U-shaped Glass Rod as Key Construction Material in the Extrinsic Fiber Optic Sensor to Determine Various Parameters of Liquids at the Operating Wavelength of 660nm

Abstract

The growth of fiber optic communications and optoelectronics industries has revolutionized two major product areas over the past 50years. The industry of optical fiber revolutionized the telecommunication with reliable links by offering greater performance. Laser printers, Compact disk systems, Laser pointers, Bar code devices are some of the products revolutionized by optoelectronics industries. The optoelectronic technology and fiber optic communication technology have been used in the progress of optical fiber sensing technology. In the present work a novel sensing technique has been used in the configuration of an advanced sensor using two 200/230μm PCS fibers of 50cm each in length, a SciTech power meter, laser light source of 660nm and a U-shaped borosilicate glass rod of specific dimensions. The combination of two volatile liquids (Toluene and 1-Butanol) have been chosen as test liquids to calibrate the sensor having the capability of measuring the various parameters of liquids either transparent or dark in the various dynamic ranges at room temperature (30°C). The sensor has been analyzed on the lines of its geometrical parameters and sensitivity aspects. This sensor is expected to play a major role in future industrial, medical, military, civilian, scientific and consumer applications by providing higher sensitivities, reliability, ruggedness and other advantages in comparison with conventional sensors.