| In this thesis work, experiments have been conducted to study the feasibility of using optical fiber as a sensor to detect corrosion in chemical tanks and to measure pH of chemical solutions. In chemical storage tanks and under-sea vehicles, corrosion is a problem that results in oil spill and other catastrophic accidents. In this experimental work, effort is made to sense and detect corrosion as soon as it begins to form, so that preventive measures can be taken immediately. Measured portions of the fiber are uncladded such that, the core of the fiber is in direct contact with the surrounding medium in those regions. The light intensity at the output end of the fiber will vary with respect to the amount of optical power lost through the uncladded regions of the fiber due to the variation in the refractive index of the surrounding medium. This in turn depends on the amount of corrosion formed in those regions. The second part of this research experiment is to measure pH of chemical solutions using the refractive index variation and power loss through the uncladded portions of the fiber. |
