Numerical study of a ferrule-top cantilever optical fiber sensor for wind-tunnel applications and comparison with experimental results

We present a numerical analysis of an air flow velocity sensor based on a fiber-optic ferrule-top cantilever. The device forms a low-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometer, with one of the two reflecting surfaces constituted by a cantilever beam. Under the effect of the flow pressure, the cantilever bends producing a change in the cavity length of the Fabry-Perot and therefore a modification of its optical response. The numerical analysis, performed by use of finite-element method (FEM), is then compared with a set of experimental results obtained in a small wind-tunnel. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.