Wireless Passive Ceramic MEMS Sensors for High-Temperature Applications
Objective: The objective of this research is to develop accurate and robust wireless passive high-temperature microsensors for in situ measurement of temperature and pressure inside turbine engines for power generation and aircraft propulsion systems. The approach is to investigate two types of sensors using the recently-developed multifunctional polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs).
Intellectual Merits: Research on PDCs has revealed that PDCs possess outstanding multifunctionality including excellent thermo-electrical properties at high temperatures (up to 1500oC) thus providing direct transduction mechanisms for design and fabrication of high-temperature sensors. In order to sense the temperature and pressure wirelessly with high accuracy, high-Q microwave resonators sensitive to either temperature or pressure are necessary. Evanescent-mode resonators will be developed to measure the pressure while dielectric resonators will be used to measure the temperature.
Broader Impacts: The proposed research will advance the sensor technologies beyond the current state by pushing the frontier of both materials science and microwave engineering and effectively combining these two interdisciplinary fields. This work can substantially benefit the turbine industries and their customers by providing sensing technology for potential performance improvement. Ultimately, the increased efficiency of using energy resulting from this proposed work can greatly help overcome the energy crisis that human beings are facing now and will have long-term effects on how to effectively utilize energy sources. This program also integrates research with education by training students in interdisciplinary areas and providing hands-on experience for K-12 students and underrepresented groups through the Orlando Science Center education program and Diversity and Minority Engineering Programs.
