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Pressure Sensor: Experiment 6

Pressure sensors convert pressure into an electrical signal. Common mechanical pressure sensors include Bourdon tubes, helical tubes, bellows, and diaphragms. Electrical pressure sensors operate on principles such as strain gauges, capacitance changes, or piezoelectricity. Strain gauge sensors use a Wheatstone bridge circuit with one arm attached to a flexible diaphragm. Capacitive sensors measure changes in capacitance between plates as one plate is attached to a deforming diaphragm. Piezoelectric sensors generate voltage when pressure is applied to piezoelectric crystals.

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Vineeth Valiyaveedu Vijayan
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© © All Rights Reserved
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204 views

Pressure Sensor: Experiment 6

Pressure sensors convert pressure into an electrical signal. Common mechanical pressure sensors include Bourdon tubes, helical tubes, bellows, and diaphragms. Electrical pressure sensors operate on principles such as strain gauges, capacitance changes, or piezoelectricity. Strain gauge sensors use a Wheatstone bridge circuit with one arm attached to a flexible diaphragm. Capacitive sensors measure changes in capacitance between plates as one plate is attached to a deforming diaphragm. Piezoelectric sensors generate voltage when pressure is applied to piezoelectric crystals.

Uploaded by

Vineeth Valiyaveedu Vijayan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pressure Sensor

Experiment 6
Pressure
• Pressure means how much something is
pushing on something else.
• It is expressed as force per unit area: P=F/A. In
technology, pressure is often specified in
multiples of atmospheric pressure.
Pressure Sensor Mechanical

• Bourdon tube
• Helix and spiral tubes
• Spring and bellows
• Diaphragm
• Manometer
Bourdon tube
• The Bourdon tube works on a simple principle that a bent
tube will change its shape when exposed to variations of
internal and external pressure. As pressure is applied
internally, the tube straightens and returns to its original
form when the pressure is released.

• The tip of the tube moves with the internal pressure


change and is easily converted with a pointer onto a scale.
A connector link is used to transfer the tip movement to
the geared movement sector. The pointer is rotated
through a toothed pinion by the geared sector.
Helix and Spiral Tubes
Helix and Spiral Tubes:
• Helix and spiral tubes are fabricated from the tubing into shapes as
per their naming. With one end sealed, the pressure exerted on the
tube causes the tube to straighten out. The amount of straightening
or uncoiling is determined by the pressure applied.

• The uncoiling part of the tube is mechanically linked to a pointer


which indicates the applied pressure on a scale.
• This has the added advantage over the C-bourdon tube as there are
no movement losses due to links and levers.

• Low-pressure elements have only two or three coils to sense the


span of pressures required, however, high-pressure sensing may
require up to 20 coils
Spring and Bellows:
• A bellows is an expandable element and is made up of
a series of folds which allow expansion. One end of the
Bellows is fixed and the other moves in response to the
applied pressure. A spring is used to oppose the
applied force and a linkage connects the end of the
bellows to a pointer for indication.

• The spring is added to the bellows for more accurate


measurement. The elastic action of the bellows by
themselves is insufficient to precisely measure the
force of the applied pressure.
Diaphragm:
• Many pressure sensors depend on the deflection of a diaphragm for measurement. The diaphragm
is a flexible disc, which can be either flat or with concentric corrugations and is made from sheet
metal with high tolerance dimensions.

• The diaphragm can be used as a means of isolating the process fluids, or for high-pressure
applications. It is also useful in providing pressure measurement with electrical transducers.

•
Manometer:
• The simplest form of a manometer is that of a
U-shaped tube filled with liquid.
• The reference pressure and the pressure to be
measured are applied to the open ends of the
tube. If there is a difference in pressure, then
the heights of the liquid on the two sides of
the tube will be different.
Pressure Sensor-Electrical
• A pressure sensor is a device which senses
pressure and converts it into an analog
electric signal whose magnitude depends
upon the pressure applied.
• Since they convert pressure into an electrical
signal, they are also termed as pressure
transducers.
Strain Gauge Type
• These sensors are similar to a wheat stone bridge in their working. In wheat stone
bridge, the ratio of resistances of two adjacent arms connected to one end of the
battery should be equal to that of other two arms connected to another end of
battery. When the two ratios are equal, no output is generated from the wheat
stone bridge.
Capacitive Pressure Sensor
• A capacitor has two metal plates and a
dielectric sandwiched between them
• In capacitive pressure sensor, one of these metal plates
is permitted to move in and out so that the capacitance
between them changes due to varying distance
between the plates.
• The movable plate is connected to a diaphragm which
senses the pressure and then expands or compresses
accordingly. The movement of the diaphragm would
affect the attached metal plate’s position and
capacitance would vary.
• These sensors, though much ineffective at high
temperatures, are widely used at ambient temperature
range due to their linear output.
Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor:
• Piezoelectric crystals develop a potential
difference (i.e. voltage is induced across the
surfaces) whenever they are subjected to any
mechanical pressure.
• These sensors have the crystal mounted on a
dielectric base so that there is no current
leakage. Attached to the crystal is a horizontal
shaft to which a diaphragm is connected.
Whenever the diaphragm senses pressure, it
pushes the shaft down which pressurizes the
crystal and voltage is produced.
• In the case of a strain gauge, one arm of the wheat stone
bridge is connected to a diaphragm.
• The diaphragm compresses and expands due to the
pressure applied. This variation in the diaphragm causes
the output in the bridge to vary.
• A voltage would be generated proportional to every
deviation from the normal balanced condition, so every
single compression or expansion movement of the
diaphragm will produce an output indicating a change in
pressure conditions.
• Since resistance change is the main cause for potential
difference, these sensors are also termed as piezo-resistive
type of pressure sensors.

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