Polymer-optical-fiber-based sensor system for simultaneous measurement of angle and temperature

Area of Science:

• Fiber Optic Sensors
• Material Science
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Polymer-optical-fibers (POFs) offer advantages for sensor development.
• Simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters like angle and temperature is challenging.
• Hysteresis and sensitivity are critical performance metrics for fiber optic sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a POF-based sensor system for simultaneous angle and temperature measurement.
• To investigate the effect of annealing conditions on POF sensor performance.
• To achieve higher temperature sensitivity and lower angle hysteresis.

Main Methods:

• POF samples were subjected to annealing under low relative humidity, under water, and without heat treatment.
• Characterization of temperature sensitivity and angle measurement accuracy was performed.
• A dynamic compensation technique was applied to further reduce errors.

Main Results:

• POF annealed under water exhibited superior temperature sensitivity and reduced measurement errors compared to other conditions.
• Annealing under water also resulted in significantly lower hysteresis in angle measurements.
• The developed sensor system achieved a root-mean-squared error of 0.82°C for temperature and 2.20° for angle, further reduced to 1.20° with compensation.

Conclusions:

• Annealing POF under water is an effective method to enhance sensor performance for simultaneous angle and temperature monitoring.
• The developed POF sensor system demonstrates high accuracy and low hysteresis, suitable for practical applications.
• Dynamic compensation techniques can further improve the precision of POF-based curvature sensors.