Open AccessA novel contactless technique to measure water waves using a single photon avalanche diode detector array
Author(s) -
R Zhang,
Samuel Draycott,
István Gyöngy,
David Ingram,
Ian Underwood
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings - royal society. mathematical, physical and engineering sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1471-2946
pISSN - 1364-5021
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.2020.0457
Subject(s) - detector , avalanche photodiode , optics , avalanche diode , single photon avalanche diode , measure (data warehouse) , picosecond , diode , photon , wavelength , photodetector , physics , remote sensing , optoelectronics , environmental science , laser , materials science , computer science , voltage , breakdown voltage , quantum mechanics , geology , database
Commonly deployed measurement systems for water waves are intrusive and measure a limited number of parameters. This results in difficulties in inferring detailed sea state information while additionally subjecting the system to environmental loading. Optical techniques offer a non-intrusive alternative, yet documented systems suffer a range of problems related to usability and performance. Here, we present experimental data obtained from a 256 × 256 Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) detector array used to measure water waves in a laboratory facility. 12 regular wave conditions are used to assess performance. Picosecond resolution time-of-flight measurements are obtained, without the use of dye, over an area of the water surface and processed to provide surface elevation data. The SPAD detector array is installed 0.487 m above the water surface and synchronized with a pulsed laser source with a wavelength of 532 nm and mean power <1 mW. Through analysis of the experimental results, and with the aid of an optical model, we demonstrate good performance up to a limiting steepness value,ka , of 0.11. Through this preliminary proof-of-concept study, we highlight the capability for SPAD-based systems to measure water waves within a given field-of-view simultaneously, while raising potential solutions for improving performance.