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Abstract The article deals with the use of intensity-based fiber A microbend-based fiber optic sensor and reflective fiber
optic sensors for the level measurement. Two types of optical optic probe, which are used for continuous monitoring of liquid
fiber sensors have been tested. In the first case the sensing level, were designed and tested in this paper. Experimental
principle is based on the microbending. The effect of diameter of results were given and discussed.
the deformation tips at the pair of deformer plates was
practically verified. In the second case the reflection probe is
used. The different reflective surfaces for a reflective probe were II. PRINCIPLE OF SENSOR OPERATION
tested. In this article we describe simply fiber optic liquid level Intensity-modulated sensors detect the variation of the
sensors which can be classified as sensors for continuous intensity of a light associated with the perturbing environment.
measurements. Figure 1 shows the sensing mechanisms which can be used as
intensity-based techniques.
Keywords - fiber optic sensor, liquid level measurement,
reflection probe, micro bends sensor.
A. Intensity-type fiber optic sensor using microbending
If the fiber is bent, small amounts of light are lost through
I. INTRODUCTION
the wall of the fiber. The microbend-based fiber optic sensor is
The level measurement in tanks and other containers is one designed with the optical fiber which is squeezed between two
of the frequently industrial measurements. The large number deformers as shown in Fig. 2. The external force applied to the
types of sensors with the various principles have been used for upper deformer bends the fiber affecting a position of an
the liquid level measurement. Because of their non-electrical internal reflective surface. Thus a light beam which normally
nature, fiber optic sensors for a liquid level measurement are would be reflected in direction x approaches the lower part of
widely required in the chemical industry. the fiber at the angle less than the angle of total internal
Fiber optic sensors have more than thirty years and have reflection. Then light is refracted and moves in the direction y
been successfully used in different areas like a strain through the fiber wall. The closer the deformers come to each
monitoring, inertial navigation, chemical substance detecting, other the more light goes away and the less light is transmitted
and underwater acoustic sensing [1]. These sensors have many along the fiber.
characteristic advantages like a intrinsically safety in explosive For the optimum sensor performance, the microbendig
or fire-hazardous environments, small size and weight, sensitivity of the sensing fiber must be maximized. One of the
electrical insulation, electromagnetic interference resistance, most important parameters is periodicity of the fiber
fast response [2]. deformation. This critical mechanical periodicity Lc for step
The fiber optics liquid level sensor can be classified in the index fibers is given by
following two categories: a sensor for continuous pa
measurements and sensors for point measurement. Lc = , (1)
D
In general, the fiber optic sensor can be classed as intensity-
modulated-based (see Fig. 1), phase-modulated-based and where a is the core radius and D is a normalized index
wavelength-modulated-based [2]. Furthermore, there are two difference between core and clad:
basic types of sensors: intrinsic, where the modulation of the
optical signal occurs while the light is guided within the fiber, n12 - n22
and extrinsic, where the light leaves the fiber, passes through D= , (2)
2n12
some external transduction element, and is then recoupled back
into a fiber. where n1 is a core refractive index and n2 is a cladding
There are different liquid level fiber optic sensors based refractive index.
measuring principles, for example a force-type liquid level The detailed discussion of the relevant theory, which is
sensor [2], [3] and a liquid level sensor with refractive index outside the scope of this paper, can be found in [6], [9].
change [4]. Several workers have shown previously that the light
reflective fiber
x LED optic probe
micro displacement
target
meter
float Photodetector
liquid level x
Figure 13. Variation of output optical power against the liquid level for liquid
Figure 9. Variation of output optical power against the liquid level for two level sensor with refractive fiber optic probe
type of microbending sensor
V. CONCLUSION
The simple and low cost liquid level fiber optic sensors
have been proposed.
The first type of the liquid level sensor is based upon the
phenomenon of microbending concept of the fiber optic sensor.
Two diameters of the deformation teeth were tested and a result
lead to liquid level microbending sensor with a larger diameter
of the deformation teeth is more sensitivity. Also, the
repeatability of this sensor is better.
The second type of the liquid level sensor is based upon the
phenomenon of reflective concept of the fiber optic sensor. The
Figure 10. Repeatability for microbending sensor No. 1
relative material effects on probe sensitivity are examined. The