In order to analyze the effect of wavelength-dependent radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) on the mean trans- mission wavelength in optical fiber and the scale factor of interferometric fiber optic gyroscopes (IFOGs), three types of polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers are tested by using a 60 Co γ-radiation source. The observed different mean wave- length shift (MWS) behaviors for different fibers are interpreted by color-center theory involving dose rate-dependent absorption bands in ultraviolet and visible ranges and total dose-dependent near-infrared absorption bands. To evaluate the mean wavelength variation in a fiber coil and the induced scale factor change for space-borne IFOGs under low radiation doses in a space environment, the influence of dose rate on the mean wavelength is investigated by testing four germanium (Ge) doped fibers and two germanium-phosphorus (Ge-P) codoped fibers irradiated at different dose rates. Experimental results indicate that the Ge-doped fibers show the least mean wavelength shift during irradiation and their mean wavelength of optical signal transmission in fibers will shift to a shorter wavelength in a low-dose-rate radiation environment. Finally, the change in the scale factor of IFOG resulting from the mean wavelength shift is estimated and tested, and it is found that the significant radiation-induced scale factor variation must be considered during the design of space-borne IFOGs.
Two ^(60)Co-gamma radiation experiments were launched to explore the radiation effect on optical components and interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG). In optical components radiation experiment, the result showed that polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber coil loss was the most affected parameter in all the RWC (random walk coefficient) related parameters, compared with the weak sensitivity of other components parameters. In the IFOG radiation experiment, the RWC performance degradation was found to be almost due to an increase of the PM fiber attenuation. Based on the experiment result, a RWC prediction model in radiation, which is obtained by embedding PM fiber loss expression into the RWC model, was built following a power law of dose and dose rate. An IFOG RWC in space radiation environment was predicted from radiation dose and dose rate by the RWC prediction model. This RWC value calculated from test data is fully accorded to the RWC value predicted from radiation dose.
JIN Jing*, WANG XueQin, SONG NingFang & ZHANG ChunXi School of Instrument Science and Optic-electronics Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
光纤陀螺在应用环境确定的振动条件下保持输出精度是光纤陀螺工程化的必然要求,结构材料的选择直接影响输出精度。从陀螺结构的振动性能理论分析出发,将铍铝合金材料应用在轻小型光纤陀螺的关键结构设计中,通过建立有限元模型并仿真铍铝合金结构陀螺的振动性能,陀螺可满足谐振点大于2 k Hz的要求。加工、装配了铍铝结构实验样机(精度要求0.1(°)/h)并进行了多次10 Hz^2 k Hz正弦扫频振动实验。扫频过程中振动传感器未检测到结构的谐振,陀螺输出零位偏置变化0.04(°)/h,噪声水平与振动前后相当。结果表明铍铝合金材料优良的特性满足轻小型光纤陀螺振动性能要求,在严格重量约束下能降低结构设计难度,符合航空航天领域对惯性仪表质量苛刻的要求。
