Measurement of optical fiber parameters and thermal core diffusion characteristics by digital image processing.

The simultaneous measurement of the numerical aperture (NA) and mode field diameter (MFD) of single-mode fibers was performed on several commercial fibers by means of digital image processing of the output light projected into a screen. In addition, the changes induced by core diffusion in an ultra-high (UH) NA fiber at several heat depositions from a CO2 laser source were measured. The measurement method was demonstrated to be useful to monitor the adiabaticity of this process, by taking the product of the NA and MFD to verify if it remains constant. The method provides a cheap alternative to measure these optical fiber parameters by using simple optomechanical elements and a readily available smartphone camera, and it can be easily implemented in the laboratory.

Temperature Measurement of Fluid Flows by Using a Focusing Schlieren Method.

A method for measuring planar temperature fields of fluid flows is proposed. The focusing schlieren technique together with a calibration procedure to fulfill such a purpose is used. The focusing schlieren technique uses an off-axis circular illumination to reduce the depth of focus of the optical system. The calibration procedure is based on the relation of the intensity level of each pixel of a focused schlieren image to the corresponding cutoff grid position measured at the exit focal plane of the schlieren lens. The method is applied to measure planar temperature fields of the hot air issuing from a 10 mm diameter nozzle of a commercial Hot Air Gun Soldering Station Welding. Our tests are carried out at different temperature values and different planes along the radial position of the nozzle of the hot air. The experimental values of temperature measurements are in agree with those measured using a thermocouple.

Long-period cascaded fiber taper filters.

Fiber filters based on periodic cascaded tapered fiber sections are demonstrated. The filters consist of up to seven tapered sections separated periodically by more than 3 mm from center to center, with nominal tapered sections of 1 mm×1 mm×1 mm longitudinal dimensions. The transmission spectrum consists of discrete notches, resembling those observed in long-period fiber gratings, which differs from the observed spectrum in Mach-Zender interferometers based on cascaded tapers. Its sensitivity to external perturbations, such as refractive index or mechanical stress, made the device potentially very useful as a sensor or tunable filter.

Measurement of temperature and velocity fields in a convective fluid flow in air using schlieren images.

A convective fluid flow in air could be regulated if the physical process were better understood. Temperature and velocity measurements are required in order to obtain a proper characterization of a convective fluid flow. In this study, we show that a classical schlieren system can be used for simultaneous measurements of temperature and velocity in a convective fluid flow in air. The schlieren technique allows measurement of the average fluid temperature and velocity integrated in the direction of the test beam. Therefore, in our experiments we considered surfaces with isothermal conditions. Temperature measurements are made by relating the intensity level of each pixel in a schlieren image to the corresponding knife-edge position measured at the exit focal plane of the schlieren system. The same schlieren images were also used to measure the velocity of the fluid flow by using optical flow techniques. The algorithm implemented analyzes motion between consecutive schlieren frames to obtain a tracked sequence and finally velocity fields. The proposed technique was applied to measure the temperature and velocity fields in natural convection of air due to unconfined and confined heated rectangular plates.

Temperature and velocity measurement fields of fluids using a schlieren system.

This paper proposes a combined method for two-dimensional temperature and velocity measurements in liquid and gas flow using a schlieren system. Temperature measurements are made by relating the intensity level of each pixel in a schlieren image to the corresponding knife-edge position measured at the exit focal plane of the schlieren system. The same schlieren images were also used to measure the velocity of the fluid flow. The measurement is made by using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The PIV software used in this work analyzes motion between consecutive schlieren frames to obtain velocity fields. The proposed technique was applied to measure the temperature and velocity fields in the natural convection of water provoked by a heated rectangular plate.