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Sensors: Lecture of Week No 12

Sensors detect and respond to environmental inputs like light, heat, motion, and pressure. The output is generally a signal that is converted to a human-readable display. Key sensor characteristics are resolution, accuracy, and repeatability. Examples of different sensor types are temperature sensors like mercury thermometers and oxygen sensors in cars. Motion sensors detect interruptions in energy flows. Position, velocity, acceleration, force, torque, temperature, flow rate, humidity, and GPS are also discussed as sensor types.

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18 views21 pages

Sensors: Lecture of Week No 12

Sensors detect and respond to environmental inputs like light, heat, motion, and pressure. The output is generally a signal that is converted to a human-readable display. Key sensor characteristics are resolution, accuracy, and repeatability. Examples of different sensor types are temperature sensors like mercury thermometers and oxygen sensors in cars. Motion sensors detect interruptions in energy flows. Position, velocity, acceleration, force, torque, temperature, flow rate, humidity, and GPS are also discussed as sensor types.

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omniahagras78
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SENSORS

Lecture of week no 12
A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type
of input from the physical environment.
The specific input could be:
• light,
• heat,
• motion,
• moisture,
• pressure, or any one of a great number of other
environmental phenomena.
The output is generally a signal that is converted to human-
readable display at the sensor .
Resolution Accuracy Repeatability
refers to the smallest change Accuracy refers to refers to the average
in the measured the difference error in between
variable that can be detected between consecutive
by the sensor the actual value and measurements
the measured value of the same value
examples different types of sensors:
In a mercury-based glass thermometer, the input is temperature. The liquid contained
expands and contracts in response, causing the level to be higher or lower on the
marked gauge, which is human-readable.

An oxygen sensor in a car's emission control system detects the gasoline/oxygen ratio,
usually through a chemical reaction that generates a voltage. A computer in the engine
reads the voltage and, if the mixture is not optimal, readjusts the balance.

Motion sensors in various systems including home security lights, automatic doors and
bathroom fixtures typically send out some type of energy, such
as microwaves, ultrasonic waves or light beams and detect when the flow of energy is
interrupted by something entering its path.
A photosensor detects the presence of visible light, infrared transmission (IR), and/or
ultraviolet (UV) energy.
• POSITION SENSORS
(i) Absolute position (the distance between two points),
(ii) Incremental position (the change in the position).
Potentiometer
The resistance change is converted to a proportional voltage change in the
electrical circuit portion of the sensor.
• Encoders
• An encoder has the following components
• 1. a disk or linear scale with light and dark patterns printed on it,
• 2. a light source (LED possibly with a focusing lens),
• 3. two or more photodetectors,
• 4. a stationary mask.
VELOCITY SENSORS
• Tachometers
It is a passive analog sensor which provides an output voltage
proportional to the velocity of a shaft. It is identical to the construction of
a brush-type DC motor
ACCELERATION SENSORS
• An accelerometer is a device that measures the vibration,
or acceleration of motion of a structure. The force caused by
vibration or a change in motion (acceleration) causes the mass to
"squeeze" the piezoelectric material which produces an electrical
charge that is proportional to the force exerted upon it.
Force and Torque Sensors
There are three main types of force and torque sensors,
• 1. spring displacement based force/torque sensors,
• 2. strain-gauge based force/torque sensors,
• 3. piezoelectric based force sensors.
TEMPERATURE SENSORS
Three classes of temperature sensors are discussed below:
1. sensors which change physical dimension as a function of temperature,
2. sensors which change resistance as a function of temperature (RTD and
thermistors),
and
3. sensors which work based on thermoelectric phenomena (thermocouples).
Temperature Sensors Based on
Dimensional Change
Temperature Sensors Based on Resistance
Thermocouples
FLOW RATE SENSORS
• 1. mechanical flow rate sensors,
• 2. differential pressure measurement based flow rate sensors,
• 3. thermal flow rate sensors,
• 4. mass flow rate sensors
Mechanical Flow Rate Sensors
• There are three major types of mechanical flow rate sensors:
• positive displacement flow rate sensors,
• turbine flow meters,
• drag flow meters.
Their operating principle is based on the volume displaced by the fluid flow
and drag between the fluid and the sensing element
HUMIDITY SENSORS
Relative humidity is defined as the percentage ratio of the amount of water
vapor in moist air, versus the amount of water vapor in saturated air at a
given temperature and pressure. Relative humidity is strongly affected by
temperature.
• Capacitive humidity sensors use a polymer material which changes
capacitance as a function of humidity.
• Resistance based humidity sensors use materials on an electrode whose
resistance change as a function of humidity.
GPS: GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
a location measurement system on Earth, based on signals received
from a group of satellites (about 24 satellites) orbiting the Earth at an
altitude of approximately 20 000 km.
There are three major components to a GPS system
1. Space based orbiting group of GPS satellites,
2. Earth based operational control stations,
3. GPS receiver.

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