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Article
Optical Interferometric Force Sensor based on a Buckled Beam
IEEE Sensors Journal
  • Yan Tang
  • Jing Guo
  • Yizheng Chen
  • Jie Huang, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Abstract

This paper reports a novel extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI)-based fiber optic sensor for force measurement. The prototype force sensor consists of two EFPIs mounted on a stainless steel rectangular frame. The primary sensing element, i.e., the first EFPI, is formed between the endface of a horizontally-placed optical fiber and a stainless steel buckled beam. The second EFPI, fashioned between a longitudinally-placed optical fiber and a silver-coated glass beam, is arranged to demonstrate the amplification mechanism of the buckled beam structure. When the sensor is subjected to a tension force, the pre-buckled beam will deflect backward, resulting in a longitudinal/axial displacement of the pre-buckled beam. The axial displacement is further transferred and amplified to a horizontal/vertical deflection at the middle of the buckled beam, leading to a relatively-significant change in the Fabry-Perot cavity length. A force sensitivity of 796 nm/ {N} (change in cavity length/Newton) is achieved with a low-temperature dependence of 0.005 {N} /°C. The stability of the sensor is also investigated with a standard deviation of ± 5 nm, corresponding to a measurement resolution of ±0.0064 N. A simulation is conducted to study the axial displacement and stress distribution of the sensor when it is subjected to a tension load of 250 N. It is demonstrated that the maximum stress of the sensor is tremendously reduced attributed to the buckled design, enabling a long service life cycle of the force sensor. The robust and simple-to-manufacture force sensor has great potential in structural health monitoring, robotics control, and oil/ gas refining systems.

Department(s)
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
  • Buckled beam,
  • cavity length change,
  • EFPI,
  • optical fiber force sensor
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2022 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
1-15-2022
Publication Date
15 Jan 2022
Citation Information
Yan Tang, Jing Guo, Yizheng Chen and Jie Huang. "Optical Interferometric Force Sensor based on a Buckled Beam" IEEE Sensors Journal Vol. 22 Iss. 2 (2022) p. 1301 - 1308 ISSN: 1558-1748; 1530-437X
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jie-huang/196/