Abstract
The sensitivity of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) to the variation of a specific parameter can be improved by choosing a suitable coating material. This paper explores the possibility of measuring the concentration of Ethanol in aqueous solutions by using poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as coating material of a single-mode FBG. The basic measurement principle relies in the absorption of liquid Ethanol which produces controlled swallowing of the coating, straining the underneath Bragg grating. The PMMA coating was deposited on the FBG by means of a specifically designed dip coating test bench, able to accurately control the thickness of the applied layer. Metrological performances of the developed PMMA-coated FBG Ethanol sensor have been assessed for Ethanol concentrations in the range of 0-38 % in distilled water at 25 °C constant temperature. The prototype shows good repeatability and better sensitivity when compared to an uncoated FBG, especially at low Ethanol concentrations. The dynamic behavior of the sensor (which depends on the kinetics of the absorption mechanism) has been assessed as well, showing a response time of about 290 s, while the recovery time (660 s) was almost twice.
Highlights
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing is a mature technology that has been used so far to develop measurement solutions for a wide range of applications
This paper explores the possibility of measuring the concentration of Ethanol in aqueous solutions by using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as coating material of a single-mode FBG
In this paper, which is an extended version of the one presented at the 24th IMEKO TC4 International Symposium and the 22nd International Workshop on ADC and DAC Modeling and Testing (IMEKO TC4 2020) [26], starting from our previous experience gained with PMMA-coated FBGs designed for sensing Ethanol concentration in aqueous vapor [21], we aim to explore the possibility to measure the concentration of Ethanol in liquid solutions too
Summary
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing is a mature technology that has been used so far to develop measurement solutions for a wide range of applications. They are commonly employed for health structural monitoring, as well as to fabricate distributed sensing devices to be used in different fields such as medicine and biomedical research, automotive, aerospace, maritime and civil engineering, and many others. FBGs are largely preferred over other types of optical sensors [1] thanks to their unique advantages They present small sizes, immunity from electromagnetic disturbances, good resistance in terms of temperature and humidity and, above all, they are wavelength encoded and chemically inert. The PMMA-coated sensor prototype displayed overall much better performance when compared with
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