The refractive index of salt water changes corresponding to the variation of salinity. Based on a differential refractometer, the salinity canbe measured due to beam deviation, and the influence of temperature on the measurement results is reduced effectively. Beam deviation caused by salinity change is detected by a fiber-optic array and recorded by a charge-coupled device. According to the Gauss distribution theory, the light-spot center can be determined by fitting a Gauss curve using each received light spot intensity and the position of each receiving fiber. With this method, measurement errors caused by light power fluctuation and ambient light disturbance can be avoided effectively. Variation in transmission power loss of each receiving fiber reduces the measurement accuracy of salinity. Therefore, a method of correction for each fiber transmission power loss in the array can effectively improve the salinity measurement accuracy. Experimental results indicate the feasibility of the developed system, and the measurement repeatability error is better than ±0.25‰.

The last decade has been of great significance for the development of slow light technology. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), coherent population oscillation (CPO), stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), soliton collision, and photonic crystal waveguides have been used to slow down the velocity of light. In this paper, some important theoretical and technical developments of slow light technology that occurred over the last decade are discussed. Novel technologies for slowing down the velocity of light and their primary applications are introduced in detail. In addition, the future developing trends of slow light and its potential applications, especially in optical fiber sensors, are also forecasted and proposed in this paper.

A novel target type flow sensor has been proposed for liquid flow measurement in pipeline. The force created by the fluid on the target results in the distortion of a cantilever structure. A couple of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are mounted at either side of the cantilever. By monitoring the wavelength shift difference of the two FBGs, the fluid flow-rate can be obtained and the cross-sensitive problem of the FBG sensor can be solved by compensating the temperature effect. Measurement theory has been described. Simulation and preliminary experiments have been carried out, and the results verify the feasibility of the proposed sensor with a measurement range from 0 to 1000 cm3/s.

Based on near-infrared spectral absorption and fiber-optic sensor technology, an experimental setup for low-water-content measurement of crude oil is developed. The advantages of this method include fast measurement, high accuracy, keeping the measured oil free of pollution, and being suitable for long-term on-line continuous monitoring. This technology can be used for those applications that require high-quality water-in-oil measurement and process control. The measurement resolution for water content is better than 0.005% in the range from zero to 2% by volume. Measurement errors are estimated to be

A free active element bulk-modulus-based fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for down-hole pressure and temperature measurement is presented. With a differential measurement method and an isosceles triangle cantilever structure, problems of cross-sensitivity and chirped-signal in FBG sensors are solved. Simulation results indicate that the measurement sensitivity in measuring pressure and temperature is estimated to be ～8. 5 pm/MPa in a range from standard atmosphere pressure to 100 MPa and～27.5 pm/℃ from 20 to 200℃, respectively.