Fiber optics for harsh environments

Fiber optic technology is making significant advances for use in a number of air and space applications, including communication networks, sensors, navigation and prognostics and health management. Many of these applications involve integration into systems which must operate in harsh environments, including extreme low to high temperatures, shock, vibration, radiation, corrosive conditions, high electromagnetic and high radio-frequency interference and pressure. Several current air and space platforms that use fiber optic systems include commercial and military aircraft, unmanned aircraft, the International Space Station and several NASA and international space exploration systems. Fiber optic technologies have demonstrated the ability to overcome resistance losses, provide revolutionary situational awareness to platforms and detect opens and shorts and other structural defects. These technologies do not require significant power and complex electronics while still allowing signal processing to be located close to the networked applications. There are many benefits of fiber optic systems for air and space applications, including minimal electromagnetic interference and environmental effects, lightweight and smaller diameter cables, greater bandwidth and the ability to be easily upgraded. This paper presents an overview of several fiber optic applications in harsh environments, including fiber optic components and standards, inertial measurement units, fiber optic sensor systems for prognostics, strain and temperature measurements, structural failure measurements, wavelength modulated fiber optic sensors for submersible testing and detection and fiber optics for space microwave imaging radiometers. As photonic link performance continues to improve, evolve and mature, it will yield high return on investment (ROI) by providing enabling capabilities and saving significant life-cycle costs.