Biodegradable Optical Fiber Acoustic Sensor for Marine Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current acoustic wave detection systems in marine environments lack flexibility and are not environmentally friendly, requiring permanent installations and non-biodegradable components, which are costly and have significant environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing optical fiber technology with a programmable, biodegradable coating and modular design that allows real-time adjustment of sensor characteristics, enabling flexible deployment and environmentally friendly operation, including the use of biodegradable polymers and compact hardware for transportability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional acoustic sensor systems are used, then they provide stable acoustic detection performance, but they require permanent installations and cannot be easily transported between vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: the optical fiber antenna can be independently deployed and retrieved, while the processing equipment remains on the vessel. This segmentation allows the sensing element to be transported and deployed independently, enabling flexibility between different vessels without requiring complex permanent installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber antenna system is designed to be universally deployable on different vessel types. The same antenna configuration can serve multiple vessels and different operational scenarios, eliminating the need for vessel-specific permanent installations and enabling rapid deployment flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-frequency acoustic sensors are used, then they provide optimized detection for specific applications, but they cannot adapt to different operating conditions and target types
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic reconfigurability where the optical fiber antenna parameters (frequency response, sensor spacing, number of sensors) can be modified in real-time based on operational requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the same physical sensor to be optimized for different target types and propagation conditions without sacrificing manufacturing precision, as the configuration changes are achieved through programmable signal processing rather than physical manufacturing changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (frequency, spacing, number of active sensors) to adapt to different conditions. By modifying these parameters through software control rather than manufacturing changes, the system achieves operational flexibility while maintaining precise sensor construction for each configuration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If non-biodegradable acoustic sensor components are used, then they provide durable and reliable operation, but they have significant environmental impact and cannot be safely discarded
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber antenna is designed as a disposable, biodegradable component that can be safely discarded after use. The use of biodegradable materials allows the sensor to fulfill its detection function and then naturally decompose in the marine environment, eliminating environmental harm while maintaining sufficient reliability for the operational duration required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs composite material construction where biodegradable materials are used for the antenna structure and housing, while the optical fiber core maintains its non-biodegradable glass composition for sensing functionality. This composite approach enables the structural components to degrade environmentally safely while the functional sensing elements maintain their reliability throughout the operational period.
4Measurement precision
If high-performance acoustic sensors are used, then they provide accurate detection, but they require electronic components and power supplies that increase device complexity and dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces traditional electronic sensing elements with optical fiber-based sensors that detect acoustic waves through optical modulation rather than electrical signals. This substitution eliminates the need for electronic components and power supplies at the sensor location, reducing device complexity while maintaining high measurement precision through optical detection methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber acts as an intermediary that transmits acoustic information from the measurement environment to the processing equipment without requiring electronic components at the sensing point. The optical signal serves as a mediator that carries the acoustic data back to the vessel where electronic processing occurs, thereby reducing on-site complexity while preserving detection accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time modification of acoustic wave detection characteristics, reduces environmental impact, and allows for portable, cost-effective deployment of acoustic sensors with high sensitivity and immunity to electromagnetic interference.
Implementation Method 1
a first device configured to produce a plurality of optical fibres having a plurality of Bragg reflectors
Implementation Method 2
acoustic waves in the sea striking said antenna modify said wavelength of the light reflected by said Bragg reflectors
Implementation Method 3
US2001/0020375 describes an apparatus for the manufacture of optical fiber Bragg gratings
Implementation Method 4
the use of appropriate materials allows the use of antennae with low cost and low environmental impact, which are therefore 'expendable'
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
System for the detection of acoustic waves in the sea comprising the following units configured to be housed on board a sea vessel: a source (4) of an optical fibre cable without coating; a writing device (7) receiving as input the optical fibre cable and generating as output a processed optical fibre curtain (5w) on which a plurality of Bragg optical sensors (9) are provided spaced from one another; a coating device (13) adapted to coat the portion of each sensor with at least one layer of polymer with low elastic modulus (17) in order to improve the sensitivity of the sensor to the hydrostatic pressure by modifying the original resonance wavelength λB of the refractive grating towards a shifted wavelength λB-sh; a polymerization device (20) for polymerizing the sensor coating; and a deployment device (20) carried by the sea vessel and adapted to release the optical fibre acoustic curtain into the sea.