Unit 2: Overview of Sensors,

Transducers and their

Characteristic Specifications
K S Khandelwal
Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune
kskhandelwal.scoe@sinhgad.edu
Syllabus:
1. Specifications related to selection criterion for
force, pressure, temperature and motion
(Rotary and Linear).
2. Classification and selection of transducers:
3. Force: Load Cell, Cantilever Beam (Design aspect
example)
4. Pressure: Strain Gauge, Piezoelectric
5. Motion: Rotary and Linear motions,
6. Proximity sensors Inductive, Capacitive and
Magnetic, sources detectors in optical proximity
sensors. Comparison of Various proximity
sensors
Syllabus
7. Temperature: Optical Fiber and its use in
temperature measurement, Fiber Optic
Temperature sensors,
8. Ultrasonic Transducers for applications as
position, level, flow measurement.
9. Gas sensors, Wind sensors: Gyroscope,
Accelerometer, Magnetometer (As used in smart
phones)
10. Smart Sensors: Concept, Radiation Sensors -
Smart Sensors - Film sensor, IR- temperature
sensors
11. Introduction to MEMS & Nano Sensors . Rotary
Optical Encoder
Introduction:
In mechatronics systems, instrumentation
plays a significant role and there is need to
measure some physical quantities, such as
displacement, temperature, pressure and
stress, etc.
Sensors and transducer are key elements
used for measuring measurement
Therefore we will learn selection,
specification for different transducers and
sensors
Force Measurement
Load Cell
Load cells are transducers intended for the
measurement of pressure, load and force.
Principle of Operation:
Strain gauge load cell measures load in
terms of unit strain.
The strain gauge load cell consists of a
structure that deforms when subjected to
a force and a strain gauge network that
produces on electrical signal proportional
to this deformation.
 Construction:
The important part of the load cell is the bonded-
foil strain gauge which is an extremely sensitive
device, whose electrical resistance changes in
direct proportion to the applied force.
A load cell comprises an elastic element. The
element may take many forms such as hollow or
solid column, cantilever, diaphragm or ring. The
design of element is dependent on the load range,
type of loading and operational requirement.
The gauges are bonded on to the element to
measure the strains generated.
 Types of Load Cell
1. Tension Compression (column type) Load
Cells
2. Cantilever beam type
 Tension Compression Strain
Gauge
Tension Compression resistance strain
gauge is also known as column type load cell
or link type load cell or axially loaded strain
gauge.
Tensile or Compressive

The four strain gauges are bonded to

the load bearing column

Two Strain gauge are in axial direction
and two are in transverse direction

Tension Compression resistance strain gauge

 Axial Gauge
Operation:
The four strain gauge
are wired into a
Wheatstone Bridge.

Transverse Gauge

When the load/force F is applied to the column, axial strain a and

transverse strain develops in the column t and are related to the
load/force by the expressions:
 Expression for force F

Sensitivity S
The sensitivity of the load cell-wheatstone
bridge combination is given by:
 Range:

Change in output voltage Vo:

Before applying force F, all gauges have identical resistance R
After applying load the resistance changes to (R + R), then the
change in output voltage is

R is incremental resistance
Numerical on Beam type load cell

Output voltage per Newton force is called the sensitivity of the load cell
Numerical on Beam type load cell
 Cantilever Beam Type Load Cell
Cantilever beam type load cell are commonly employed for measuring loads
upto 10 Kg.
A simple cantilever beam acts as the elastic member.

The force F is applied at a distance L

Two strain gauges on the top surface and two strain gauges on the bottom surface
act as the sensor
 Cantilever Beam Type Load Cell
A bending moment is proportional to the force developed in beam
The tensile strains developed on the top are sensed by strain
gauges 1 and 3
While compressive strains developed at the bottom are sensed by
strain gauges 2 and 4.
Cantilever Beam Type Load Cell
Cantilever Beam Type Load Cell
 Pressure Measurement Piezoelectric
Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor/Transducer:
In 1880, Pierre andJacquesCurie determined that a small amount
of voltage could be produced by applying large amounts
ofpressureto certain crystals of elements. This phenomenon is
called the piezoelectric effect.

Piezoelectric materials when stretched or compressed generate

electric charges with one face of the material becoming positively
charged. As a result voltage is produced.

Whenpressureis applied to the crystal, it will deform and produce

a small voltage. The amount of voltage isproportionalto the amount
of deformation.
 Pressure Measurement Piezoelectric
When the piezoelectric effect is used in pressure sensor, the
sensor uses a diaphragm that deflects slightly when pressure is
applied.
The amount of voltage produced is very less and the internal
impedance of crystal is very large, which makes the use of op-
amps a necessity to produce usable signal.
To read the charge on the PZT, an electric amplifier that
converts charge magnitude to a voltage equivalent is used.