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Aerospace Engineering

Missouri University of Science and Technology

2011

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Articles 1 - 27 of 27

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Effect Of Thin Film Confined Between Two Dissimilar Solids On Interfacial Thermal Resistance, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai Dec 2011

Effect Of Thin Film Confined Between Two Dissimilar Solids On Interfacial Thermal Resistance, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Model is Developed to Investigate How a Thin Film Confined between Two Dissimilar Solids Affects the Thermal Transport Across the Material Interface. for Two Highly Dissimilar (Phonon Frequency Mismatched) Solids, It is Found that the Insertion of a Thin Film between Them Can Greatly Enhance Thermal Transport Across the Material Interface by a Factor of 2.3 If the Thin Film Has One of the Following Characteristics: (1)a Multi-Atom-Thick Thin Film of Which the Phonon Density of States (DOS) Bridges the Two Different Phonon DOSs for the Solid on Each Side of the Thin Film; (2)a Single-Atom-Thick …


Direct Numerical Simulation Of Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers. Part 4. Effect Of High Enthalpy, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín Oct 2011

Direct Numerical Simulation Of Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers. Part 4. Effect Of High Enthalpy, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper we present direct numerical simulations (DNS) of hypersonic turbulent boundary layers to study high-enthalpy effects. We study high-and low-enthalpy conditions, which are representative of those in hypersonic flight and ground-based facilities, respectively. We find that high-enthalpy boundary layers closely resemble those at low enthalpy. Many of the scaling relations for low-enthalpy flows, such as van-Driest transformation for the mean velocity, Morkovin's scaling, and the modified strong Reynolds analogy hold or can be generalized for high-enthalpy flows by removing the calorically perfect-gas assumption. We propose a generalized form of the modified Crocco relation, which relates the mean temperature …


Effective Approach For Estimating Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín Oct 2011

Effective Approach For Estimating Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An effective approach for estimating turbulence-chemistry interaction in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers is proposed, based on "laminar- chemistry" Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes mean flow solutions. The approach combines an assumed probability density function with a temperature fluctuation scaling, which provides the second moment for specifying the shape of the probability density function. As a result, the effects of temperature fluctuation on chemical production rates can be estimated without solving an additional moment evolution equation. The validity of this method is demonstrated using direct-numerical-simulation data. This approach can be used to identify regions with potentially significant turbulence-chemistry interaction in hypersonic boundary layers and …


Effect Of The Thickness Of Undoped Gan Interlayers Between Multiple Quantum Wells And The P-Doped Layer On The Performance Of Gan Light-Emitting Diodes, T. Lu, S. Li, K. Zhang, C. Liu, Y. Yin, L. Wu, H. Wang, Xiaodong Yang, G. Xiao, Y. Zhou Sep 2011

Effect Of The Thickness Of Undoped Gan Interlayers Between Multiple Quantum Wells And The P-Doped Layer On The Performance Of Gan Light-Emitting Diodes, T. Lu, S. Li, K. Zhang, C. Liu, Y. Yin, L. Wu, H. Wang, Xiaodong Yang, G. Xiao, Y. Zhou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

InGaN based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with undoped GaN interlayer of variant thicknesses grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique have been investigated. It was found that the thickness of undoped GaN interlayers affected LEDs' performance greatly. The LED with 50 nm undoped GaN interlayer showed higher light output power and lower reverse-leakage current compared with the others at 20 mA. Based on electrical and optical characteristics analysis and numerical simulation, these improvements are mainly attributed to the improvement of the quality of depletion region by inserting an undoped GaN layer, as well as reduction of the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination in InGaN/GaN …


Thermal Expansions In Wurtzite Aln, Gan, And Inn: First-Principle Phonon Calculations, L.-C. Xu, R.-Z. Wang, Xiaodong Yang, H. Yan Aug 2011

Thermal Expansions In Wurtzite Aln, Gan, And Inn: First-Principle Phonon Calculations, L.-C. Xu, R.-Z. Wang, Xiaodong Yang, H. Yan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Using the first-principle phonon calculations under the quasiharmonic approximation, thermal expansions in III-nitrides with wurtzite AlN, GaN, and InN are reported. The results showed that it is different for each thermal expansion of three III-nitrides at low temperatures, which is consistent with their Grneisen parameters as the function of temperature. Below 50 K, negative thermal expansions occur in InN, while GaN and AlN follow the rule of positive thermal expansion. To seek the origin of positivenegative thermal expansion distinction, the mode Grneisen parameters and the phonon spectra are investigated. They indicate that different low-frequency phonon vibration modes correspond to the …


Effect Of Molecular Film Thickness On Thermal Conduction Across Solid-Film Interfaces, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai Jun 2011

Effect Of Molecular Film Thickness On Thermal Conduction Across Solid-Film Interfaces, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Brownian Motion and Aggregation of Particles in Nanofluids Often Lead to the Formation of Solid-Film-Solid Structures. the Molecular Thin Film Confined between Nanoparticles May Have Non-Negligible Effects on Thermal Conduction among Nanoparticles. using Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations, We Study Thermal Conduction Across the Ag Particle-Ar Thin-Film Interface. If the Film Contains Only One Molecular Layer, We Find that the Solid-Film Interfacial Thermal Resistance RSF is About 1 Order of Magnitude Smaller Than the Solid-Liquid (Bulk) Interfacial Thermal Resistance RSL. If There Are Two or More Molecular Layers in the Film, It is Shown that RSF Increases Rapidly toward RSL …


Direct Numerical Simulation Of Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers. Part 3. Effect Of Mach Number, L. (Lian) Duan, I. Beekman, M. P. Martín Apr 2011

Direct Numerical Simulation Of Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers. Part 3. Effect Of Mach Number, L. (Lian) Duan, I. Beekman, M. P. Martín

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent boundary layers with nominal free-stream Mach number ranging from 0.3 to 12. The main objective is to assess the scaling's with respect to the mean and turbulence behaviors as well as the possible breakdown of the weak compressibility hypothesis for turbulent boundary layers at high Mach numbers (M > 5). We find that many of the scaling relations, such as the van Driest transformation for mean velocity, Walz's relation, Morkovin's scaling and the strong Reynolds analogy, which are derived based on the weak compressibility hypothesis, remain valid for the range …


Thermal Conductivity Of Interfacial Layers In Nanofluids, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai Apr 2011

Thermal Conductivity Of Interfacial Layers In Nanofluids, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermal Conductivity of Interfacial Layers is an Essential Parameter for Determining How the Ordered Liquid Layering Around the Particle-Liquid Interface Contributes to the Unusual High Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids. However, So Far There is No Experimental Data Regarding This Parameter. using Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations of an Inhomogeneous Au-Ar System in Which the Solid-Liquid Interactions Are Assumed to Be Much Stronger Than the Liquid-Liquid Interactions, We Show Explicitly that the Thermal Conductivity of a 1-Nm-Thick Interfacial Layer is 1.6∼2.5 Times Higher Than that of the Base Fluid. the Simulation Results Are Incorporated into a Three-Level Clustering Model to Calculate the …


Deterministic Integrated Tuning Of Multicavity Resonances And Phase For Slow-Light In Coupled Photonic Crystal Cavities, T. Gu, S. Kocaman, Xiaodong Yang, J. F. Mcmillan, M. B. Yu, G.-Q. Lo, D.-L. Kwong, C. W. Wong Mar 2011

Deterministic Integrated Tuning Of Multicavity Resonances And Phase For Slow-Light In Coupled Photonic Crystal Cavities, T. Gu, S. Kocaman, Xiaodong Yang, J. F. Mcmillan, M. B. Yu, G.-Q. Lo, D.-L. Kwong, C. W. Wong

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the integrated chip-scale tuning of multiple photonic crystal cavities. The optimized implementation allows effective and precise tuning of multiple cavity resonances (up to ~1.60 nm/mW) and intercavity phase (~0.038 π/mW) by direct local temperature tuning on suspended silicon nanomembranes. Through designing the serpentine metal electrodes and careful electron-beam alignment to avoid cavity mode overlap, the coupled photonic crystal L3 cavities preserve their high quality factors. The deterministic resonance and phase control enables switching between the all-optical analog of electromagnetically-induced-transparency to flat-top filter lineshapes, with future applications of trapping photons and optoelectronic modulators.


Nanostructured Substrate With Nanoparticles Fabricated By Femtosecond Laser For Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Yukun Han, Zhi Liang, Huilai Sun, Hai Xiao, Hai-Lung Tsai Feb 2011

Nanostructured Substrate With Nanoparticles Fabricated By Femtosecond Laser For Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Yukun Han, Zhi Liang, Huilai Sun, Hai Xiao, Hai-Lung Tsai

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Simple and Fast Method to Fabricate Nanostructured Substrates with Silver Nanoparticles over a Large Area for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is Reported. the Method Involves Two Steps: (1) Dip the Substrate into a Silver Nitrate Solution for a Few Minutes, Remove the Substrate from the Solution, and Then Air Dry and (2) Process the Silver Nitrate Coated Substrate by Femtosecond (Fs) Laser Pulses in Air. the Second Step Can Create Silver Nanoparticles Distributed on the Nanostructured Surface of the Substrate by the Photoreduction of Fs Multiphoton Effects. This Study Demonstrates that an Enhancement Factor (EF) Greater Than 5x105, Measured …


Study Of Emission Turbulence-Radiation Interaction In Hypersonic Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín, I. Sohn, D. A. Levin, M. F. Modest Feb 2011

Study Of Emission Turbulence-Radiation Interaction In Hypersonic Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín, I. Sohn, D. A. Levin, M. F. Modest

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations are conducted to study the effects of emission turbulence-radiation interaction in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers, representative of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle at peak-heating condition during reentry. A nondimensional governing parameter to measure the significance of emission turbulence-radiation interaction is proposed, and the direct numerical simulation fields with and without emission coupling are used to assess emission turbulence-radiation interaction. Both the uncoupled and coupled results show that there is no sizable interaction between turbulence and emission at the hypersonic environment under investigation. An explanation of why the intensity of emission turbulence-radiation interaction in the hypersonic boundary layer …


Inherent And Model-Form Uncertainty Analysis For Cfd Simulation Of Synthetic Jet Actuators, Daoru Frank Han Jan 2011

Inherent And Model-Form Uncertainty Analysis For Cfd Simulation Of Synthetic Jet Actuators, Daoru Frank Han

Masters Theses

"A mixed aleatory (inherent) and epistemic (model-form) uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis method was applied to a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling problem of synthetic jet actuators. A test case, (Case 3, flow over a hump model with synthetic jet actuator control) from the CFDVAL2004 workshop was selected to apply the Second-Order Probability framework implemented with a stochastic response surface obtained from Quadrature-Based Non-Intrusive Polynomial Chaos (NIPC). Three uncertainty sources were considered: (1) epistemic uncertainty in turbulence model, (2) aleatory uncertainty in free stream velocity and (3) aleatory uncertainty in actuation frequency. Uncertainties in both long-time averaged and phase averaged quantities …


Assessment Of Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín Jan 2011

Assessment Of Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, M. P. Martín

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Studies of the turbulence-chemistry interaction are performed in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers using direct numerical simulation flow fields under typical hypersonic conditions representative of blunt-body and slender body hypersonic vehicles, with super catalytic and noncatalytic wall conditions in pure air. Nondimensional governing parameters, the interaction Damköhler number and the interaction relative heat release, are proposed to measure the influence of turbulence-chemistry interaction on flow composition and temperature. Both a priori and posteriori studies are performed to assess the effect of turbulence-chemistry interaction on chemical production rates and mean and turbulent flow characteristics. It is found that the governing parameters provide …


Design, Analysis, And Optimization Of Composite Structures For Aerospace Applications, Tyler Jason Keil Jan 2011

Design, Analysis, And Optimization Of Composite Structures For Aerospace Applications, Tyler Jason Keil

Masters Theses

"This thesis contains three papers that focus on composites that pertain to a variety of structures commonly found in the aerospace industry. The first paper presents an investigation of the stowage and deployment strength of a thin carbon fiber-reinforced polymer shell capable of being rolled and stowed in a tight rolled configuration. The intent of this structure is for use as a segment of a larger deployable reflective aperture. This study involved finite element analysis of several laminates, coupon-level and full-scale prototype testing, which provided a much needed insight and benchmark of composite shells used in this manner.

The second …


Heat Transfer Augmentation In Rectangular Ducts Due To Passive Flow Destabilization, James Jackson Tinsley Jan 2011

Heat Transfer Augmentation In Rectangular Ducts Due To Passive Flow Destabilization, James Jackson Tinsley

Masters Theses

"The following thesis documents the comparison of surface enhancements in rectangular ducts for heat transfer enhancement of the air-side of off-road heat exchangers. Two sets of experiments were completed, one utilizing air as the working fluid, and the other utilizing water. Five air geometries and four water geometries were studied, including those with crosswise bumps, longitudinal vortex generators, and a unique rifling geometry. A smooth test section was also tested in the water experiments to verify the experimental setup. Such verification had been performed previously for the air experiments by Rucker [2007]. The experiment involved an applied constant heat flux …


Shaker Table Vibration Testing Of A Microsatellite, Tonya Michelle Sanders Jan 2011

Shaker Table Vibration Testing Of A Microsatellite, Tonya Michelle Sanders

Masters Theses

"In the satellite development process, structural testing is a means to gain confidence in analytical models and ultimately support qualification of the spacecraft for flight. Vibration testing, in particular, is motivated by the safety considerations of crew or launch personnel, the survivability of delicate hardware and electronics, and the avoidance of large stresses that cause structural fatigue or failure. The subject of this thesis is concerned with the shaker table vibration testing of a microsatellite pair designed and built by students at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri. A finite element model (FEM) used in structural …


Dynamic Ergonomic Analysis And Simulation Of Fastening Operation, Akul Joshi Jan 2011

Dynamic Ergonomic Analysis And Simulation Of Fastening Operation, Akul Joshi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Operator performing fastening operation with powered hand-tools at awkward postures is subjected to external forces that may pose a risk of developing ergonomic injuries. For design of safe workplaces and selection of tools it is necessary to identify the probable causes of discomfort by simulating the work conditions and quantifying the risk factors. An ergonomic simulator is developed to simulate the fastening operation and quantify the effects of posture and force in fastening operation. The effect of dynamic forces is analyzed using two approaches. The first approach analyzes the effect of tool vibration while the second analyzes the hand-arm system …


Magnetometer-Only Attitude Determination With Application To The M-Sat Mission, Jason D. Searcy Jan 2011

Magnetometer-Only Attitude Determination With Application To The M-Sat Mission, Jason D. Searcy

Masters Theses

"The topic of this thesis focuses on attitude determination for small satellites. The method described uses only a magnetometer to resolve the three-axis attitude of the satellite. The primary challenge is that magnetometers only instantaneously resolve two axes of a satellite's attitude. Typically, magnetometers are used in conjunction with other sensors to resolve all three axes. However, by using a filter over an adequately long orbit arc, the magnetometer data can yield all the information necessary. The magnetic field data are filtered to obtain the magnetic field derivative vector, which are combined with the magnetic field vector to fully resolve …


Continuous Low Thrust For Small Spacecraft Proximity Operations, James Harris Meub Jan 2011

Continuous Low Thrust For Small Spacecraft Proximity Operations, James Harris Meub

Masters Theses

"Recently, both DoD and NASA have demonstrated increased interest in the development of close proximity operations for space systems. AFRL's Advanced Sciences and Technology Research Institute for Astrodynamics (ASTRIA) has defined several key research topics relevant to military priorities, with one area of critical importance being the inspection and observation of low Earth orbit resident space objects (RSOs). This study investigates the feasibility of using a low-thrust cold-gas propulsion system to effectively and accurately facilitate resident space object inspection. Specifically, this study focuses on the Missouri S&T Satellite mission (M-SAT) as a means to demonstrate autonomous RSO inspection. This paper …


A Numerical Study Of Novel Drag Reduction Techniques For Blunt Bodies In Hypersonic Flows, Christopher Marley Jan 2011

A Numerical Study Of Novel Drag Reduction Techniques For Blunt Bodies In Hypersonic Flows, Christopher Marley

Masters Theses

"Numerical simulations of a full three-dimensional hemispherical body in hypersonic flow are conducted and innovative techniques involving forward injection of gas from the stagnation point of the sphere are investigated; techniques include annular (ring) and swirled injection both with and without upstream energy deposition. Objectives of the analysis are the assessment of 1) drag reductions achieved on the blunt body (including the detrimental drag effect caused by the forward-facing injection itself) and 2) stability characteristics of the jet. Studies are conducted at free-stream Mach numbers of 10 and 6.5 at standard atmospheric conditions corresponding to 30 km altitude. While centered …


Quantifying Model Uncertainty Using Measurement Uncertainty Standards, Harsheel Rajesh Shah Jan 2011

Quantifying Model Uncertainty Using Measurement Uncertainty Standards, Harsheel Rajesh Shah

Masters Theses

"Model uncertainty quantification is mainly concerned with the problem of determining whether the observed data is consistent with the model prediction. In real world, there is always a disagreement between a simulation model prediction and the reality that the model intends to represent. Our increased dependence on computer models emphasizes on model uncertainty which is present due to uncertainties in model parameters, lack of appropriate knowledge, assumptions and simplification of processes. In addition, when models predict multi-variate data, the experimental observation and model predictions are highly correlated. Thus, quantifying the uncertainty has a basic requirement of comparison between observation and …


Study Of Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, Lian Duan, M. Pino Martín Jan 2011

Study Of Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, Lian Duan, M. Pino Martín

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Studies of the turbulence-chemistry interaction (TCI) are performed in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers using direct numerical simulation (DNS) flow fields under typical hypersonic conditions representative of blunt-body and slender-body hypersonic vehicles, with super catalytic and noncatalytic wall conditions in pure air. Nondimensional governing parameters, 'interaction' Damk̈ohler number and relative heat release, are proposed to measure the influence of TCI on flow composition and temperature. Both a priori and posteriori studies are performed to assess the effect of TCI on chemical production rates and mean and turbulence flow characteristics. In addition, an effective approach (called PDF-TS) to estimate the intensity of …


Study Of Turbulence-Radiation Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, A. M. Feldick, M. P. Martín, M. F. Modest, D. A. Levin Jan 2011

Study Of Turbulence-Radiation Interaction In Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers, L. (Lian) Duan, A. M. Feldick, M. P. Martín, M. F. Modest, D. A. Levin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the paper, we conduct direct numerical simulations (DNS) to investigate the effect of turbulence-radiation interaction (TRI) in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers, representative of the Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV) at peak heating condition during reentry. The radiative transfer equation (RTE) is solved using the tangent slab approximation. 1 The RTE solver is line-by-line (LBL) accurate, making use of a developed efficient spectral database 2 for spectral modeling. A multi-group full-spectrum correlated-k-distribution (FSCK) method 3 is used to reduce the number of RTE evaluations while preserving LBL accuracy. A nondimensional governing parameter to measure the significance of TRI is proposed, …


Uncertainty Quantification Integrated To Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Of Synthetic Jet Actuators, Srikanth Adya Jan 2011

Uncertainty Quantification Integrated To Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Of Synthetic Jet Actuators, Srikanth Adya

Masters Theses

"The Point Collocation Non-Intrusive Polynomial Chaos (NIPC) method was applied to a stochastic synthetic jet actuator problem to demonstrate the integration of computationally efficient uncertainty quantification to the high-fidelity CFD modeling of Synthetic Jet Actuators. The uncertainty quantification approach was first implemented in two stochastic model problem cases for the prediction of peak exit plane velocity using a Fluid Dynamic Based analytical model of the Synthetic Jet Actuator, which is computationally less expensive than CFD simulations. The NIPC results were compared with direct Monte Carlo sampling results. To demonstrate the efficient uncertainty quantification in CFD modeling of synthetic jet actuators, …


Computational Investigation Of Plasma Actuator As An Active Flow Control Strategy Of Laminar Separation Bubbles, Justin Roger Aholt Jan 2011

Computational Investigation Of Plasma Actuator As An Active Flow Control Strategy Of Laminar Separation Bubbles, Justin Roger Aholt

Masters Theses

"A parametric computational study designed to examine the plausibility of an external body force generated by active means, such as a plasma actuator, as a means of controlling a Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) over an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers was conducted. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to characterize the effect that a body force, localized to a small region tangent to the airfoil surface, might have on an LSB. In this study, the effects of altering the strength and location of the "actuator" on the size and location of the LSB and on the aerodynamic performance of the …


Hall-Effect Thruster Surface Properties Investigation, David George Zidar Jan 2011

Hall-Effect Thruster Surface Properties Investigation, David George Zidar

Masters Theses

"Surface properties of Hall-effect thruster channel walls play an important role in the performance and lifetime of the device. Physical models of near-wall effects are beginning to be incorporated into thruster simulations, and these models must account for evolution of channel surface properties due to thruster operation. Results from this study show differences in boron nitride channel surface properties from beginning-of-life and after 100's of hours of operation. Two worn thruster channels of different boron nitride grades are compared with their corresponding pristine and shadow-shielded samples. Pristine HP grade boron nitride surface roughness is 9000±700 Å, while the worn sample …


Ultra-Abrupt Tapered Fiber Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Sensors, B. Li, J. Lan, W. Sumei, L. Zhou, Hai Xiao, Hai-Lung Tsai Jan 2011

Ultra-Abrupt Tapered Fiber Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Sensors, B. Li, J. Lan, W. Sumei, L. Zhou, Hai Xiao, Hai-Lung Tsai

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A fiber inline Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) consisting of ultra-abrupt fiber tapers was fabricated through a new fusion-splicing method. By fusion-splicing, the taper diameter-length ratio is around 1:1, which is much greater than those (1:10) made by stretching. The proposed fabrication method is very low cost, 1/20-1/50 of those of LPFG pair MZI sensors. The fabricated MZIs are applied to measure refractive index, temperature and rotation angle changes. The temperature sensitivity of the MZI at a length of 30 mm is 0.061 nm/°C from 30-350 °C. The proposed MZI is also used to measure rotation angles ranging from 0° to 0.55°; …