Characteristic of Opto-fluidic Control System

Abstract

An opto-fluidic control system employing a laminar proportional amplifier was used to convert directly optical signal into fluidic signal by the thermal control of the supply jet's velocity distribution. It can work in hazardous environment because it doesn't use electric signals. A differential optical signal was introduced through opposing optical fibers into the light absorbing end sections of them constructing the opposing side-walls of the supply nozzle of the interface. The differential fl uidic output signal of the opto-fluidic interface was amplified by a three-stage laminar proportional amplifier gain block and turbulent proportional amplifiers.In this study, opto-fluidic conversion characteristics were clarified by numerical analysis and by the experiments using a experimental model having the size of four times that of the practical opto-fluidic interface. The appropriateness of the analytical model was proved by the experiment using the large-scale experimental model.