PDMS coated fiber optic sensor for efficient detection of fuel adulteration

In this paper, a fiber optic sensor for adulteration detection in petrol and diesel by kerosene is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The sensor consists of a multimode fiber with cladding substituted by a stimuli-responsive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer. The layer of PDMS swells/shrinks to a different extent in response to the level of adulteration, and as a result, the intensity of the output spectra changes. Unlike the existing fiber optic adulteration sensors that can only detect a change in refractive index (RI) due to the concentration change of adulterant, this sensor is responsive to hydrocarbon chain length and provides selective detection. The average sensitivities for petrol and diesel adulteration for PDMS coated fiber probe is 281 counts/% and 134 counts/% respectively, in the kerosene concentration range of 0-50%. This sensor can detect the presence of kerosene contamination up to 1% in petrol and diesel and thus furnish opportunities for the growth of portable fuel adulteration sensors.

Automated summary

In this paper, a fiber optic sensor for the detection of kerosene adulteration in petrol and diesel is proposed. The sensor utilizes a stimuli-responsive PDMS layer to detect the level of adulteration, providing selective and sensitive detection.