Diesel Adulteration Sensor Based on D-shaped Optical Fiber

Combustion engines are indispensable components for various applications, such as vehicle propulsion or power generators. These components have been the subject of research aimed mainly at increasing their efficiency and reducing emissions of air pollutants, but despite these efforts, these devices still suffer from fuel adulteration. This practice significantly reduces the useful life-time of engines and results in several social, economic and environmental problems ranging from unfair competition to increased emissions. From this scenario, this work proposes a sensor to detect kerosene mixed with diesel, a common adulteration in several countries due to the economic importance of diesel and the low price of kerosene. The proposed sensor is based on D-shaped optical fiber and the fabrication process is also presented.