Nanocrystalline ZnO coated fiber optic sensor for ammonia gas detection

A cladding modified fiber optic sensor coated with nanocrystalline ZnO is proposed for ammonia gas detection. As-prepared and annealed zinc oxide (500 and 1200 °C) samples are used as the gas sensing media. The spectral characteristics of the fiber optic gas sensor are studied for various concentrations of ammonia (0–500 ppm). The sensor exhibits linear variation in the spectral peak intensity with the ammonia concentration. The characteristics of the sensor when exposed to ethanol and methanol gases are also studied for gas selectivity. The time response characteristics of the sensor are reported.     

Nanocrystalline cerium oxide coated fiber optic gas sensor

A clad-modified fiber optic sensor with nanocrystalline CeO₂ is proposed for gas detection. As-prepared and annealed CeO₂ (500 °C) samples have been used as gas sensing media. The spectral characteristics of the fiber optic gas sensor are studied for various concentrations of ammonia, ethanol and methanol gases (0–500 ppm). The sensor exhibits linear variation in the spectral peak intensity with the gas concentration. The characteristics of the sensor are also studied for gas selectivity. The time response characteristics of the sensor are reported.     

Data-dependent system approach for strain measurement in interferometric fiber optic sensor

A fiber optic interferometric sensor (Mach–Zehnder type) based on data-dependent system is presented for strain measurement. The interferogram recorded from the interferometer has been digitized and characterized by means of an autoregressive model. The phase change due to the measurand has been obtained from the self coherence function of the interferogram. The modulation of group delay and dispersion are obtained from the phase curve. Results for applied strain in the range of 5–10 μ strain are presented.     

Lead-insensitive fiber optic pH sensor and performance under bending

We have designed and tested a lead-insensitive fiber optic pH sensor that is based on the absorption of an indicator dye immobilized in a polymer bead. The fiber optic pH sensor uses two wavelengths; one senses the change in absorption of the indicator dye and the other provides a reference signal. In a view to desired time modulation and the dual wavelength time division multiplexing, we used light emitting diodes for sources, a phototransistor for the detector, and electronics process the detected signal. The sensor has demonstrated fast response, repeatable calibration, reversibility, and stability. This inexpensive device may also be used during bending of the optical fiber for applications in the field.     

Double domain wavelength multiplexed Fizeau interferometer with high resolution dynamic sensing and absolute length detection

In this work, we present a simple photonic instrument that has the ability of measuring positions, distances and vibrations with very high resolution by means of two Fizeau interferometers (FI), both using the same optical fiber end as a probe tip itself. On the one hand we have a time domain FI powered with a 1310 nm laser and monitored by an InGaAs detector providing displacement information with resolution around a tenth of nm but regardless of the absolute position of object and of the displacement sense. On the other, a spectral domain FI version based on a super luminescent source (SLED) centred at 800 nm with bandwidth of nearly 40 nm is analysed in real time by means of a digital spectrometer. Each spectrum is acquired in a very small time interval and provides information of both length of the cavity as well as its correct sense of evolution. Resolution of this system is lower than its complementary temporal case, but distance and sense measurements are absolute and can be determined successfully by adequate processing of spectral signal.Both interferometers are optically coupled to a single fiber optic probe and are wavelength modulated.Therefore, combination of both sensors results in a new one which allows the correct knowledge of an object or surfaces under test, i.e. a high resolution of displacement data plus its absolute position and true sense of movement.     

Study of fiber optic sugar sensor

Over the last two decades, the fiber optic technology has passed through many analytical stages. Some commercially available fiber optic sensors, though in a small way, are being used for automation in mechanical and industrial environments. They are also used for instrumentation and controls. In the present work, an intensity-modulated intrinsic fiber optic sugar sensor is presented. This type of sensor, with slight modification, can be used for on-line determination of the concentration of sugar content in sugarcane juice in sugar industry. In the present set-up, a plastic fiber made of polymethylmethacrylate is used. A portion of the cladding (1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm) at the mid-point along the length of the fiber is removed. This portion is immersed in sugar solution of known concentration and refractive index. At one end of the fiber an 850 nm source is used and at the other end a power meter is connected. By varying the concentration of sugar solution, the output power is noted. These studies are made due to the change in refractive index of the fluid. The device was found to be very sensitive which is free from EMI and shock hazards, stable and repeatable and they can be remotely interfaced with a computer to give on-line measurements and thus become useful for application in sugar industries.     

Fiber optic Fabry-Perot pressure sensor with low sensitivity to temperature changes for downhole application

Pressure and temperature are two important parameters in reservoir engineering. The fiber optic sensors can be used for permanent downhole monitoring. In this paper, we propose an extrinsic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) sensor for pressure measurement with low sensitivity variation. The pressure sensitivity of EFPI sensor and of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have been measured. The experimental pressure sensitivity for EFPI and FBG sensors are measured to be 2.75 × 10⁻⁸ 1/kPa and 1.52 × 10⁻⁸ 1/kPa, respectively. The temperature cross-sensitivity problem of the EFPI sensor has been solved by a new technique. The temperature sensitivity of EFPI sensor has been decreased to 1.2 × 10⁻⁶/°C, while the temperature sensitivity of non-compensated EFPI sensor has been measured to be 16.4 × 10⁻⁶/°C. The results show that the EFPI sensor has a higher pressure sensitivity and good capability to decrease temperature sensitivity in comparison to FBG sensor.     

纳米级光纤位移传感器

介绍利用高斯光束干涉测微小位移的方法,利用该方法设计了纳米级光纤位移传感器,测试了该传感器的位移响应与频率响应.     

Modeling and simulation of polarization errors in Sagnac fiber optic current sensor

Sagnac fiber optic current sensor (S-FOCS) is a kind of optical interferometer based on Sagnac structure, optical polarization states of sensing light wave in Sagnac fiber optic current sensor are limited. However, several factors induce optical polarization error, and non-ideal polarized light waves cause the interference signal crosstalk in sensor, including polarizer, quarter-wave retarder, splice angular, birefringence and so on. With these errors, linearly polarized light wave in PM fiber and circularly polarized light wave in sensing fiber become elliptically polarized light wave, then, nonreciprocal phase shift induced by magnetic field of the current is interrupted by wrong polarization state. To clarify characteristics of optical polarization error in fiber optic current sensor, we analyze the evolution process of random optical polarization state, linear optical polarization state and circular optical polarization state in Sagnac fiber optic current sensor by using Poincare sphere, then, build optical polarization error models by using Jones matrix. Based on models of polarization state in Sagnac fiber optic current sensor, we investigate the influence of several main error factors on optical polarization error characteristics theoretically, including extinction ratio in polarizer, phase delay in quarter-wave retarder, splice angular between quarter-wave retarder and polarization maintaining fiber. Finally, we simulate and quantify nonreciprocal phase shift to be detected in fiber optic current sensor related with optical polarization errors. In the end, we demonstrate S-FOCS in test. The results show that transfer matrix errors are induced by inaccurate polarization properties during polarization state conversion, then, the stability and accuracy of the S-FOCS are affected, and it is important to control the polarization properties at each step of the polarization state conversion precisely.     

Sensitivity-variable fiber optic pressure sensors using microbend fiber gratings

We report on sensitivity control of fiber optic sensors using microbend long-period fiber gratings. By tuning the phase difference between a pair of periodically aligned rod arrays that sandwiches a single-mode fiber, we can change the coupling strength of the core mode with radiating cladding modes, resulting in variable pressure sensitivity of the transmission power through the fiber. This technique enables control of the measurable range of pressure. When the phase difference is shifted from π toward 0, the measurable range is expanded from 1.7 to 3.3 N/cm and higher using a light-emitting diode as an input light source.     

Analysis of refractometric fiber optic state-of-charge (SOC) monitoring sensor for lead acid battery

In situ monitoring of the state of charge (SOC) of lead acid battery is important to understand the residual electrical energy. Usage of battery reduces the charge content of the active electrolyte which in turn changes its refractive index. This paper reports refractometric fiber optic sensor developed for on-line monitoring of SOC. The SOC is monitored during discharging phases of the battery using the developed fiber optic sensor probe along with terminal voltage, temperature and depth of discharge using a LABVIEW based data acquisition system. The paper gives the working principle, design and construction details, results and calibration of the fiber optic sensor (FOS) probe. The in situ monitoring capability of the developed FOS is demonstrated in comparison with the contemporary off-line methods of specific gravity and terminal voltage measurements.     

光纤干涉位移传感器相位估计的一种精确方法

应用信号处理有关技术提出了一种光纤干涉位移传感器相位估计的方法,可以解决很大范围的不等幅、周期非均匀、带噪干涉信号条纹的精确计数问题。分析了此方法的适用范围及估计精度。对于１０ｄＢ信噪比的系统来说,位移在０．３ｍｍ以内的测量精度可达到λ／１００。     

Total dissolved solids estimation with a fiber optic sensor of surface plasmon resonance

In this paper, surface plasmon spectra of ion influence was investigated by using a fabricated fiber optic sensors, then spectrum subtraction of ion and non-ionic solutions were developed for field applications of total dissolved solids (TDS) estimation. We confirmed the SPR spectral difference between seven ionic and three non-ionic liquid samples, that for the same refractive index, resonance wavelength in SPR spectrum is much higher for ionic samples than that in the case of non-ionic ones due to the ions influence. The positive correlation of ion content and extra resonance wavelength shift has been established for TDS estimation in water. With three groups of water samples investigation and field testing, the proposed SPR technique showed a good performance comparable to the conductivity method.     

光纤压力传感器的性能研究

利用自制的全光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪,对压力引起的光功率的变化进行了测量和分析,给出了该系统相干检测最佳工作范围是5~13N,灵敏度为-0.130 0μW/N.在不同温度变化范围内,随着压力的增加,光功率分别以0.223 4μW/N到0.482 3μW/N的变化率减小.     

Twist sensor based on Sagnac single-mode optic fiber interferometer

An optical fiber twist sensor based on Sagnac single-mode optic fiber interferometer is proposed. The stress-induced birefringence of single-mode optical fiber is obtained by applying a transverse force against a short length of singlemode fiber. A high sensitivity and resolution of the twist angle measurement of 0.19 nm/° and 0.002° is achieved experimentally, respectively. The proposed sensor is more convenient and simple than that of standard polarization-maintaining fibers.     

Shaft runout inspection by a fiber optic displacement sensor

A reflective fiber optic displacement sensor has been developed and calibrated to gauge form and axis position of shafts during rotation. A technique has been implemented to determine the deviation of the actual shaft form from its nominal circular cross section (the off-round error) and the departure of the rotation axis from the geometric axis (the eccentric error). The sensor is simple, has acceptable accuracy for applications to mechanical engineering, is capable of monitoring shafts during rotation, and has potential for gauging parts on the production line.     

基于游标效应的增敏型光纤法布里-珀罗干涉仪温度传感器

本文介绍了一种高灵敏度光纤温度传感器.该传感器由一小段毛细管熔接于单模光纤和一段大模场光纤之间而构成串联的两个法布里-珀罗干涉仪.由于俩干涉仪具有相近的自由光谱区,因而它们的叠加光谱会产生游标效应.实验结果显示,利用游标效应解调,该传感器的温度灵敏度可从单一空气腔法布里-珀罗干涉仪的0.71 pm/℃提高到179.30 pm/℃.该传感器结构紧凑(1 mm)且灵敏度高,具有良好的应用前景.     

一种弹性盘光纤加速度传感器的探讨

本文介绍了一种采用Ｍａｃｈ－Ｚｅｎｄｅｒ干涉仪结构的中心固支弹性盘光纤加速度传感器。该传感器利用弹性盘的变形引起光纤长度的变化，进而引起位相的变化，通过干涉仪感测出。文中分析了两种结构，并加以实现与对比。     

Temperature-independent bending sensor with tilted fiber Bragg grating interacting with multimode fiber

A new type fiber bending sensor based on a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) interacting with a multimode fiber (MMF) is presented. The sensing head is formed by insertion of a small section of MMF between a single-mode fiber (SMF) and the TFBG. The average reflective power in the cladding modes decreases with the increase of curvature. The measurement range of the curvature from 0 to 2.5 m⁻¹ with a measurement sensitivity of −802.4 nW/m⁻¹ is achieved. The proposed sensor is also proved as temperature-independent from the experimental investigation.     

Fiber optic intensity sensor referenced with a virtual delay line

In this work a self-referencing fiber optic intensity sensor using virtual instrumentation is presented. To ensure higher flexibility and dynamic optimization, the use of an optical fiber delay line or an electrical delay line is avoided by implementing a delay line in the virtual domain, preserving the self-referencing and sensitivity characteristics of the proposed optical intensity sensing structure. Results are presented where displacement is measured with an 18 μm resolution demonstrating the concept feasibility.