A fiber-optic hydrophone with a cylindrical Helmholtz resonator

Abstract

A passive homodyne Michelson interferometric fiber-optic hydrophone with a single-hole cylindrical Helmholtz resonator has been manufactured. To validate the theoretical results that the fluid coefficient of viscosity has great influence on the maximum sensitivity at the resonant frequency, the acoustic sensitivity frequency response of the fiber-optic hydrophone has been measured in a standing-wave tank filled with castor oil. The viscosity coefficient of castor oil will change with the variation of the temperature. Experimental Results show that the fiber-optic hydrophone frequency responses of different temperature have identical form except that the maximum sensitivities are different. The acoustic sensitivities of low frequency are about -159dB re 1rad/μPa. While the maximum sensitivities near the measured resonant frequency of 800Hz go down with the fall of the temperature, i.e. with the increase of the viscosity coefficient, which is agree with the theoretical conclusions. This fiber-optic hydrophone is a prototype device for a class of sensors that used to eliminate aliasing in the future sonar systems.