SMI Receives Funding to Develop a Fiber Optic Etalon Pressure System

Structured Materials Industries, Inc. (SMI) reports that it has received NASA Phase I SBIR funding to investigate and develop a fiber-optic etalon pressure sensor system with high thermal and mechanical stabilities. SMI is developing a new pressure sensor technology delivering superior pressure sensitivity of a few Pascals while exhibiting very high resistance to thermal and mechanical disturbances.

The new pressure sensor will be designed to meet the needs of the NASA Mars exploration program. The sensor will have the sensitivity to accurately measure the thin atmosphere of Mars while handling the extreme temperature variations of the Martian environment. The sensor system design, with no moving parts, will also possess the resilience to survive the landing impact. This innovative pressure sensor will be developed from existing fiber optics technology, keeping the costs of the sensor down. Successful completion of the program will lead to the production of extremely robust, high sensitivity pressure sensors at low cost. This breakthrough will allow previously unattainable pressure sensing capabilities for application to other fields such as aerodynamics.

This new sensor technology can be customized for high resolution, broad pressure range, and very high sample rates.