User:K8sugden/PHOSFOS

EU Framework 7 funded project PHOSFOS (Photonic Skins For Optical Sensing) aims to develop a flexible and stretchable foil that integrates optical sensing elements with optical and electrical devices as well as onboard signal processing and wireless communications. This skin can be wrapped around, embedded in, attached and anchored to irregularly shaped and/or moving objects or bodies and will allow quasi-distributed sensing of mechanical quantities such as deformation, pressure, stress or strain.

The sensing technology is based around sensing elements called Fiber_Bragg_Grating (FBGS) that are fabricated in standard single core silica fibers, highly birefringent Microstructured_fiber (MSF) and Polymer_fibers (POF). The silica MSFs will be designed to exhibit almost zero temperature sensitivity to cope with the traditional temperature cross-sensitivity issues of conventional fiber sensors. These specialty fibers will be modeled, designed, fabricated within the programme. POF fibers will be used for their very specific property that their length can be stretched up to 300% before breaking.

Once optimized the sensors are embedded into the sensing skin and on the interfaced to the peripheral optoelectronics and electronics.

The photonic skins developed in PHOSFOS will find applications in continuously monitoring the integrity and the behavior of different kinds of structures in e.g. civil engineering (buildings, dams, bridges, roads, tunnels and mines), in aerospace (aircraft wings, helicopter blades) or in energy production (windmill blades) and therefore provide the necessary means for remote early failure, anomaly or danger warning. Applications in healthcare are also being investigated.