Power by-light architecture for optically remote analog-to-digital converters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9871598-B2
Application number	US-201514719033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A system of delivering power by light, through a fiber. A system for remote operation of an instrument includes a fiber-coupled power laser source, which has an output fiber with a first core diameter. A fiber taper having a wide end and a narrow end, is used to connect the fiber-coupled power laser source to a system fiber having a second core diameter less than the first core diameter. The system fiber delivers optical power to the remote module, in which a fiber-coupled photovoltaic assembly having an input fiber connected to the system fiber, converts the received light to electrical power. The photovoltaic assembly has a first electrical output and a second electrical output, and the photovoltaic assembly is configured to supply power at a first voltage at the first electrical output, and to supply power at a second voltage at the second electrical output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for remote operation of an instrument, the system comprising:
a fiber-coupled power laser source, the power laser source having an output fiber with a first core diameter;
a fiber taper having a wide end and a narrow end, the wide end being connected to the output fiber of the power laser source,
a system fiber having a second core diameter less than the first core diameter, the system fiber being connected to the narrow end of the fiber taper; and
a fiber-coupled photovoltaic assembly having an input fiber connected to the system fiber, the photovoltaic assembly having a first electrical output and a second electrical output, the photovoltaic assembly being configured to supply power at a first voltage at the first electrical output, and to supply power at a second voltage at the second electrical output.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-coupled power laser source is configured to deliver at least 4 W of optical power through the output fiber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first core diameter is greater than 62.5 microns.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second core diameter is substantially equal to 62.5 microns.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is substantially equal to 2 V.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is substantially equal to 3 V.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system fiber has a length greater than 500 m.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wide end of the fiber taper is connected to the output fiber of the fiber-coupled power laser source with a splice.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the narrow end of the fiber taper is connected to the system fiber with a splice.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system fiber is connected to the input fiber of the fiber-coupled photovoltaic assembly with a splice.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-coupled power laser source is configured to emit light with a wavelength substantially equal to 808 nanometers (nm).

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the narrow end of the fiber taper has a numerical aperture of about 0.275.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wide end of the fiber taper has a numerical aperture of about 0.164.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output fiber of the power laser source has a core diameter of about 105 microns.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output fiber of the power laser source has a numerical aperture of about 0.164.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output fiber of the power laser source has a numerical aperture less than 0.164.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an analog to digital converter (ADC).

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical output of the fiber-coupled photovoltaic assembly is connected to the ADC.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Belansky Richard H
• De Dios Cecil Vergel
• Pikulski Joseph L

Classifications

• H04B10/807 Primary

  Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal · CPC title

• H02J50/30

  using light, e.g. lasers · CPC title

• G02B6/4296

  coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources · CPC title