Current Optics and Photonics ISSN: 2508-7266(Print) / ISSN: 2508-7274(Online)

Vol. 5, No. 3, June 2021, pp. 238–

–242 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3807/COPP.2021.5.3.238

In Line Plastic-Optical-Fiber Temperature Sensor

Hyejin Seo1, Jong-Dug Shin2, and Jaehee Park1*

1
Department of Electronic Engineering, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Korea
2
Omega Optics Inc., Austin, Texas 78757, USA

(Received February 4, 2021 : revised March 23, 2021 : accepted April 1, 2021)

In this paper, we present an in line plastic-optical-fiber (POF) temperature sensor based on intensity
modulation. The in line POF temperature sensor is composed of a POF, including an in-fiber micro hole
filled with reversible thermochromic material, the transmittance of which depends on temperature. The
reversible thermochromic material was cobalt chloride/polyvinyl butyral gel. A cobalt chloride solu-
tion of concentration 30.8 mM was formulated using 10% water/90% ethanol (v/v) solution, and gelled
by dissolving polyvinyl butyral in this solution. Four types of in line POF sensors, with in line micro
holes of four different diameters, were fabricated to measure temperature in the range of 25 to 75 °C.
The output optical power of all of these in line POF temperature sensors was inversely proportional to
the temperature; the relation between output power and temperature was approximately linear, and the
sensitivity was proportional to the diameter of the in-fiber micro hole. The experimental results indicate
that an in line POF sensor can be used effectively for measuring moderate temperatures.

Keywords : Micro hole, Plastic optical fiber, Temperature sensor

OCIS codes : (060.2310) Fiber optics; (060.2340) Fiber optics components; (060.2370) Fiber optics
sensors

I. INTRODUCTION and the characteristic changings induced by chemical reac-

tions. The use of optical fiber sensors is a valid alternative,
Temperature measurement below 100 °C is a key pa- owing to their advantages such as immunity to electromag-
rameter in many applications and installations, such as fish netic interference, small size, light weight, remote sensing
farms, high-power electric generators, and nurseries. Mod- capability, durability, and resistance to harsh environments
erate temperature may affect the digestion of food of sev- [4, 5]. Glass-optical-fiber temperature sensors using a fiber
eral fish species, as well as the fertilization process, varying Bragg grating [6, 7], Fabry-Perot interferometer [8], in line
the number of eggs that hatch [1]. Moreover, monitoring Michelson interferometer [9], tapered optical fiber [10],
moderate temperatures (below approximately 70 °C) of the and white-light interferometry [11] have been reported.
connection between the wire and output terminal of a high- Although they exhibit high sensitivity, these sensors are un-
power electrical generator is also important, to prevent gen- suitable for use in harsh environments, as their performance
erator breakdown induced by the resistance increase caused is affected by ambient noise, such as pressure variation and
by a loose connection [2, 3]. Thus, moderate temperature vibrations. Therefore, plastic-optical-fiber (POF) tempera-
measurement remains a high priority. ture sensors have attracted great interest, as they are not in-
Many electrical sensors have been used to measure tem- fluenced by ambient noise, although they are less sensitive,
perature, but they are not adequate for use in harsh environ- due to the measurement method based on light-intensity
ments with electromagnetic waves or with a combination modulation [12].
of water, salt, detergents, or chemical reactants, owing to POF temperature sensors based on micro bending [13,
the malfunction induced by electromagnetic interference 14], stress optical effect [15], and thermochromic materi-

*Corresponding author: jpark@kmu.ac.kr, ORCID 0000-0002-9098-1134

Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are available online.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.
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is properly cited.
Copyright © 2021 Current Optics and Photonics

- 238 -
In Line Plastic-Optical-Fiber Temperature Sensor - Hyejin Seo et al. 239

als such as epoxy glue [16], lophine [17], and paraffin [18] Cobalt chloride readily dissolves in both water and alco-
have been investigated. However, they all showed low hol. The phase change of cobalt chloride, which depends on
sensitivity. Recently, POF sensors including in-fiber micro solvent and temperature, is reversible. If the hydrated cobalt
holes have been investigated to measure refractive index chloride (CoCl2∙6H2O) dissolves in water, Co(H2O)62+ and
[19], respiration rate [20], water level [21], and mercury two Cl− ions are formed by the reaction shown in Eq. (1)
concentration [12]. They showed sufficient sensitivity and [23], and the cobalt chloride solution is pink. When heat-
strength to measure physical and chemical parameters, and ing up this solution, Co(H2O)62+ combines with Cl− to form
moreover their performance was not influenced by ambient CoCl−4. This reaction results in a change in the color of the
noise. We herein study an in line POF temperature sensor. solution to blue (Fig. 2). Owing to this chemical reaction,
The configuration of the in line POF temperature sensor spectral variations of cobalt chloride solution in the vis-
(Fig. 1) is a POF including an in-fiber micro-hole filled ible range are induced by temperature changes. However,
with a reversible thermochromic material featuring spectral handling the cobalt chloride solution is difficult because
variations that are induced by temperature. The in line POF it leaks or evaporates at high ambient temperatures. Thus,
sensor utilizes the POF to passively guide the light to and gel-type cobalt chloride was used as the transducer to mea-
from the thermochromic material inside the in-fiber micro sure the temperature in this research.
hole, thereby inducing the modulation of light amplitude.
III. RESULTS
II. BACKGROUND
In a previous paper [23], the cobalt chloride solution at
Thermochromic materials such as lophine, KBr crystal, a concentration of 30.8 mM exhibited the strongest depen-
perylene, cobalt chloride (CoCl2) solution [22], and ther- dence of absorption in the visible spectrum on temperature
mochromic pigments have been chosen as transducers for change. Therefore, cobalt chloride gel was produced using
fiber-optic temperature sensors. These materials exhibit about 30.8-mM cobalt chloride solution and polyvinyl buty-
changes in the visible spectrum depending on temperature ral. The cobalt chloride solution (Table 1) was prepared by
variation. Among them, the cobalt chloride solution trans- dissolving hydrated cobalt chloride in ethanol (90%) plus
ducers have the highest sensitivity. deionized (DI) water (10%) v/v solvent. The cobalt chloride
gel was prepared by dissolving 5 g of polyvinyl butyral in
𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶� ∙ 6𝐻𝐻� 𝑂𝑂𝑂 𝑂 𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂 100 mL cobalt chloride solution of concentration 30.8 mM.
Figure 3 shows the transmittance of the gel-type cobalt
→ 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶(𝐻𝐻� 𝑂𝑂)�� �
� (𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎) + 2𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 (𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎) chloride [24]. The relation between transmittance and tem-
perature is approximately linear, and the largest variation in
𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶��� (aq)(blue) + 6𝐻𝐻� 𝑂𝑂𝑂 (1)

⇆ 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶(𝐻𝐻� 𝑂𝑂)�� �
� (aq)(pink) + 4𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 (aq) + ΔH TABLE 1. Concentration or amount hydrated cobalt chloride,
DI water, and ethanol for thermochromic solution
ΔH = −24.9 ± 7.9 kJ/mol (1)
Molar Hydrated
concentration Ethanol (mL) DI water (mL) cobalt
(mM) chloride (g)
30.8 90 10 0.4

FIG. 1. Configuration of the in-line POF temperature sensor.

FIG. 2. The color of cobalt chloride. (a) Before heating, and (b) FIG. 3. Transmittance of the cobalt chloride gel made with
after heating. 30.8-mM solution.
240 Current Optics and Photonics, Vol. 5, No. 3, June 2021

transmittance occurs at about 670 nm. according to microhole diameter, measured at temperatures
The in line POF temperature sensor comprises a POF of 25 °C and 50 °C, is shown in Fig. 5. The optical power
with an in-fiber micro hole filled with gel-type cobalt chlo- of the in line temperature sensor is inversely proportional to
ride. To fabricate the POF temperature sensor, an in-fiber the diameter of the micro hole. Figure 6 shows the output
micro hole was first created in the POF using an inexpen- power of the four types of in line POF temperature sensors
sive drilling machine [19–21]. Subsequently, the cobalt as the temperature ranges from 25 °C to 75 °C. The top
chloride gel was inserted into the micro hole. Finally, the graph is the output power of the in line POF temperature
micro hole was sealed using epoxy. The output optical sensor with a 0.5-mm-diameter in-fiber micro hole. The up-
power of the in line POF temperature sensor is a function per middle graph, lower middle graph, and bottom graphs
of absorption (owing to the thermochromic material) and of respectively show the output power of in line POF tempera-
scattering induced by the in-fiber micro hole structure and ture sensors with 0.7-mm, 0.9-mm, and 1.1-mm in-fiber mi-
the refractive-index difference between the thermochromic cro holes. The output power of the in line POF temperature
material and the POF core. Equation (2) shows the output sensor decreased as the temperature increased. The relation
optical power, where Pout denotes the output optical power between output power and temperature was approximately
of the POF sensor, Pin is the input optical power, Ttm (λ ) linear. The measurement sensitivity was proportional to
denotes the transmittance of the thermochromic material the micro hole’s diameter. In the case of the sensor with a
inside the in-fiber micro-hole, and Th (λ ) [19] is the trans- 1.1-mm-diameter micro hole, the sensitivity was the high-
mittance of the in-fiber micro hole, which depends on the est, at approximately 4.12 µW/°C. The experimental results
micro hole’s diameter and the refractive-index difference indicate that the proposed in line POF temperature sensor
between the thermochromic material and the POF core. The based on the in-fiber micro hole can be utilized to measure
temperature can be obtained from the output optical power. moderate temperatures.

ܲ୭୳୲ ൌ ܲ୧୬ ܶ୲୫ ሺߣሻܶ௛ ሺߣሻ. . (2) (2)

The POF (Toray PGR-FB 1500) used in this experiment

had a core diameter of 1.48 mm, and core and cladding
refractive indices of 1.49 and 1.41 respectively. Four types
of POF temperature sensors, having microhole diameters of
1.1, 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5 mm, were fabricated and investigated.
The experimental setup (Fig. 4) included a laser with a
wavelength of 670 nm LDM145G (Edmond Optics, NJ,
USA), optical power meter PM100D (Thorlabs, Dachau,
Germany), POF temperature sensor, thermocouple, tem-
perature reader, and hot plate. The light from the laser was
guided by the POF with in-fiber micro hole. When the light
reached the micro hole, light absorption and scattering oc-
curred, the amounts of which depended on the temperature of
the hot plate. After passing the in-fiber micro hole, the light
arriving at the power meter was measured. The output power
of the four types of in line POF temperature sensors was FIG. 5. Output power of the in-line POF temperature sensor
measured as the temperature changed from 25 °C to 75 °C. according to the diameter of the micro hole measured at
The output power of the in line POF temperature sensors temperatures of 25 °C and 50 °C.

FIG. 4. Experimental setup.

In Line Plastic-Optical-Fiber Temperature Sensor - Hyejin Seo et al. 241

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