Design of a miniature mechano-optical anemometer

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Title Design of a miniature mechano-optical anemometer
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Engineering
Department Mechanical Engineering
Author Swope, Jeremy
Date 2009-08
Description This paper describes the design and characterization of a novel, miniature, twodimensional anemometer that utilizes an optical fiber, laser diode, and position sensitive detector (PSD). The fiber functions as a cylindrical cantilever beam with the fixed end secured to the side of an aerodynamic shell, while the free end of the fiber extends perpendicularly into the flow stream. Light transmitted by a laser diode shines through the free-end of the fiber and illuminates the surface of the PSD chip, which is flush-mounted to the other side of the sensor shell. The approach flow induces a drag force on the fiber, causing it to deflect, thereby displacing the light beam on the face of the PSD chip. The location of the beam centroid is output from the anemometer circuit as two analog voltage signals, which may be directly related to the approach velocity through a calibration curve. The currentgeneration prototype consists of a 125 //m diameter, 20 mm long silica fiber, with the capability of measuring turbulent velocities at frequencies up to about 220 Hz and velocity magnitudes up to about 15.5 m/s ±0.5%. Experiments were performed to measure long-term drift, sensitivity to ambient light conditions, thermal effects, and frequency response. Numerical simulations were also performed to examine flow disturbance in the immediate vicinity of the fiber due to the geometry of the sensor shell. Importantly, the use of fiber optic technology allows for a relatively inexpensive, lightweight, low-power design. The intended application of the present anemometer is Meteorology; and atmospheric science research.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Anemometer; Miniature electronic equipment; .
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name MS
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "Design of a miniature mechano-optical anemometer" J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections, TK7.5 2009 .S96
Rights Management © Jeremy Swope
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 14,752,392 bytes
Identifier us-etd2,104805
Source Original: University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections
Conversion Specifications Orginal scanned on Epson GT-30000 as 400 dpi to pdf using ABBYY FineReader 9.0 Professional Edition.
ARK ark:/87278/s6x35bx2
Setname ir_etd
ID 192279
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6x35bx2
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