Optoelectronic Signal Demodulation in Fiber-Optic Sensors for Precise Vehicle Fuel Level Quantification

A fiber optic sensor designed to continuously measure the fuel level within a fuel tank has been proposed. The sensor utilizes two parallel side-diffusing optical fibers coupled together. By selecting a wavelength that is strongly absorbed by the fuel, the power transferred between the fibers varies with the fuel level. The coupling between the co-propagating waves has been both theoretically modeled and experimentally tested. The measurement results align well with the theoretical model, demonstrating that both configurations are suitable for fuel level sensing. In the co-propagation configuration, the resolution ranges from ±5 ml at low fuel levels to ±10 ml at higher fuel levels, over a wide measurement range of approximately 20 cm. These results are comparable to the performance of interferometry sensors listed in Table I.

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