Method and apparatus for measuring acceleration using a fiber optic accelerometer

A fiber optic accelerometer comprises:

• a housing;
• a support structure having a membrane which flexes in response to acceleration and a substantially cylindrical outer rim having an inner surface which is attached to an outer periphery of the membrane, the support structure mounted within the housing and further having a first support area and a second support area for mounting optical fibers respectively around a periphery thereof such that said peripheries of said first and second support areas have dimensions which change in response to acceleration;
• a first optical fiber positioned on said support structure;
• and
• a second optical fiber positioned on said second support area of said support structure.

A fiber optic accelerometer comprising:

• a housing;
• a support structure mounted within said housing having a first support area and a second support area for mounting optical fibers respectively around a periphery thereof such that said peripheries of said first and second support areas have dimensions which change in response to acceleration, said support structure having slits formed therein for facilitating the expansion and contraction of said first and second support areas;
• a first optical fiber positioned on said first support area of said support structure;
• and
• a second optical fiber positioned on said second support area of said support structure.

A system for measuring acceleration using a fiber optic accelerometer, comprising:

• a light source for generating light signals;
• a fiber optic accelerometer for receiving said light signals, said accelerometer including:
• a support structure having a nominally cylindrical shape which is deformable to a conical shape in response to acceleration, and
• a first support area and a second support area for mounting optical fibers respectively around a periphery thereof such that said peripheries of said first and second support are have dimensions which change in response to acceleration,
• a first optical fiber positioned on said first support area of said support structure for propagating a received light signal;
• a second optical fiber positioned on said second support area of said support structure for propagating a received light signal;
• and
• a detector for detecting the light signals propagating through said first and second optical fibers and generating an output indicative of acceleration.

A method of measuring acceleration using a fiber optic accelerometer having a support structure that is deformable in response to acceleration, comprising:

• positioning a pair of fiber optic coils around opposite ends of the support structure from one another for propagating light signals therethrough, wherein said support structure possesses a nominally cylindrical shape during a non-accelerated state;
• deforming said support structure into a conical shape in response to acceleration;
• expanding and contracting said pair of fiber optic coils, respectively, in response to the acceleration-induced conical shape of said support structure, wherein said expansion and contraction of said fiber optic coils causes a phase shift between light signals propagating in said first and second fiber optic coils;
• and
• determining an acceleration based upon the phase shift between the light signals propagating in said first and second fiber optic coils.