Sensor (application to
measurement)
Lecture 3
(Chapter 2)
Sensor is a Transducer:
What is a transducer ?
An electromechanical device that converts a
mechanical change into a change in an electrical
signal
Sensors e.g.
Actuators
Piezoelectric:
Physical Electrical
parameter Input Force ->
voltage
Electrical Physical
Output Output
3/24/2008 SME3252: Mechatronics 2
Lecture 3
Essential Elements
Input Instrumentation Output
True value System Measured value
of variables of variables
Sensing Conditioning Processing Displaying
Element Element Element Element
Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4,5,6
3/24/2008 SME3252: Mechatronics 3
Lecture 3
Example of Instrumentation System
3/24/2008 SME3252: Mechatronics 4
Lecture 3
2.1: Sensor
• Measurement in mechanical engineering:
1. Displacement, position and proximity
2. Velocity and motion
3. Force
4. Pressure
5. Fluid flow
6. Liquid level
7. Temperature
8. Light intensity
2.2 Performance terminology
• Range and span • Stability – zero drift
• Error • Resolution
• Accuracy • Output impedence
• Sensitivity
• Hysteresis error
• Nonlinearity error
• Repeatability /
reproducibility
Examples -
• Ranges: 70 to 1000kPa, 2000 to 70000 kPa
• Supply voltage: 10 V d.c or a.c. rms
• Full range output: 40 mV
• Nonlinearity and hysteresis:±0.5% full range
output
• Temperature range: -540C to +1200C when
operating
• Thermal zero shift: 0.030% full range output /0C
2.3: Displacement, position and
proximity
• Displacement – how much the object has
been moved
• Position – position of an object with a
reference point
• Proximity – position sensor to detect when
an object has moved
• 2 basic types of displacement / position
sensor – contact and noncontact
Displacement measurement
Examples of application:
• Location & position of object on a
conveyor
• Orientation of steel plate in a rolling mill
• Liquid/solid level measurement
• Location or position of work piece in
milling operation
Location & position of object on a conveyor
Application : Bottle sensing.
Type : Photoelectric Sensor
Rolling of steel plate
Application : Liquid level indicator.
Type : Capacitive Sensor
Milling
process
2.3.1: Potentiometer
Translational and Rotational
Potentiometers
Translational or angular displacement
is proportional to resistance.
Taken from [Link]/kurssit/Tfy-3.441/ luennot/[Link]
2.3.2: Strain-gage
high alternating
stresses that cause
damage to blade
Strain gages allow monitoring
of dynamic torsional motions
2.3.3: Capacitive sensor
How does it works: Capacitive
A capacitive touchscreen consists of a glass
panel with a capacitive (charge storing)
material coating its surface. Circuits located at
the corners of the screen measure the
capacitance of a person touching the overlay.
Frequency changes are measured to
determine the X and Y coordinates of the
touch command. The touchscreen controller
sends data via serial port to the host
computer and emulates a mouse.
17
2.3.4: LVDT
Inductive Sensors - LVDT
An LVDT is used as a sensitive displacement sensor: for example, in
a cardiac assist device or a basic research project to study
displacement produced by a contracting muscle.
LVDT
Linear Variable
Differential
Transformer
Taken from
[Link]
2.3.6: Inductive sensor
2.3.7: Optical encoder
• Provide digital output from linear and
angular displacement
2.3.9: Proximity switch
simplest form of digital displacement sensor
• many forms: lever or push-rod operated
microswitches; float switches; pressure switches;
etc.
A limit switch A float switch
Lim Kim Fung, PSM 2006/2007
2.4: Velocity sensor
A) Linear velocity
measurement
• Linear velocity transducer
or LVT
• Based on inductive
transducer principle
• Magnetic field associated
with velocity to be
measured moves w.r.t
fixed conductor
B) Angular velocity
measurement
• Many common
machine have rotating
shafts – angular
velocity or shaft speed
• Stroboscopic –
flashing light, mark on
pulley, rpm
• Photoelectric – used
photodetector
2.5: Force measurement - Load
Cell
Performance Full
Load range: 5 to 250 lbs Scale
Non-Linearity: ±0.05% F.S.
Hysteresis: ±0.03% F.S.
Non-Repeatability: ±0.03% F.S.
P Output: 3 mV/V
Resolution: Infinite
Environmental
eT R3 , R1
Temp. operating: 0 to 130 °F
R2 , R4
eL Temp. compensated: 30 to 130 °F
Mechanical
Static overload: 50% over capacity
P
2.6: Fluid pressure
• hydraulic pressure is
used to measure
force applied to
diaphragm
• when force F
applied, pressure is
developed in fluid
(normally oil),device
to measure normally
Bourdon gage
2.6.1: Piezoelectric Sensors
What is piezoelectricity ?
Strain causes a
redistribution of charges
and results in a net
electric dipole (a dipole
is kind of a battery!)
A piezoelectric material
Discovered in 1880 by Pierre Curie in produces voltage by
quartz crystals. The greek word distributing charge
“piezein”, which means “to press” (under mechanical
Examples --- Quartz, Barium titanate, strain/stress)
tourmaline
2.7: Liquid flow
The most common principals for fluid flow
metering are:
• Differential pressure flowmeter
• Velocity flowmeter
• Positive displacement flowmeter
• Open channel flowmeter
• The most common types of differential
pressure flowmeters are:
• Orifice Plates
• Flow Nozzles
• Venturi Tubes
• Variable Area - Rotameters
2.9: Temperature
• RTD
• Thermistor
• Thermocouple
2.10: Photoelectric sensor
• Photodiode
• Phototransistor
• Photocell
• Solar cell
Presence of object
Samsul Tongaji, PSM 2006/2007
Exercises (Textbook)
Identify / suggest suitable sensors for the
following applications:
• Control system for a furnace to monitor
rate of heating oil flows along a pipe line
• Control system to determine difference of
liquid levels in two container
• Control system to control thickness of
rolled sheet that emerges from rollers
End of Lecture 3
