Laser Doppler velocimetry for three-dimensional distribution measurement of the velocity component by combining two-dimensional spatial encoding and non-mechanical scanning.

We present a differential laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) for measuring the velocity distribution in a three-dimensional (3D) space. Our conventional research so far has proposed some methods for measuring two-dimensional (2D) distribution measurement. One of the proposed methods was spatial encoding of measurement points arranged on a 2D plane. Besides, we also have proposed laser Doppler cross-sectional velocity distribution measurement based on a non-mechanical scanning method. We propose a 3D method by combining 2D spatial encoding and non-mechanical scanning, in which the measurement points distributed on a 2D plane are spatially encoded with different bias frequencies, and these points are scanned non-mechanically in another direction by changing the wavelength. As a feasibility study of the proposed method, experiments were conducted using a 4×4 channel optical setup and were performed at five wavelengths over 1537-1553 nm. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method could successfully measure the 3D distribution of the velocity component. The spectral peaks of the beat signals for 68 measurement points for the rotational speed of the target of 2.0s-1 and those for 67 measurement points for the rotational speed of -2.0s-1 out of 80 measurement points were successfully observed within the measurement error of 2.8%-4.8%.

Design of Transmission-Type Refractive Index Sensor, Based on Silica Planar Lightwave Circuit Using Combination of Refractive Angle and Phase Measurements.

A transmission-type refractive index sensor, based on planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology is proposed. In the proposed structure, we introduce a combination of coarse measurements, using the dependence of the angle of refraction and fine measurement, and the dependence of the phase on the refractive index to measure the absolute refractive index precisely, without expensive optical measurement equipment. The theoretical model of the proposed refractive index sensor is derived based on Fourier optics and transfer function to simulate its performance. The simulation results for the use of the 2.5%-Δ silica-based PLC technology indicate that the proposed structure has the potential to achieve a refractive index error of approximately 1 × 10-6 RIU or less when a monitored power deviation of ±0.05 dB is accepted.

Nonmechanical scanning laser Doppler velocimetry for distribution measurements of two-dimensional velocity vectors based on optical quadrature detection.

This paper proposes a nonmechanical scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) for measuring the distribution of two-dimensional velocity vectors. In the proposed LDV, an optical quadrature detection technique and a nonmechanical axial scanning technique are introduced into a reference-type LDV. Consequently, the LDV has a simple optical system without multiple light sources or frequency shifting and does not have any moving mechanisms in the probe. The experimental results obtained using a sensor probe setup indicate that the function of measuring two-dimensional velocity vectors and the scanning function are successfully demonstrated.

Cross-sectional laser Doppler velocimetry with nonmechanical scanning of points spatially encoded by multichannel serrodyne frequency shifting.

A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) using nonmechanical scanning of multiple points spatially encoded by multichannel serrodyne frequency shifting is proposed for cross-sectional velocity distribution measurement. In the proposed LDV, nonmechanical scanning using wavelength change and simultaneous multipoint measurement using spatial encoding are combined. The use of a LiNbO3 phase-shifter array for multichannel serrodyne modulation makes it possible to simplify the generation of a spatially encoded beam array. An experiment was performed using a sensor probe setup with a six-channel beam array. The results indicate that two-dimensional velocity distribution measurement was successfully demonstrated.

Nonmechanical scanning laser Doppler velocimeter for cross-sectional two-dimensional velocity measurement.

We propose a two-dimensional scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) that does not require any moving mechanisms in its probe. In the proposed LDV, the measurement position can be scanned in two dimensions on a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the direction of flow. The combination of the change in wavelength and change in port of the fiber array input to the probe is utilized for the scan. The experimental results using a sensor probe setup indicate that the measurement position can be scanned in two dimensions using the proposed method. The scanning range was estimated to be 39.7 mm in the axial direction over the wavelength range of 1536-1554 nm and 26.1 mm in the transverse direction for the use of 22 ports of the fiber array.

Nonmechanical axial scanning laser Doppler velocimeter with directional discrimination.

An axial scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) with directional discrimination not requiring any moving mechanism in its probe is proposed. The proposed LDV utilizes frequency shift induced by acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) for discriminating the direction of velocity. The measurement position is axially scanned by changing the wavelength of the light input to the probe. The experimental result reveals that both the axial scan and the directional discrimination can be realized by using the proposed method without any moving element in the probe.

Nonmechanical transverse scanning laser Doppler velocimeter using wavelength change.

A transverse scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) that does not require any moving mechanism in its sensor probe is proposed, and the scanning function is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. In the proposed scanning LDV, the measurement position is transversely scanned on the basis of a wavelength change induced by a tunable laser and a combination of a grating and a Dove prism. To demonstrate the scanning function in the transverse direction, an experiment was carried out using a setup of the sensor probe consisting of bulk optical components. The experimental results indicate that a transverse scanning function was successfully obtained. The scanning range in the vertical direction is estimated to be 11.3 mm over wavelengths of 1520 to 1570 nm.

Axial scanning laser Doppler velocimeter using wavelength change without moving mechanism in sensor probe.

A scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) without any moving mechanism in its sensor probe is proposed. In the proposed scanning LDV, the measurement position is axially scanned by change in the wavelength of the light input to the sensor probe, instead of using a moving mechanism in the sensor probe. For this purpose, a tunable laser and diffraction gratings are used, and the sensor probe including the gratings is separated from the main body including the tunable laser. To demonstrate the scanning function based on the proposed concept, an experiment was conducted using optical fibers, a commercial tunable laser and a setup of the sensor probe consisting of bulk optical components. As the experimental result, it is found that the measurement positions estimated from the measured beat frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical values. The scan ranges over a wavelength range of 30 nm are estimated to be 29.3 mm when the beam angle to the measurement position at the wavelength of 1540 nm is 10° and 20.8 mm when the beam angle is 15°. The result indicates that the scanning function by means of changing the wavelength input to the sensor probe is successfully demonstrated for the first time. The proposed method has the potential for realizing a scanning LDV with a simple, compact and reliable sensor probe.

Multi-point differential laser doppler velocimeter using arrayed waveguide gratings with small wavelength sensitivity.

A multi-point laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) using the arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) with small wavelength sensitivity (less than 1/10 of that for a conventional LDV without the AWGs) is proposed, in which velocities at different points in the depth direction can be simultaneously measured with compact optical systems. The design and characteristics of the proposed LDV are investigated with the model using the grating equation of the AWGs. From our simulation results, the wavelength sensitivity for multiple measured points can be reduced to less than 1/10 of that for a conventional LDV without an AWG.

A method for direct measurement of the first-order mass moments of human body segments.

We propose a simple and direct method for measuring the first-order mass moment of a human body segment. With the proposed method, the first-order mass moment of the body segment can be directly measured by using only one precision scale and one digital camera. In the dummy mass experiment, the relative standard uncertainty of a single set of measurements of the first-order mass moment is estimated to be 1.7%. The measured value will be useful as a reference for evaluating the uncertainty of the body segment inertial parameters (BSPs) estimated using an indirect method.

A method for evaluating dynamical friction in linear ball bearings.

A method is proposed for evaluating the dynamical friction of linear bearings, whose motion is not perfectly linear due to some play in its internal mechanism. In this method, the moving part of a linear bearing is made to move freely, and the force acting on the moving part is measured as the inertial force given by the product of its mass and the acceleration of its centre of gravity. To evaluate the acceleration of its centre of gravity, the acceleration of two different points on it is measured using a dual-axis optical interferometer.

Reduction of chromatic dispersion due to coupling for synchronized-router-based flat-passband filter using multiple-input arrayed waveguide grating.

An approach to reducing the chromatic dispersion due to coupling between input waveguides before the input slab for a synchronized-router-based flat-passband filter using a multiple-input arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is proposed. The proposed method uses phase compensation at the waveguide array of the AWG by correction of waveguide lengths. The characteristics of the flat-passband filter that consists of a multiple-input AWG combined with cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) are simulated using a theoretical model of the multiple-input AWG based on Fourier optics and the coupled-mode theory. The simulation result reveals that the chromatic dispersion within the passband can be significantly reduced by using phase compensation and additional dummy waveguides at the input just before the slab.

Wavelength-insensitive laser Doppler velocimeter using beam position shift induced by Mach-Zehnder interferometers.

A novel wavelength-insensitive differential laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) without a grating has been proposed. The proposed LDV utilizes a position shift of the beam at the input plane according to wavelength change induced by Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs). The gradual shift in the incident angle of the beam to the object is brought about with the combination of MZIs, lenses and apertures. The characteristics of the proposed structure are simulated using paraxial approximation of a lens system with an aperture. The simulation results indicate that almost wavelength-insensitive operation can be obtained by using the proposed structure without any grating element.

Low-loss, flat-passband and athermal arrayed-waveguide grating multi/demultiplexer.

We successfully demonstrated a low-loss, flat-passband, and athermal arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multi/demultiplexer with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) as an input router. Resin-filled trenches were formed in the longer arm of the MZI as well as the slab in the AWG to compensate for the temperature dependence. A 32-channel athermal multi/demultiplexer was fabricated using silica-based planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology. A small temperature-dependent wavelength shift of 0.02 nm was obtained over the temperature range of -5 to 65 degrees C with low-loss (3.3-3.7 dB) and flat-passband spectra.