Digital Electronic Scanning Holographic Particles Sensor

To address the U.S. SOCOM need for a particle sensor and monitoring/warning system to be integrated into aircraft engine air inlets and air intakes to environmental control systems (ECSs), Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Digital Electronic Scanning Holographic (DESH) particle sensor. The proposed DESH sensor is based on real-time digital holography (electronic holography) and numerical image reconstruction of the particle field. From a reconstructed three-dimensional image of the inlet flow-field of aircraft turbines, particle size and density of particles ingested can be determined and analyzed for the pilot/commander's response. In a DESH sensor, the 3D particle field along the optics depth of the intake air volume is imaged with a unique low-coherence laser reference beam scanning interferometric device. By using a high-speed CMOS 2D array sensor with an onboard processor, images can be processed at the video frame rate. In Phase I POC will design, analyze, and assemble a breadboard setup in the POC laboratory to demonstrate the feasibility of the DESH sensor concept. In Phase II, POC plans to develop a fully operational portable prototype for testing and evaluation at a U.S. SOCOM facility.