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The monitoring of pH and free chlorine concentration in drinking water is important for water safety and public health. However, existing laboratory-based analytical methods are laborious, inefficient, and costly. This thesis focuses on the development of an easy-to-use, sensitive, and low-cost drinking water quality monitoring system for pH and free chlorine. An inkjet printing technology with a two-step thermolysis process in air is developed to deposit palladium/palladium oxide (Pd/PdO) films as potentiometric pH sensing electrodes. The redox reaction between PdO and hydronium ions generates the sensor output voltage. A large PdO percentage in the film provides a high sensitivity of ~60 mV/pH. A defect-free Pd/PdO film with small roughness contributes to a fast response and a high stability. When the Pd ink is thermalized in low vacuum, the deposited Pd/PdO film shows a bilayer structure. The residual oxygen in the low vacuum environment assists the decomposition of organic ligands for Pd to form a thin and continuous layer beneath submicron Pd aggregates. The oxidized bilayer film behaves as a temperature sensor with a sensitivity of 0.19% resistance change per °C, which can be used to compensate the sensed pH signals. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is drawn by hand to form a free chlorine sensor. Free chlorine oxidises PEDOT:PSS, whose resistivity increment indicates the free chlorine concentration in the range of 0.5-500 ppm. Also, we simplified an amperometric free chlorine sensor based on amine-modified pencil leads. The simplified sensor is calibration-free, potentiostat-free, and easy-to-use. The pH, temperature, and free chlorine sensors are fabricated on a common substrate and connected to a field-programmable gate array board for data processing and display. The sensing system is user-friendly, cheap, and can accurately monitor real water samples. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Sensitive, easy-to-use, and low-cost pH and free chlorine monitoring systems are important for drinking water safety and public health. In this thesis, we develop an inkjet printing technology to deposit palladium/palladium oxide films for potentiometric pH sensors and resistive temperature sensors. The different electrical and electrochemical properties of the palladium/palladium oxide films are realized by creating different film morphologies using different ink thermolysis atmospheres. The developed pH and temperature sensors are highly sensitive, fast in response, and stable. For free chlorine sensors, a hand drawing process is used to deposit poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate), which is an indicator for the free chlorine concentration over a wide range. We also developed a calibration-free free chlorine sensors based on modified pencil leads. Such a free chlorine sensor is integrated with the pH and temperature sensors, and an electronic readout system for accurate on-site drinking water quality monitoring at low cost is demonstrated.

A long-period grating is obtained by introducing a periodic refractive index modulation in the core of a hydrogen-sensitized germanosilicate fiber. The phase-matching condition causes light from the fundamental guided mode to couple to discrete, forward-propagating cladding modes. These cladding modes attenuate rapidly on propagation and result in loss bands at distinct wavelengths in the grating transmission spectrum. We present a comprehensive analysis of the spectral modulation provided by long-period gratings. An analytical model is developed to predict the location of the resonance bands as functions of the grating period and the parameters of the host fiber. These gratings with small insertion loss and negligible back-ret1ection are shown to possess two different regions of operation, namely, normal and anomalous. The fabrication and high temperature annealing of these devices is detailed, and a novel method to obtain these gratings without employing ultra-violet radiation is presented. Long-period gratings are proposed as simple yet versatile optical fiber sensors. It is demonstrated that external temperature and axial strain introduce large spectral shifts in the resonance bands. A theoretical evaluation of the sensitivity reveals a strong dependence on the properties of the optical fiber, the grating periodicity, the order of the cladding mode, the writing and annealing conditions, and the index of refraction of the surrounding medium. Temperature-insensitive and strain-insensitive long-period gratings written in standard optical fibers are studied for their sensing characteristics. Long period grating-based refractive index sensors are obtained without etching the cladding of the fiber. It is demonstrated that long-period grating sensors can be implemented with simple demodulation schemes. Applications of these devices to structural health monitoring and biochemical sensing are presented. Finally, long-period gratings are demonstrated as effective sensors that can be used to separate temperature and axial strain acting simultaneously on the fiber. Strain-insensitive gratings are used to extend the dynamic range of the system in the presence of non-linearities and cross-sensitivities. / Ph. D.

Measurement of physical parameters in harsh environments (high pressure, high temperature, highly corrosive, high electromagnetic interference) is often desired in a variety of areas, such as aerospace, automobile, energy, military systems, and industrial processes. Pressure and temperature are among the most important of these parameters. A typical example is pressure monitoring in jet engine compressors to help detect and control undesirable air flow instabilities, namely rotating stall and surge. However, the temperatures inside a compressor could reach beyond 600°C for today's large engines. Current fiber-optic sensor can operate up to about 300°C and even the most widely employed semiconductor sensors are limited below 500°C. The objective of this research is to push the limit of fiber-optic sensing technology in harsh environment applications for both pressure and temperature measurements by developing novel sensing structures, fabrication techniques, and signal processing algorithms. An all-fused-silica pressure sensor has been demonstrated which is fabricated on the tip of a fiber with a diameter no larger than 125μm. The sensor was able to function beyond the current limit and operate into the 600~700°C range. Also a temperature sensor has been developed using sapphire fibers and wafers for ultra-high temperature measurement as high as 1600°C. This effort will generate more understanding regarding sapphire fiber's high temperature properties and could possibly lead to novel designs of pressure sensor for beyond 1000°C. Both sensors have been field tested in real-world harsh environments and demonstrated to be reliably and robust. In this dissertation, the design, fabrication, and testing of the sensors are discussed in detail. The system and signal processing techniques are presented. The plan and direction for future work are also suggested with an aim of further pushing the operating limit of fiber-optic sensors. / Ph. D.

From the monitoring of deep ocean conditions to the imaging and exploration of the vast universe, optical sensors are playing a unique, critical role in all areas of scientific research. Optical fiber sensors, in particular, are not only widely used in daily life such as for medical inspection, structural health monitoring, and environmental surveillance, but also in high-tech, high-security applications such as missile guidance or monitoring of aircraft engines and structures. Measurements of physical parameters are required in harsh environments including high pressure, high temperature, highly electromagnetically-active and corrosive conditions. A typical example is fossil fuel-based power plants. Unfortunately, current optical fiber sensors for high-temperature monitoring can work only for single point measurement, as traditional fully-distributed temperature sensing techniques are restricted for temperatures below 800°C due to the limitation of the fragile character of silica fiber under high temperature. In this research, a first-of-its-kind technology was developed which pushed the limits of fully distributed temperature sensing (DTS) in harsh environments by exploring the feasibility of DTS in optical sapphire waveguides. An all sapphire fiber-based Raman DTS system was demonstrated in a 3-meters long sapphire fiber up to a temperature of 1400°C with a spatial resolution of 16.4cm and a standard deviation of a few degrees Celsius. In this dissertation, the design, fabrication, and testing of the sapphire fiber-based Raman DTS system are discussed in detail. The plan and direction for future work are also suggested with an aim for commercialization. / Ph. D.

Diagnosis temperature is one of the most important disciplines. We meet it in everyday life, but it is very important for all sectors of industry. This is a measurement providing an immediate state of the measured object. Contact measurement of different temperature sensors and contactless measurement using thermal imagers. The important part is the measurement of temperature rise of induction motor. Part of the work deals with losses in the electric motor. These losses are converted into heat, which affects from various parts of the machine. Correct identification of the temperature field is important in helping to design the cooling system of the instrument. Virtually the data obtained are compared with theoretical data. We will capture part of the device and realize thermal simulations in a suitable simulation program. We propose modifying the cooling machine and the resulting data from the simulation compares.

O transformador de potência é um importante equipamento utilizado no sistema elétrico de potência, responsável por transmitir energia elétrica ou potência elétrica de um circuito a outro e transformar tensões e correntes de um circuito elétrico. O transformador de potência tem ampla aplicação, podendo ser utilizado em subestações de usinas de geração, transmissão e distribuição. Neste sentido, mudanças recentes ocorridas no sistema elétrico brasileiro, causadas principalmente pelo aumento considerável de carga e pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico tem proporcionado a fabricação de um transformador com a aplicação de alta tecnologia, aumentando a confiabilidade deste equipamento e, em paralelo, a redução do seu custo global. Tradicionalmente, os transformadores são fabricados com um sistema de isolação que associa isolantes sólidos e celulose, ambos, imersos em óleo mineral isolante, constituição esta que define um limite à temperatura operacional contínua. No entanto, ao se substituir este sistema de isolação formado por papel celulose e óleo mineral isolante por um sistema de isolação semi- híbrida - aplicação de papel NOMEX e óleo vegetal isolante, a capacidade de carga do transformador pode ser aumentada por suportar maiores temperaturas. Desta forma, o envelhecimento do sistema de isolação poderá ser em longo prazo, significativamente reduzido. Esta técnica de aumentar os limites térmicos do transformador pode eliminar, essencialmente, as restrições térmicas associadas à isolação celulósica, provendo uma solução econômica para aperfeiçoar o uso de transformadores de potência, aumentando a sua confiabilidade operacional. Adicionalmente, à aplicação de sensores de fibra óptica, em substituição aos sensores de imagem térmica no monitoramento das temperaturas internas do transformador, se apresentam como importante opção na definição do equacionamento do comportamento do transformador sob o ponto de vista térmico. / The power transformer is important equipment used in electric power system, which is responsible for transmitting electricity or electric power from one circuit to another, transforms voltage and current in an electrical circuit. Moreover, it has wide application and can be used in substations of power plants, transmission and distribution. Recent changes in the electrical system caused mainly by the considerable increase in load and technological development provided by the manufacture of a transformer with the application of high technology, increasing the reliability of this equipment and, in parallel, reducing their overall cost. Traditionally, transformers are manufactured with a solid insulation system that combines solid insulation and cellulose, both immersed in oil, this constitution which limits the continuous operating temperature. However, when replacing this insulation system consisting of paper and cellulose insulating oil by a hybrid system consisting - application paper NOMEX and vegetable oil, the capacity of the transformer can be substantially increased. Thus, the aging of the insulation system may be at long term, significantly reduced. This technique of increasing the thermal limits of the equipment can essentially eliminate thermal constraints associated with conventional insulation, providing an economical solution for the optimization of power transformers, increasing their operational reliability. Additionally, the application of fiber-optic sensors, replacing the thermal imaging sensors to monitor the internal temperature of the transformer is presented as an important option in the definition of the equation of transformer behavior under the thermal point of view.

Esta tese apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma técnica de processamento numérico capaz de reconstruir o sinal da temperatura do processo original a partir do sinal distorcido, atrasado e ruidoso, medido através de uma sonda intrusiva. Uma técnica de regularização foi adotada para contornar o mau condicionamento do modelo numérico inverso da equação de transdução para obter o sinal do processo, que considera o acúmulo térmico e as transferências de calor convectivo e radiativo entre o meio e o sensor térmico. O método dos mínimos quadrados simplificado foi implementado como técnica de regularização, por ser um método rápido e possuir um código computacional pequeno, permitindo, obter os dados em tempo real e desenvolver um sensor térmico inteligente. Testes numéricos demonstraram as discrepâncias introduzidas pela inércia térmica, convecção e radiação, bem como a extrema sensibilidade da presença de ruídos quando o problema inverso é resolvido. Testes experimentais foram conduzidos para validar o algoritmo de reconstrução sob condições práticas com sinais obtidos por um termopar encapsulado / This thesis presents the development of a numerical processing technique capable of reconstructing the original process temperature signal from distorted, late and noisy measured signal obtained from an intrusive probe. A regularization technique was adopted to palliate the ill conditioning of the inverse numerical model of the transduction equation to obtain the process signal, which considers thermal accumulation and convective and radiative heat transfers between the medium and the thermal sensor. The simplified least square method was implemented as the regularization technique, because it is a fast method and results in a small computational code, which produces on-line information and allow the development an intelligent temperature sensor. Numerical tests demonstrated the discrepancies introduced by thermal inertia, convection and radiation, as well as the extreme sensitivities to the presence of noise when solving the inverse problem. Experimental tests were carried out to validate the reconstruction algorithm under realistic experimental conditions with the signals obtained by the sheathed thermocouple

O processo de conversão ascendente de energia (infravermelho ao visível) é amplamente estudado em materiais dopados com íons terras raras trivalentes (TR3+) devido as várias possibilidades de aplicações tecnológicas. Tal processo consiste na emissão de fótons de maior energia (usualmente no visível) mediante excitação com fótons de menor energia (infravermelho) via mecanismo de absorção de dois fótons e/ou transferência de energia entre os íons TR3+. Entre os materiais estudados destacam-se vidros e vitrocerâmicas dopados com Er3+ com emissões nas regiões do verde e do vermelho, que podem ser eficientemente excitadas por lasers de diodo na região do infravermelho próximo (980 nm). Uma das aplicações possíveis para este processo é a de um sensor óptico de temperatura baseado na dependência da razão de intensidades de emissão dos níveis 2H11/2 e 4S3/2 do Er3+ com a temperatura, vantajoso para operação em ambientes hostis como transformadores de alta tensão, em processos industriais, etc. Como a eficiência das emissões depende também da matriz hospedeira, os vidros fluorofosfatos com composição 25BaF225SrF2(30-x)Al(PO3)3xAlF3(20-z)YF3:zErF3 com x = 20 e z = 1,0 a 5,0 mol% foram escolhidos por apresentarem alta estabilidade química e mecânica, e energia de fônon relativamente baixa. Assim, amostras vítreas dopadas com várias concentrações de Er3+ foram previamente caracterizadas e selecionadas para desenvolver o protótipo que emprega a variação de intensidade relativa das emissões 2H11/2 → 4I15/2 e 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 do vidro fluorofosfato dopado com Er3+ na medição de temperaturas. Este protótipo apresenta as características de baixo custo, alta sensibilidade e rápida resposta. / The infrared-to-visible upconversion process is widely studied in materials doped with trivalent rare earth ions (RE3+) due to the various possibilities of technological applications. The process is based on the emission of photons with higher energy (in the visible) than the excitation photons (in the infrared) via the mechanisms of two-photon absorption and/or energy transfer between RE3+ ions. Among the studied materials emphasis is given to glasses and glass ceramics doped with Er3+, exhibiting intense emissions in the green and red, which can be efficiently excited by diode lasers in the near infrared region (980 nm). One application of this process is an optical temperature sensor based on the dependence of the ratio of the emission intensities of levels 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 of Er3+ on the temperature of the sample. Such sensor would be advantageous for operation in hostile environments, such as high voltage transformers, industrial processes, etc. Because the efficiency of upconversion also depends on the host matrix composition, flurophosphate glasses are interesting candidates due to their high chemical stability, good mechanical properties and relatively low phonon energy. Glasses with composition 25BaF225SrF2(30-x)Al(PO3)3xAlF3(20-z)YF3:zErF3 with x = 20 and z varying from 1.0 to 5.0 mol% were characterized and selected to develop the prototype employing the fluorescence of fluorophosphate glass doped with Er3+ for measuring temperatures with the following characteristics: low cost, high accuracy and fast response.