ComparisonStudyondifferenttypes

offiberopticVibrationSensors
Dr. D. Dinakar
Associate Professor
Department of Physics,
National Institute of Technology,
Warangal-506004, INDIA.

What is Optical Fiber

Optical fiber is a long thin cylindrical waveguide which is made up
of transparent dielectric material (light pipe - Cylindrical
waveguide). Which carries EM waves (visible and IR
frequencies) from one end to the other end of the fiber by
means of Total Internal Reflection (TIR).
Therefore, the heart of the Optical fiber is TIR.
Note: Glass and/or plastic dielectric materials are used in Optical
Fibers.

Optical fiber Structure

Core
Carries the light signals
Silica with dopants

Cladding

Keeps
Keeps the
the light
light in
in the
the core
core

Pure
Pure Silica
Silica

Buffer
Protects the fiber from damage
and moisture

Jacket
Holds one or more fibers in a
cable

Representation of the Critical angle and Total Internal Reflection at

a glass-air interface
Transmitted
(refracted) light
k
t
2
n2

2 90

n 1 > n2
k

Incident
light

Evanescent wave

1 c

Reflected
light
(a )

TIR

(c )

(b )

Lightwavetravellinginamoredensemediumstrikesalessdensemedium.Dependingon
theincidenceanglewithrespectto c ,whichisdeterminedbytheratiooftherefractive
indices,thewavemaybetransmitted(refracted)orreflected.(a) 1 c (b)1 c (c)
1 c andtotalinternalreflection(TIR).

Sin c = n

/n

(for

= 900 )

Therefore, for continuous propagation of light in the

optical, the angle of incidence should be greater than
the critical angle of refraction at the interface of core

How the optical fibers work?

Optical fibers work on the principle of total internal reflection

CORE

CLADDING

Light waves (modes) are guided down the length of an optical fiber by
taking multiple reflections at the interface of core and cladding.

OpticalFiberApplications
FiberOpticCommunication
FiberOpticSensors
1. DisplacementSensor
2. TemperatureSensor
3. VibrationSensor
4. ChemicalSensor
5. PressureSensor
6. HumiditySensor

Differences
Differences and
and advantages
advantages over
over conventional
conventional sensors:
sensors:
ConventionalSensors
Physicallycontact
Conductive
Corrosivematerials

FiberOpticSensors
Bothcontactandnoncontact
Nonconductive(Insulator)
NonCorrosivematerials

Chemicallyandelectricallyactive

Lowaccuracyandsensitivity
Difficultfordistributedsensing

Chemicallyandelectricallyinert
ImmunetoEMI
Highaccuracyandsensitivity,
Canbeeasilyusedfordistributed
sensing

Theregeneratedvoltageacrossthe
Suitableforharshenvironment
thermocouplejunctionwouldbe
andonlinemonitoringsystem
undesirableasitcouldleadto
canbemadeeasily.
prematurecombustions(or)explosion potentially easy to install
incombustibleorexplosivesystem
Chapter 1

smallsize,flexibilityinlengthofthefiber,securedatatransmission,remotable

Experimental
Experimental Setup
Setup of
of Dual
Dual Plastic
Plastic Optical
Optical Fiber
Fiber Sensor
Sensor
SOURCE

DETECTOR

IFE-96

IFD-93

TRANSMITTING
FIBER
FUNCITION
GENERATOR

RECEIVING
FIBER
TRANSIMPEDANCE
AMPLIFIER
MICROMETER
NI-DAQ
6016

POWER
AMPLIFIER
WOOFER

Working
Working principle
principle of
of the
the fiber
fiber optic
optic coupler
coupler
sensor
sensor

SensorisworkingbasedontheprincipleofIntensitymodulationusing
fiberopticfusedcoupler
Asinglefiberactsasasensinghead,whichresultsinremovingofthe
darkregion

Reflectingsurface
PlasticOpticalFiber

x
Core

Cladd

VibratingObject

Schematic
Schematic experimental
experimental setup
setup of
of 1x2
1x2
coupler
coupler vibration
vibration sensor
sensor
Speaker

PlasticOpticalfiber1x2
50:50Coupler
2
1
3

LEDorLASER
Diode
Photodarlingtonpair
IFD93

HighprecisionMicrometer
SignalGenerator

Digitalstorageoscilloscope

100.00Hz20.00V

Chapter 3

Schematic
Schematic experimental
experimental setup
setup of
of the
the 2x2
2x2
PD1Reference
LED
fiber
fiber optic
optic
coupler
coupler
Detector
Diameterofthefiberis1mm
Port3
Speaker

2x2Coupler
(80:20)

Port1

Port2

PD2Sensing
PhotoDetector

Port4
PD2Sensing
Detector
SignalGenerator
Power
Amplifier

100.00Hz

NIDAQ
6016

20.00V

Computer
With
LabVIEW
Rational
Output

Chapter 3

P2 P1
P1 P2

Conclusions
Conclusions
Dual plastic optical fiber suffers from dark region and the results reported that the frequency
rangeupto900Hzwithresolutionof1micron.
Fiberopticcouplereliminatesthedarkregioninthesensordisplacementresponseusingfibeoptic
fusedcoupler
The1x2fiberopticfusedcouplervibrationsensoriscapableofmeasuringvibrationsupto1300
Hzwithresolutionof1m.
Theeffectofsourceonthevibrationresponse(1x2coupler)isstudiedandfoundthatthefrequency
rangecanbevariedwithsource.Howevertheresolutionisalmostequal.Whichisapplicableall
typesoffiberopticsensors.
Minimized the source fluctuations and bending effects on the sensing using 2x2 coupler
configuration
Achievedthefrequencyrangeupto3.5kHzwithamplituderesolutionofaround0.03musing2x2
fusedcouplervibrationsensor
Theresultsshowthat,2x2couplersensorconfigurationisbetterthandualfiber,Bundlefiberand
1x2couplersensors.

Comparison
Comparison of
of between
between all
all Non-Contact
Non-Contact vibration
vibration sensors
sensors
Amplitu
Linear Range Sensitivit
Frequency
de
Configurati
region
y (slope) Linearit
range
Resoluti
on
(m)
(m)
mV/m
y
(Hz)
on
~
1m
Dual fiber 600-1300 700
9.83
0.999
900
Bundle fiber
1x2 Coupler
2x2 Coupler

0-1500

1500

0-1000

1000

0-1000

1000

10m

4.4

0.99

650

2.483

0.9993

1300

1m

2.1

0.99

3500

0.03m

Chapter 3

Any Qs

Thank
you