Abstract

A passive microscopic flow sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of an optical fiber. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure includes a post attached off-center to and extending longitudinally from the cleaved tip of the optical fiber. A rotor of the three-dimensional microscopic optical structure is received for rotation on the post. The rotor has more than one blade. Each blade has a reflective undersurface that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber when center aligned with the optical fiber, the blades of the rotor shaped to rotate at a rate related to a flow rate.

Document Type

Patent

Status

Active

Issue Date

4-25-2023

Patent Number

US 11635315 B2 [ 11,635,315 ]

CPC Classification

G01F1/103

Application number

US17/245,645

Assignees

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force , Wright - Patterson AFB , OH ( US )

Filing Date

4-30-2021

Comments

This patent was previously hosted on AFIT Scholar in the Faculty Publications collection.

Share

COinS