Diode laser interrogated fiber optic hydrazine-fuel sensor system and method

A system for detecting the presence of a gas over a predetermined area, said system comprising

• a diode laser means for generating a laser pulse,
• a fiber optic network connected to said diode laser means for communicating said laser pulse as an evanescent wave split and distributed within said predetermined area,
• a plurality of sensors means each having a reagent disposed therein distributed within said predetermined area for receiving said laser pulse and for absorbing and reflecting said laser pulse to provide a respective plurality of reflected returns amplitudinally changed by said plurality of sensors means when reacting to exposure of said gas through changes in optical absorption and reflection of said laser pulse by said reagent disposed in said plurality of sensors means, and
• a monitor means connected to said fiber optic network for receiving said plurality of reflected returns, and for correlating said plurality of reflected returns to said respective plurality of sensors means by time displacement and for determining by amplitudinal changes which ones of said plurality of sensors means have been exposed to said gas within said predetermined area.