Grantee Research Project Results
Distributed Fiber-optic Turbidity Sensor Network
EPA Grant Number: SU840152Title: Distributed Fiber-optic Turbidity Sensor Network
Investigators: Wu, Tingting , Duan, Lingze
Current Investigators: Wu, Tingting , Duan, Lingze , Savoir, Gabrielle , Rakinul, Nabil Md , Sheppard, Sarah
Institution: The University of Alabama in Huntsville
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2022)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards
Description:
In this project, the research team will utilize the compactness and low optical loss of glass fibers and develop a novel sensor network with distributed fiber probes and a centralized interrogation-detection-data processing system for real-time water quality monitoring in DWDS. During phase I of this project, we will focus on developing a glass fiber based optical system that is capable of accurately measuring turbidity under drinking water relevant conditions. Building on the progress of Phase I, we will further examine and improve the long-term performance of the glass fiber turbidity sensor and eventually develop a prototype of the proposed sensor network.
Objective:
Real-time information of the water quality in DWDS is a necessary prerequisite for operational response or critical decisions to safeguard our drinking water supply. This project aims to develop a low-cost, distributed turbidity sensor network that utilizes glass optical fibers as both the light-transmission medium and the sensor probes for real-time water quality monitoring in DWDS. The innovative technological approaches undertaken in this project will enable a true distributed sensor network with low cost, contributing to safe drinking water supply to the public.
Expected Results:
The expected outputs of the proposed project include optical system design of a glass fiber based turbidity sensor, methods to overcome the low signal level challenge associated with glass optical fibers, performance data of the novel turbidity sensor, and a prototype of the distributed sensor network for real-time water quality monitoring. This research represents one of the first attempts that aims to design and develop a glass optical fiber based water turbidity sensor network. The successful completion of the proposed project not only can result in an innovative distributed sensor network with a hub-spoke architecture for real-time turbidity monitoring in DWDS, but also can lay a good groundwork for future development of multi-parametric fiber-optic sensor networks.
Supplemental Keywords:
drinking water; monitoring; remote sensing; turbidity
Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.