Diffusion of moisture through fatigue- and aging-resistant polymer coatings on lightguide fibers

In previous work the diffusion rate of water vapor through the polymer coating on optical fiber was estimated by monitoring the strength as a function of time after suddenly changing the ambient humidity. This technique is used here to measure the diffusion of moisture both into and out of two novel fiber coatings. The first specimen is a dual-coated fiber with silica particles added to its secondary coating. It is shown that the improvement in this fiber's reliability is not due to the silica particles adsorbing/absorbing the moisture. The second fiber, coated with a fluorinated polymer, was designed to have higher fatigue resistance as a result of having a lower permeability to moisture. It is found that even though this fiber had higher than normal resistance to fatigue, the diffusion of moisture through this coating was not substantially different than through typical coatings used on fibers for telecommunications applications.     

Humidity management of outdoor electronic equipment: methods,pitfalls, and recommendations

Discusses the basics of the three approaches to mitigation of humidity related failures namely; 1) relative humidity control module (RHCM); 2) absolute humidity control (AHCM); 3) use of potting and coating, as well as conditions and limitations of their applicability. The RHCM approach (or Saturation Limit Control) uses heat dissipation from electronics to maintain an appropriate temperature difference between ambient and the critical surfaces to lower RH in their vicinity and at same time through the use of diffusion plugs ensures a relatively fast humidity equilibration between the enclosure air and ambient to minimize condensation caused by cold fronts and radiation cooling. The AHCM approach relies on minimization of water ingress through selection of appropriate materials and design and at same time uses desiccant to remove the water which made its way into the enclosure. The choice between these schemes depends mostly on thermal considerations. The more expensive and sensitive to errors AHCM scheme has to be used when the energy dissipation is either not high enough or it is highly dependent on the traffic     

Porous Nanostructured Optical Filters Rendered Insensitive to Humidity by Vapor‐Phase Functionalization

Water adsorption in many porous optical coatings can cause a detrimental red‐shift in the optical properties. In this study, a porous nanostructured rugate filter is fabricated using the glancing‐angle deposition (GLAD) technique, and rendered insensitive to large changes in ambient humidity by post‐deposition vapor‐phase functionalization. A central defect mode is added to the stop band of the filter by integrating a phase shift into the sinusoidal refractive‐index profile of the film. By monitoring the wavelength of the defect mode under variable humidity conditions, a six‐times reduction in sensitivity to water vapor is observed upon functionalization with 3,3,3‐trifluoropropyltrichlorosilane. Electrical characterization and advancing aqueous contact‐angle measurements are used to verify the hydrophobic properties of the functionalized thin films.     

Chemical kinetic model of interfacial degradation of adhesivejoints

Mechanical properties of adhesive joints are degraded in the presence of water. The progressive decrease in strength has been attributed to propagation of interfacial crack. Water diffusion and stress distribution within the adhesive joint as a function of time has been modeled using finite elements in this study. The stress history at the interface displayed spatially invariant characteristics similar to that of interfacial water concentration variation as a function of diffusion. The water-stress history along the interface can be modeled as a function dependent principally on water concentration without dependence on position. On this basis, a chemical kinetic model is proposed to explain the joint strength degradation data reported in literature     

Automatically Controlled 2-Vessel Pressure-Cooker Test-Equipment

A highly accelerated humidity test for plastic encapsulated IC reliability short-term evaluation has been studied. 2-Vessel pressure cooker test (PCT) equipment capable of controlling relative humidity and temperature independently, and of keeping specimens free from water droplet condensation, has been designed. This equipment consists of a test chamber and a vapor chamber. Humidity conditions are set by controlling the temperature difference between the test chamber and the vapor chamber. Humidity levels are controlled with the direct pressure adjustment. The whole test chamber is heated in an oven, thereby obtaining temperature stability and uniformity. Using this equipment, humidity tests were carried out on plastic molded ICs. As a result, good test reproducibility and excellent correlation in test results between PCT and conventional humidity test such as 85°C/85%RH, were obtained. As a consequence, it was found possible, in a short time, to evaluate plastic molded IC reliability quantitatively in humidity ambients using this 2-vessel PCT equipment. This equipment can be used for quality assurance testing of plastic-encapsulated ICs in a short time.     

Relative Humidity Sensor Based on Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating With Polyvinyl Alcohol Coating

A relative humidity (RH) sensor based on tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is proposed by utilizing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the sensitive cladding film. RH increasing in the PVA coating will result in reduction of refractive index. Due to the TFBG's sensitivity to ambient refractive index, the spectral properties of PVA-coated TFBG are modified under exposure to different ambient humidity levels ranging from 20% to 98% RH. The transmission power of TFBG has different linear behaviors for two different humidity ranges (20%–74% RH and 74%–98% RH), and the sensitivity for each humidity range reaches as high as 2.52 and 14.947 dBm/%RH, respectively. Combining the advantages of optical fiber grating and PVA as a smart material, this design involves simple configuration, low cost, compactness, a small degree of hysteresis, stability, and wide dynamic sensing range as well. Therefore, the sensor could be applied in real-time RH monitoring for normal as well as extremely humid environments.      

基于大偏置熔接的全光纤法布里珀罗湿度传感器

利用大偏置熔接方法在两段单模光纤(SMF)中间熔接一小段单模光纤作为支撑梁制作了一种开腔式法布里珀罗（F-P）干涉传感器。提出在干涉腔内填充一种湿度敏感型物质聚丙烯酰胺（PAM）从而形成一种高灵敏度的微型湿度计。当PAM通过吸收空气中的水蒸气而引起自身折射率发生改变,从而导致F-P干涉谱发生漂移,通过检测干涉谱的漂移量可以实现对环境相对湿度的测量。实验结果表明,这种湿度传感器在38%~78%的相对湿度范围内,在PAM折射率变化范围内其干涉谱漂移了约4 nm,漂移量与相对湿度的灵敏度约为0.1 nm/%;而在88%~98%的相对湿度范围内可实现高灵敏度的湿度测量,其干涉谱漂移了约59 nm,漂移量与相对湿度的灵敏度为5.868 nm/%。     

Organic field-effect transistors as high performance humidity sensors with rapid response,recovery time and remarkable ambient stability

The stability of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) under very high humidity condition has been the bottleneck in many applications. In this work, remarkable enhancement in ambient stability and performance of CuPc based OFETs are observed by exploiting the polarization of hydroxyl groups in Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) dielectric layer, which is sandwiched between Al₂O₃ and Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) layer. The devices are used to fabricate OFETs based humidity sensors, which show exceptional ambient stability and rapid response to the water molecules in moisture. In a controlled experiment, the sensors demonstrate 0.73 s as response time and 0.52 s as recovery time. Such results are the fastest responses observed on humidity sensors fabricated based on OFETs. The enhanced responses of the sensors are due to the systematic polarization of the hydroxyl groups present in PVA layer by the additional dipole field arising from the adsorbed water molecules, which are also polarized under gate-field. The devices show no variation in threshold voltage as well as field-effect carrier mobility, measured throughout a year under ambient exposure. The specific design of the sensors with tri-layer dielectric system plays crucial role in enhancing the stability and moisture sensitivity, which can make the devices technologically very relevant.     

Modeling, simulation and temperature compensation of porous polysilicon capacitive humidity sensor using ANN technique

The porous polysilicon capacitive sensor used for measuring relative humidity has the advantages of low cost, ease of fabrication and CMOS compatibility. However, the capacitance of the sensor, which is a function of concentration of water vapour, also depends on ambient temperature. Thus, variation of ambient temperature causes error in the performance of sensor outputs. In this paper, two ANN models have been developed. The first model is used to simulate the behavior of the capacitive humidity sensor (CHS). This model can also be used for on line monitoring of the fault of the sensor. The second model is based on inverse modeling, which can be used to compensate the effect of ambient temperature error. It is found from the simulation studies that the error of the direct model is within ±2% of full scale and for the inverse model the error is within ±0.5% of full scale over a temperature range from 20 to 70 °C. A hardware implementation scheme for realization of the CHS model is also proposed.     

单模石英光纤和塑料光纤自动耦合系统

作为短距离通信网络的理想传输介质,塑料光纤(POF)具有广阔的应用前景.然而单模塑料光纤和其他光纤之间连接的连接器目前还没有产品.研制了一种可实现单模塑料光纤和单模石英光纤之间的自动连接(耦合)系统.该系统通过上位机控制部分对于光功率计和采集图像的反馈数据进行分析处理,进而驱动高精度位移步进电机,使两光纤达到精确耦合,从而为单模塑料光纤和塑料光纤光栅的进一步研究打下了坚实的基础.     

Reliability improvement through nanoparticle material-based fiber structures

Optical fibers require protection against moisture and oxygen, as well as mechanical and thermal protection. Although the reliability of polymer coatings has improved considerably over the last decade, it is still insufficient for particular applications. The authors recommend a newly invented nanoparticle material (NPM)-based fiber structures as a solution to an effective coating system. NPM is able to actively replace water molecules at the surface of the underlying material. The NPM fills in the existing or incipient flaws (cracks, etc.), thereby “healing” the damaged (defected) material. Nonpolymer coatings make the fiber mechanically reliable and environmentally durable. This is due to the “self-healing” ability of the thixotropic NPM compound, as well as to the NPM ability to “heal the wounds” on the surface of the silica material under stress. The objective of the two experiments undertaken and addressed in this study is to compare the mechanical and the environmental characteristics of NPM-based and “conventional” fibers under different loading and ambient conditions. We show that the NPM effectively protects the silica surface against damage that could be caused by water vapor. The NPM is promising as an effective coating that is able to improve dramatically the optical performance, mechanical reliability, environmental durability, and cost effectiveness of silica-based light-guides.     

Evaluation of moisture ingress from the perimeter of photovoltaic modules

Many thin film photovoltaic (PV) technologies can be sensitive to corrosion induced by the presence of water vapor in the packaging materials. Typically impermeable front and backsheets are used in conjunction with an edge‐seal around the perimeter to prevent water vapor ingress. These edge‐seal materials are often made of a polyisobutylene resin filled with desiccant, which dramatically increases the time for moisture to reach sensitive module components. While edge‐seals can prevent moisture ingress, even the lowest diffusivity transparent encapsulant materials are insufficient for the lifetime of a module. To evaluate the performance of edge‐seal and encapsulant materials in a manner that simulates their function in a PV module, an optical method was devised where ingress is detected by reaction of a Ca film with water. Using this method, we have exposed test samples to heat and humidity allowing quantitative comparison of different edge‐seal and encapsulant materials. Next, we use measurements of polymer diffusivity and solubility to evaluate the ability to model this moisture ingress. Here, we find good agreement between these two methods highlighting the much greater ability of polyisobutylene materials to keep moisture out as compared with typical encapsulant materials used in the PV industry. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

哥德堡地区基于无线通讯网络的水汽密度监测分析

利用无线通讯网络中的微波链路来监测降雨和水汽等是大气环境监测的新技术之一。这个技术可以测量近地面的降雨强度和水汽密度等气象参数,具有时空分辨率高、成本低等优势。利用瑞典爱立信公司(Ericsson)提供的位于哥德堡地区E频段的微波通讯链路资料、位于链路一端的气象站1资料和由瑞典气象水文研究所(SMHI)气象网站提供的气象站2资料,对2017年06月13日至2017年07月13日近1个月的水汽密度进行反演计算和分析。结果表明:同一区域的不同地点处的气象要素有一定的差异性,同一区域的温度会有一定的浮动(0~4℃),两者之间的相关性为0. 87;微波通讯链路反演的水汽密度结果与研究区域的地面气象站1和气象站2测量结果有很好的一致性,两者之间的相关性分别为0. 89和0. 97,均方根误分别差为0. 75 g m3和0. 79 g m3;利用微波链路,与现有的湿度监测方法相比,可以为现有的天气监测网络提供额外的丰富的数据源。     

Ambient Processable and Stable All‐Polymer Organic Solar Cells

In this work, the way in which ambient moisture impacts the photovoltaic performance of conventional PCBM and emerging polymer acceptor–based organic solar cells is examined. The device performance of two representative p‐type polymers, PBDB‐T and PTzBI, blended with either PCBM or polymeric acceptor N2200, is systemically investigated. In both cases, all‐polymer photovoltaic devices processed from high‐humidity ambient conditions exhibit significantly enhanced moisture‐tolerance compared to their polymer–PCBM counterparts. The impact of moisture on the blend film morphology and electronic properties of the electron acceptor (N2200 vs PCBM), which results in different recombination kinetics and electron transporting properties, are further compared. The impact of more comprehensive ambient conditions (moisture, oxygen, and thermal stress) on the long‐term stability of the unencapsulated devices is also investigated. All‐polymer solar cells show stable performance for long periods of storage time under ambient conditions. The authors believe that these findings demonstrate that all‐polymer solar cells can achieve high device performance with ambient processing and show excellent long‐term stability against oxygen and moisture, which situate them in an advantageous position for practical large‐scale production of organic solar cells.     

A Bayesian approach for stochastic white matter tractography

White matter fiber bundles in the human brain can be located by tracing the local water diffusion in diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. In this paper, a novel Bayesian modeling approach for white matter tractography is presented. The uncertainty associated with estimated white matter fiber paths is investigated, and a method for calculating the probability of a connection between two areas in the brain is introduced. The main merits of the presented methodology are its simple implementation and its ability to handle noise in a theoretically justified way. Theory for estimating global connectivity is also presented, as well as a theorem that facilitates the estimation of the parameters in a constrained tensor model of the local water diffusion profile.     

基于倾斜光纤光栅的相对湿度传感器

提出了一种基于倾斜光纤光栅(TFBG)的包层上覆盖着聚乙烯醇(PVA)的空气相对湿度传感器,成功实现了对相对湿度在20～98%RH范围内的监测。研究发现,TFBG的透射功率在20～74%RH和74～98%RH2个相对湿度区域内分别呈现不同的线性变化,敏感度分别为2.52 dBm/%RH和14.95 dBm/%RH,并且在高湿度区有更高的敏感性。     

基于PI湿敏薄膜的分布式光纤Bragg光栅湿度传感器

研究了基于聚酰亚胺（PI）湿敏薄膜的分布式光纤Bragg光栅（FBG）湿度传感器。传感器利用PI薄膜湿膨胀效应,将湿应变作用于Bragg栅区,从而改变光纤FBG湿度传感器中心波长的原理,实现了对26-98％RH范围内环境相对湿度的监测。通过改进PI湿敏薄膜的制备及涂覆工艺,有效提高了FBG湿度传感器性能,并采取了相应温...     

水气含量对基于QEPAS甲烷气体探测性能的影响

由于气体的湿度对分子振动弛豫有着较大的影响,利用石英音叉增强型光声光谱(QEPAS)技术作为甲烷气体传感,在实际应用中,空气的水气浓度变化将会使光声测量气体浓度的信号强度发生变化。实验中采用鼓泡法结合湿度计来改变探测气体中的湿度,测量了常压下1.653μm波长处甲烷的二次谐波信号,系统地研究了探测气体中水气浓度的变化对石英音叉Q值、共振频率f0等参数的影响。实验结果表明,水气对基于QEPAS技术甲烷气体传感器的实际应用有着很大的影响,主要表现在甲烷分子振动弛豫和探测系统性能两个方面。当实际大气中绝对湿度为2.34%时,获得的系统最小可探测质量浓度为0.57mg/m3。     

单片机在温度测控系统中的应用

设计了一种利用单片机和PC机实现对温度实时测控的系统。硬件以单片机AT89S52为核心,DS18B20数字温度传感器为温度采集器件,设计了温度测控电路、报警电路、上下位机通讯电路。软件给出了主程序流程图的设计。实验证明,该系统能实时监控环境温度,并具有报警功能,具有一定的实用性。