| Sol No.: |
Navy STTR FY2010.A |
| Topic No.: |
N10A-T016 |
| Topic Title: |
A Fiber-Optic-Based External Pipe Sound Pressure Level Sensing System |
| Proposal No.: |
N10A-016-0353 |
| Firm: |
Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation
2363 Calle Del Mundo
Santa Clara, California 95054-1008 |
| Contact: |
Behzad Moslehi |
| Phone: |
(408) 565-9004 |
| Web Site: |
www.ifos.com |
| Abstract: |
Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) and Georgia Tech propose a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) integrated sensor system capable of measuring the pipe wall "breathing mode" in order to infer the fluid-borne sound pressure level (SPL) in a pipe. The proposed new measurement technique makes it possible to externally measure the fluid-borne sound level in a noisy piping system. The state-of-art FBG sensors will be capable of measuring vibrations of the pipe wall external surface for monitoring SPL in real-time with high sensitivity and high degree of accuracy. IFOS-Georgia Tech innovation is to develop and implement such FBGs as SPL sensors to be surface-mounted on pipelines in a removable configuration facilitating installation and operation in the field. Advanced signal processing and SPL calculation algorithms as well as computer models will be applied for simulation purposes. Potentially, the solution could evolve into an autonomous onboard monitoring system to inspect and perform Non-Destructive Evaluation and piping system, valves and pumps health monitoring. |
| Benefits: |
The anticipated benefit is added robustness and ease of use of SPL sensor applications where the fluid sound pressure level is desired with an external measurement. This could be used by pump manufacturers who are trying to make quiet pumps, quiet valves or any other quiet piping components. It might also be useful as a monitoring measurement for pump health. |