Influence of Two-Plane Position and Stress on Intensity-Variation-Based Sensors: Towards Shape Sensing in Polymer Optical Fibers.

Vitorino Biazi,Anselmo Frizera,Letícia Avellar,Arnaldo Leal-Junior

doi:10.3390/s21237848

Vitorino Biazi, Anselmo Frizera + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/s21237848

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Abstract

Shape reconstruction is growing as an important real-time monitoring strategy for applications that require rigorous control. Polymer optical fiber sensors (POF) have mechanical properties that allow the measurement of large curvatures, making them appropriate for shape sensing. They are also lightweight, compact and chemically stable, meaning they are easy to install and safer in risky environments. This paper presents a sensor system to detect angles in multiple planes using a POF-intensity-variation-based sensor and a procedure to detect the angular position in different planes. Simulations are performed to demonstrate the correlation between the sensor’s mechanical bending response and their optical response. Cyclic flexion experiments are performed at three test frequencies to obtain the sensitivities and the calibration curves of the sensor at different angular positions of the lateral section. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis is tested as a method to estimate angular velocities using POF sensors. The experimental results show that the prototype had high repeatability since its sensitivity was similar using different test frequencies at the same lateral section position. The proposed approach proved itself feasible considering that all linear calibration curves presented a coefficient of determination () higher than 0.9.

Highlights

In addition to their traditional use on communication systems, optical fibers are a sensing technology for a series of applications, such as healthcare monitoring [1], environmental changes detection in industries [2] and structural and spacecraft health monitoring [3,4].This technology has seen substantial growth due to its characteristics and the diversity of parameters that can be monitored, such as temperature, force, acceleration, liquid level, humidity and pressure, among others [5]
The sensors’ responses indicated the possibility of using the optical fiber sensor as a tool for frequency, which is useful on the multiplane and shape reconstruction analysis of the intensity-variation-based Polymer optical fiber sensors (POF) curvature sensor
We presented the application of POF-intensity-variation-based sensors for sensor shape reconstruction and multiplane angular positions assessment

Summary

Introduction

In addition to their traditional use on communication systems, optical fibers are a sensing technology for a series of applications, such as healthcare monitoring [1], environmental changes detection in industries [2] and structural and spacecraft health monitoring [3,4].This technology has seen substantial growth due to its characteristics and the diversity of parameters that can be monitored, such as temperature, force, acceleration, liquid level, humidity and pressure, among others [5]. In addition to their traditional use on communication systems, optical fibers are a sensing technology for a series of applications, such as healthcare monitoring [1], environmental changes detection in industries [2] and structural and spacecraft health monitoring [3,4]. Even bacteria [6] and acoustic parameters [7] can be detected with this technology These sensors are intrinsically lightweight, small size, chemically stable and with multiplexing capabilities. One of their main characteristics is the immunity to electromagnetic fields, which can distort the expected results from conventional electronic-based sensors [8]. Polymers’ high strain limits and fracture toughness provide mechanical robustness to the stresses applied on POF sensors

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