Precisely Designed and Modeled Double-Clad Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor

Abstract

In this article, we investigated and designed a double-clad fiber optic pressure (DFOP) sensor, which can acceptably calculate the pressure values using the input and output intensities/powers of light. In order to know the received power, the overlap integral of the emitted light from the core of a double-clad fiber with its reflection from a mirrored diaphragm onto either itself or the inner clad was considered. Also, the diaphragm deflection was approximated as a spherical convex mirror which diverged the received light cone and increased the receiving area albeit for the light Gaussian distribution. In comparison with similar existing setups, this sensor, with its precise calibration, provided a wider range of output normalized power of about 0.3 W (watt). Thus, the sensor can be made more simply and inexpensively since there is no need for very high precision optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDR) or power-meters.