A polymer optical fiber fuel level sensor: application to paramotoring and powered paragliding

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Sensor Technology
• Aerospace Engineering

Background:

• Accurate fuel level monitoring is critical for aviation safety, especially in recreational powered flight.
• Existing fuel sensing technologies can be costly or unsuitable for lightweight aircraft.
• Polymer optical fiber (POF) sensing offers a promising alternative due to its low cost, flexibility, and immunity to electromagnetic interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a low-cost intensity-based polymer optical fiber sensor for fuel level measurement.
• To assess the sensor's performance in terms of linearity, sensitivity, and hysteresis.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using POF sensors in paramotoring and powered paragliding applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an intensity-based POF sensor by selectively stripping the fiber at discrete points.
• Implementing a gauge-shape fiber bending technique for fuel level detection.
• Experimental characterization of the sensor's response, including linearity, sensitivity, and hysteresis measurements.

Main Results:

• The developed POF sensor demonstrated good linearity, with performance better than 4% full scale (F.S.).
• A sensitivity of approximately 0.5 V per bend was achieved, indicating effective detection of fuel level changes.
• Hysteresis, attributed to residual fluid, was measured to be less than 9% F.S., demonstrating acceptable repeatability.

Conclusions:

• The low-cost intensity-based POF sensor is a viable solution for fuel level measurement in paramotoring and powered paragliding.
• The sensor's performance metrics (linearity, sensitivity, hysteresis) meet the requirements for practical application.
• Optical fiber sensing technology presents an advantageous approach for fuel monitoring in light aviation due to its cost-effectiveness and performance.