Introduction To Instrumentation Engineering: Chapter 3: Sensors and Transducers by Sintayehu Challa
Introduction To Instrumentation Engineering: Chapter 3: Sensors and Transducers by Sintayehu Challa
Signal Signal
Sensing conversion/ Output
conditioning
element processing presentation
element
element
Non-electrical Electrical
quantity signal
Sensors
Elements which generate variation of electrical quantities (EQ) in
response to variation of non-electrical quantities (NEQ)
Examples of NEQ
Temperature, displacement, humidity, fluid flow, speed, pressure,…
System
Controller under
Desires signal control Output signal
Sensor
Secondary sensor
The output of the primary sensor is fed to another (secondary)
sensor that converts the NEQ to EQ
NEQ NEQ EQ
Load Strain-
cell gauge
Primary Secondary
sensor sensor
Weight Displacement Resistance
(Force F) d R
NEQ EQ
Active
Ex. Temperature sensors Voltage or current
Digital sensor
Has an output that varies in discrete steps or pulses or sampled form
and so can have a finite number of values
E.g., Revolution counter: A cam, attached to a revolving body whose
motion is being measured, opens and closes a switch
The switching operations are counted by an electronic counter
R (T ) R0 [1 1T 2T 2 ...] R0 [1 T ]
Where is the temperature coefficient of resistance and given as
1 R
T R0
Example: Platinum
Has a linear temperature-resistance characteristics
Reproducible over a wide range of temperature
Platinum Thermometers are used for temperature measurement
ECEg535:-Instrumentation Eng'g
By Sintayehu Challa
Resistive Sensors – Strain Gauges
Is a secondary transducer that senses tensile or
compressive strain in a particular direction at a point on
the surface of a body or structure
Used to measure force, pressure, displacement
R R ( e)
Where e=l/l is the strain
The resistance of an unstrained conductor is given as
l
R
A
Under strained condition, resistance of conductor changes
by R because of l, A, and/or
R RD e E
Where RD is Dark Resistance and E is illumination level in Lux
Piezoelectric accelerometer
Instrum. & Control Eng. for Energy Systems - Ch. 4 Sensors and Transducers 71