Optical fiber tip micro anemometer
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJeremiah C Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim
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Abstract
A passive microscopic flow sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of an optical fiber. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure includes a post attached off-center to and extending longitudinally from the cleaved tip of the optical fiber. A rotor of the three-dimensional microscopic optical structure is received for rotation on the post. The rotor has more than one blade. Each blade has a reflective undersurface that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber when center aligned with the optical fiber, the blades of the rotor shaped to rotate at a rate related to a flow rate.
Claims3
A passive microscopic flow sensor comprising:
- an optical fiber;
- and
- a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of the optical fiber comprising:
- a post attached off-center to and extending longitudinally from the cleaved tip of the optical fiber;
- and
- a rotor received for rotation on the post and having more than one blade, each blade having a reflective undersurface that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber when center aligned with the optical fiber, the blades of the rotor shaped to rotate at a rate related to a flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.