered transmission of electrical power and data to remote devices and sensors. Several wireless solutions, based on radiation and non-radiation are in existence. Here the focus is on the use of photonic power which is an optimized optical to electrical conversion solution, used for both wireless and guided transportation. High photonic conversion efficiencies of 50% and greater have been demonstrated for wavelength matched laser diodes and photovoltaic cells. However, these existing solutions do not meet the needs of rapid energy transfer to remote devices, such as munition shells prior to launch. We report on the design and fabrication of a 16-cell array of densely packed photonic power converters that can power a munition shell immediately prior to launch. A laser beam delivers power and data to the PPC array. Thermal simulation, using FEA shows that the each of the cells can be operated at an equivalent irradiance of 1000x suns, giving an energy transfer rate of 17.5 J.s-1 for the array. Thus, two 10 F super-capacitors, typically used in munitions, can be charged is under 5 seconds. Further, using the measured capacitance of 2.4 nF for the array, data can be transported to the munition on the laser power beam, at a rate exceeding 5 Mbps.
Photonic power conversion combined with a high power laser diode, is a high efficiency solution for rapid, wireless transfer of power to dormant sensors, which have sporadic need for electrical power. In particular, these devices replace, thermal/inductive power sources inside a munition shell, leading to a safe non-radiating environment. Experimental results with a 25 F double-layer, super-capacitor, indicate that the surface irradiance and laser power both determine the minimum energy transfer time. At a power level of 4 W, the energy transfer rate reduces from a 1 J/s to 0.35 J/s as the irradiance level changes from 1125 suns to 63 suns.
Amplitude and phase control of two orthogonal linear polarized RF waves provide a very versatile means for producing a time varying linear polarization scanning reference source. Dynamic control of the state of polarization of the radiated EM wave offers unique scan patterns, which lead to robust recovery of attitude angular information of various flying platforms, such as unmanned aerial vehicles. Data taken in an anechoic chamber confirms the efficacy of the technique.
KEYWORDS: Polarization, Receivers, Transmitters, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Switches, Amplifiers, Sensors, Signal detection, Digital signal processing, Signal attenuation
On board measurement of attitude position, for example roll angle, of autonomous vehicles is critical to the execution of a successful mission. This paper describes a real-time technique, which combines a polarization scanning reference source and a priori knowledge of the scanning pattern. Measurements in an anechoic chamber, as well as, field tests in a busy parking lot, verify the efficacy of the technique, for both line of sight and non-line of sight capability.
A 12-capillary prototype electrophoresis system for DNA sequencing has been constructed. Laser illumination is introduced into an optical waveguide that is formed by an array of individual capillaries that serve both as the optical elements of the periodic array and as the channels containing sieving media for electrophoresis. A theoretical framework and experimental data will be presented to illustrate the viability of this approach.
A compact fiber optic system, utilizing a lensless backscatter fiber optic probe, and a semiconductor laser is used as a non-invasive tool for in vivo characterization of the proteins in the eye lens of several animals. The system exploits the extremely sensitive technique of dynamic light scattering, which uses a laser beam to probe the temporal characteristics of the proteins present in eye lens fluid. The technique, with appropriate electronics and signal processing provides a rapid means of determining the size of the (alpha) -crystallin in the protein-water system. Changes in the size of the protein molecules can be tracked over the age of the eye lens; an abrupt increase in size is associated with the early cataractous formation. This paper describes the fiber optic system and discusses results obtained from measurements made on sedated rabbits, pigs and cats. A clear difference in the size of the (alpha) -crystallin of normal and cataractous lenses is observed.
Design and fabrication of an integrated backscatter fiber optic probe is described in this paper. A short section of a gradient index optical fiber is fusion spliced to two separate monomode optical fibers; the two fibers are mounted into a stainless steel face plate. One fiber is used to transmit either a focussed or collimated laser beam to the scattering region. The second fiber collects and guides the laser light scattered at a predefined scattering angle to a photomultiplier. Subsequent photon correlation and analysis yields size information of the scattering species.
The hardware development of an integrated backscatter fiber optic system for doing dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements in the constrained microgravity environment of a space shuttle or space station is described. The small size and light-weight system easily fits in a Spacelab Glovebox and ensures maximum safety for the orbiter crew. It offers high precision particle size measurements from dispersions of colloidal particles within seconds. It needs neither onboard optical alignment nor index matching fluid, and it offers sample mixing and shear melting capabilities to study aggregation (flocculation and coagulation) phenomena under both quiescent and controlled agitation conditions. The system can easily be adapted for other microgravity experiments requiring the use of DLS.
This paper presents a new method of analyzing intensity correlation data obtained in dynamic light scattering measurements of particles in Brownian motion in a colloid. A second-order linewidth distribution is obtained directly from the intensity autocorrelation by the method of regularized inversion with a nonnegativity constraint, based on the regularization method of Tikhonov. The linewidth distribution, and consequently a particle size distribution, is obtained by deconvolving the second order linewidth. The method is illustrated using a variety of data obtained using a compact optical fiber based instrument developed by Dhadwal. It is shown that regularized inversion of intensity data, followed by a deconvolution to obtain the first order linewidth distribution, is superior in performance to the inversion of reduced first order data. The reduction of second order data by subtracting a baseline and taking the square root of the difference results in increased noise, and in distortion. Noise and distortion cause inaccurate or even completely spurious inversions. The method can resolve very narrow monomodal size distributions or much broader multimodal distributions.
A regularized coherent optical processor, exhibiting considerable immunity to phase noise, is designed and used to achieve resolution beyond the diffraction limit. Regularization is achieved by means of a piezoelectric displacement of one of the feedback mirrors. The optical processor is used for real-time object restoration from noisy, diffraction-limited images. A software implementation of the regularized algorithm, for the case of a two-slit object, shows good agreement with the results obtained from the optical processor.
A comparative dynamic light scattering study of BSA and lysozyme is presented. A backscatter fiber optic system and a conventional light scattering spectrometer are used to measure the diameter of proteins in the dilute regime, that is, below concentrations of 10 mg/ml. The fiber optic system operating with a power level of 2 mW at a wavelength of 632.8 nm compares favorably with a conventional system operating with a power level of 40 mW at a wavelength of 514.5 nm. Quasi-elastic light scattering measurements taken at several concentrations demonstrate the utility of a backscatter fiber optic probe for sizing of small molecular weight proteins. The fiber probe, comprising two optical fibers, is about 3 mm in diameter and can be positioned either inside or outside the scattering cell.
A lensless backscatter fiber optic probe is used to measure the size distribution of protein molecules inside an excised, but intact, human eye lens. The fiber optic probe, about 5 mm in diameter, can be positioned arbitrarily close to the anterior surface of the eye; it is a transreceiver, which delivers a Gaussian laser beam into a small region inside the lens and provides a coherent detection of the laser light scattered by the protein molecules in the backward direction. Protein sizes determined from the fast and slow diffusion coefficients show good correlation with the age of the lens and cataractogenesis.
This paper demonstrates the application of a lensless fiber optic spectrometer (sensor) to study the onset of cataracts. This new miniaturized and rugged fiber optic probe is based upon dynamic light scattering (DLS) principles. It has no moving parts, no apertures, and requires no optical alignment. It is flexible and easy to use. Results are presented for cold-induced cataract in excised bovine eye lenses, and aging effects in excised human eye lenses. The device can be easily incorporated into a slit-lamp apparatus (ophthalmoscope) for complete eye diagnostics.
Practical difficulties of introducing an optoelectronics course into an entrenched electrical engineering curriculum are discussed. Detailed descriptions of a lecture course, designed to meet the needs of engineers, and an accompanying laboratory course in optoelectronics are given.
Active and passive configurations of a fiber optic probe comprising of a linear array of optical fibers positioned in the front focal plane of a graded index microlens are assessed for use as convenient particle sizing sensors for a process control environment.
Regularization techniques and Fourier optics are combined to design a class of real time coherent optical processors, which exhibit considerable immunity to phase noise. Regularization and adaptive control is achieved by employing a piezo-electrically controlled displacement of one of the feedback mirrors. The processor has been used to obtain extrapolation of spatially limited objects imaged through a diffraction limited system.
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