This paper presents results of a micromachined, SiC/sapphire pressure sensor designed for propulsive environments. The completed sensor is 3mm square with a sapphire fiber through the back of the sensor. Included are results from a high- speed fiber optic signal processing system combined with sapphire fiber for use in fluctuating, high temperature environments. The sensor is designed to be capable of operating at the extreme temperatures and pressures of the next generation engines including ramjet/scramjets. These conditions far exceed the capabilities of conventional metal and electronic sensors. Fiber optic sensors offer the ability to increase the temperature range of these devices by removing the electronics of conventional sensors from the hot zone. Unfortunately, these conditions also exceed the capabilities of silicon and silica optical fiber. In contrast, silicon carbide has excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical properties for use in such environments, while the high operating temperature and optical quality of sapphire fibers and the inherent immunity of optical fiber sensors to electromagnetic interference make their use of particularly advantageous. Sensors made from a combination of these materials would be able to operate in almost any propulsive environment and allow valuable insight into flow regimes where little previous data is available.

Date Published: 29 December 2000
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 4202, Industrial Sensing Systems, (29 December 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.411723

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4202:
Industrial Sensing Systems
Anbo Wang; Eric Udd, Editor(s)