PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | November 21, 2007
Proc. SPIE. 6781, Passive Components and Fiber-based Devices IV
KEYWORDS: Optical filters, Mirrors, Fiber optics, Birefringence, Sensors, Magnetism, Linear filtering, Fiber optics sensors, Head, Magnetic sensors
A novel electric current sensor based on a high-birefringence fiber loop mirror(HBFLM) and a kind of magnetostrictive material rod(MMR) is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. Part of the high-birefringence fiber(HBF) is pasted onto the MMR which is placed in the central part of a solenoid. The HBFLM is used as the sensor head and the linear filter simultaneously. Part of the high-birefringence fiber(HBF) is pasted onto the MMR which is placed in the central part of a solenoid. The rod will have elastic lengthening along the direction of the magnetic field when the uniform magnetic field changes, which will lead to a change of transmission intensity of the HBFLM filter, thus the variation of the electric current can be determined via the laser wavelength within the quasi-linear transmission range of the HBFLM filter. The sensitivity reaches 0.0153/100mA, the resolution reaches 10mA. Comparing with the previous fiber-optic electric current sensor, it has nothing with the linear birefringence based on Faraday effects in the previous fiber-optic electric current sensor. Comparing with the expensive and complex FBG electric current, the sensing signal can be directly detected by a photodiode(PD) and complicated demodulation devices are avoidable. The advantages of the electric current include optical power detection, simple and smart structure, high sensitivity, low cost, and good repeatability, etc.
