FBG-Based Temperature Sensors for Liquid Identification and Liquid Level Estimation via Random Forest

This paper proposed a liquid level measurement and classification system based on a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensor array. For the oil classification, the fluids were dichotomized into oil and nonoil, i.e., water and emulsion. Due to the low variability of the classes, the random forest (RF) algorithm was chosen for the classification. Three different fluids, namely water, mineral oil, and silicone oil (Kryo 51), were identified by three FBGs located at 21.5 cm, 10.5 cm, and 3 cm from the bottom. The fluids were heated by a Peltier device placed at the bottom of the beaker and maintained at a temperature of 318.15 K during the entire experiment. The fluid identification by the RF algorithm achieved an accuracy of 100%. An average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.2603 cm, with a maximum RMSE lower than 0.4 cm, was obtained in the fluid level measurement also using the RF algorithm. Thus, the proposed method is a feasible tool for fluid identification and level estimation under temperature variation conditions and provides important benefits in practical applications due to its easy assembly and straightforward operation.

Simultaneous Measurement of Liquid Level and Temperature Using In-Fiber Grating-Based Mach-Zehnder Interferometer and Faraday Rotator Mirror

Here we propose an optical fiber sensor capable of simultaneous measurement of liquid level and temperature by utilizing cascaded long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) inscribed on high-birefringence fiber (HBF) and a Faraday rotator mirror (FRM). Due to the in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interference and birefringence of the HBF, these cascaded LPFGs have polarization-dependent discrete interference spectra, each of which is created within one of the two different attenuation bands obtained in the two orthogonal input polarization states, e.g., linear horizontal polarization (LHP) and linear vertical polarization (LVP). The minimum transmittance dip was selected as a sensor indicator for each interference spectrum obtained for LHP or LVP input signal. To monitor these indicator dips associated with LHP and LVP, referred to as the IDH and IDV, respectively, with one spectral scanning, an FRM was connected to the end of the cascaded LPFGs. Both the IDH and IDV spectrally shifted according to liquid-level or temperature changes and showed very linear responses to them with adjusted R2 values greater than 0.997. The liquid-level sensitivities of the IDH and IDV were measured as approximately −37.29 and −121.08 pm/mm in a liquid-level range of 0 to 55 mm, respectively. The temperature sensitivities of the IDH and IDV were measured as ˜28.79 and ˜218.21 pm/°C in a temperature range of 30 to 60 °C, respectively. Owing to their linear and independent responses to liquid level and temperature, our sensor can perform temperature-independent liquid-level measurement using their pre-determined liquid-level and temperature sensitivities, even if both liquid level and temperature change simultaneously.