Lead-Acid Battery Electrolyte Density Sensor using Heterocore Optical Fiber

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have gained popularity due to the importance of energy self-sufficiency for some systems. In this context, significant investments have been made in research to enhance the reliability of BESS operations. Addressing these reliability concerns, this work proposes using a refractometer based on a heterocore optical fiber to monitor electrolyte concentrations in real-time. This monitoring can be used to evaluate the battery health and optimize maintenance management. The sensor was fabricated using a 30.7 mm long no-core optical fiber between two multimode optical fibers, achieving a sensitivity of 0.0153 dB/(g/L).