Introduction to Mechatronics Mech-1540

Sensors 1

Stefan B. Williams

1540 Introduction To Mechatronics: Slide 1

Schedule of Events
Week 1 2 Date 13/3 20/3 Content Introduction Design Process Q 1 of Assign. 1 Assignment Notes

27/3

Actuators

Q 2 of Assign 1

4
5 6

3/4
10/4 17/4

Sensors
Assignment 1 Design Exercise Computer Hardware MID SEMESTER BREAK

Q 3 of Assign 1
Due 11/4
Q 1 of Assign 2 Q 2 of Assign 2 Q 3 of Assign 2 Q 4 of Assign 2

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

1/5 8/5 15/5 22/5 29/5 5/6 12/6 19/6

Computer Software and Design Tools System Modelling and Control Assignment 2 - Control and Modelling Active Sensor Systems (Graham Brooker) Case Study : Formula SAE Case Study : Unmanned Air/Land/Sea Vehicles Major Assignment Spare

Due 16/5

Due 13/6

Stefan B. Williams

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Industrial Sensors
Proximity
Mechanical Optical Inductive/Capacitive

Position/Velocity
Potentiometer LVDT Encoders Tachogenerator

Force/Pressure Vibration/acceleration
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Definitions
Accuracy: The agreement between the actual value and the measured value Resolution: The change in measured variable to which the sensor will respond Repeatability: Variation of sensor measurements when the same quantity is measured several times Range: Upper and lower limits of the variable that can be measured Sensitivity and Linearity

Stefan B. Williams

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Proximity Sensors
Widely used in general industrial automation
Conveyor lines (counting,jam detection, etc) Machine tools (safety interlock, sequencing)

Usually digital (on/off) sensors detecting the presence or absence of an object Consist of:
Sensor head: optical, inductive, capacitive Detector circuit Amplifier Output circuit: TTL, solid state relay
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Stefan B. Williams

Mechanical Proximity Switches

Essentially a mechanical switch On/off operation only Two general modes

Normally Open (NO) Normally Closed (NC)

Come in a wide variety of mechanical forms For a wide range of uses

Actuator Common

Normally Closed

Normally Open
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Example Mechanical Proximity Switches

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When to Use Mechanical Proximity Switches

Where physical contact is possible Where definitive position is required In operation-critical or safety-critical situations Where environment conditions preclude the use of optical or inductive sensors

Stefan B. Williams

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Applications and Use of Mechanical Proximity Switches

Easy to integrate into machinery of all types Requires contact (thus wear) Range of voltages: DC 0-1000V, AC, etc. Very robust (explosion proof if required) Usually used as:
Limit switch Presence/absence indicator Door closed/open

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Places You Find Mechanical Proximity Switches !

Stefan B. Williams

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Optical Proximity Sensors

Consist of a light source (LED) and light detector (phototransistor) Modulation of signal to minimize ambient lighting conditions Various models: 12-30V DC, 24-240V AC, power Output: TTL 5V, Solid-state relay, etc.

Modulator

Power Mixer Signal

Power Supply

Load

Demodulator Amplifier

Output

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Operational Modes
Through Beam:
Long range (20m) Alignment is critical !

Retro-reflective
Range 1-3m Popular and cheap

Diffuse-reflective
Range 12-300mm Cheap and easy to use

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Example Optical Proximity I

Optical Fibre Delivery System

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Example Optical Proximity II

Slot Beam Systems

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When to use an Optical Proximity Sensor

Non-contact, no moving parts, small. Fast switching, no switch bounce. Insensitive to vibration and shock Many configurations available

Alignment always required Can be blinded by ambient light conditions (welding for example) Requires clean, dust and water free, environment
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Applications of Optical Proximity Sensors

Stack height control/box counting Fluid level control (filling and clarity) Breakage and jam detection And many others
http://www.omron-ap.com/application_ex/index.htm http://www.sick.de/english/products/products.htm http://content.honeywell.com/sensing/prodinfo/

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Other Optical Devices

Collision Detection

Light Curtain

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Ultrasonic Proximity Sensors

Use sound pulses Measures amplitude and time of flight Range provides more than on/off information Frequencies 40KHz-2MHz Vibrating Membrane (metal or ceramic) Pulse
Sensor Object

Echo
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When to use Ultrasonic Sensors

Provide range data directly: Level monitoring of solid and liquids Approach warning (collisions) Can (usually) work in heavy dust and water Ambient noise is potentially an issue
http://www.automationsensors.com/

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Example Applications
Car Wash Application Paper roll Thickness Monitor Waste water flow volume

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Inductive and Capacitive Proximity Sensors

Inductive sensors use change in local magnetic field to detect presence of metal target Capacitive Sensors use change in local capacitance caused by non-metallic objects Generally short ranges only Regarded as very robust and reliable

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Example Inductive Sensors I

Detection of open/close functions Detection of rotation

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Example Inductive Sensors II

Bulk mounted inductive sensors. Detect presence of object without contact. Range 3mm +/- 10%

Stefan B. Williams

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Example Capacitive Sensors

Panel Mounted Capacitive Sensor. Can detect wood, plastic and metal. Range 3mm-25mm

Flat mounted Capacitive Sensor. Used for detecting panels of glass. Range=10mm +/- 10%
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Position and Velocity Measurement

Position and velocity measurement is often required in feedback loops For positioning, and velocity control Position measurement:
Potentiometers LVDT Encoders

Velocity Measurement: Tachometer

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Potentiometers
An analog sensor Works as a voltage divider

Vin

R Vout

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Types of Potentiometer
Wirewound
Wiper slides along coil of Ni-chrome wire Wire tends to fail, temperature variations

Cermet
Wiper slides on conductive ceramic track Better than wire inmost respects

Plastic film
High resolution Long life and good temperature stability

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Linear Potentiometers

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When to use a Potentiometer

Require analog signal for control Require absolute positional information Low cost Temperature and wear variations Not in dusty or wet environments

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Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)

An LVDT consists of a magnetic core that moves in a cylinder The sleeve of the cylinder contains a primary coil that is driven by an oscillating voltage The sleeve also contains two secondary coils that detect this oscillating voltage with a magnitude equal to displacement The automatic nulling that can be achieved using two coils makes LVDTs very accurate (submillimetre)

Vinsint Voutsin(t+)
Phase measurement

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LVDT Signal Conditioning

Uses AC modulation, demodulation and phase comparison Available in a single monolithic package
LVDT Power Supply Carrier Oscillator Amplitude Control Current Amplifier Phase Shifter
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Zero Set

Demodulator

AC Power
Stefan B. Williams

Example LVDTs
Free core LVDTs for use in hostile environments And total emersion

Spring-loaded Standard for use In hydraulic cylinders

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When to use an LVDT

High accuracy Linear operation (synchro resolver is equivalent rotary LVDT) Harsh environment Analog position control Embedding (in cylinder for example)

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Optical Encoders
Encoders are digital Sensors commonly used to provide position feedback for actuators Consist of a glass or plastic disc that rotates between a light source (LED) and a pair of photodetectors Disk is encoded with alternate light and dark sectors so pulses are produced as disk rotates

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Encoder Internal Structure

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Incremental Encoders
Pulses from leds are counted to provide rotary position Two detectors are used to determine direction (quadrature) Index pulse used to denote start point Otherwise pulses are not unique
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Absolute Encoders
Absolute encoders have a unique code that can be detected for every angular position Often in the form of a grey code; a binary code of minimal change Absolute encoders are much more complex and expensive than incremental encoders
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Encoder processing
Need a squaring circuit to digitise signal A counter and index monitor Generally available in monolithic form Often with algorithms for control externally programmable

Stefan B. Williams

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When to Use an Encoder

Require accurate position information:
10,000 line incremental 360 line absolute

Digital feed-back loop Compact and reasonably rugged (not as good as inductive) Linear encoders also available
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Tachometers
Measurement of rotary speed using a DC generator Essentially a motor running in reverse Used to be common to have these attached to motors to enable direct analog feedback Much less common now with digital control (use incremental encoders)
Stefan B. Williams

Tacho generator for large industrial plant (GE)

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Force and Pressure

Force and Pressure generally measured indirectly through deflection of an alternate surface Mechanism include:
Physical motion and measurement using (eg) an LVDT Strain gauges (metal that changes resistance when stressed) Piezo electric materials that generate a current when deformed
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LVDT Load Cell

Table Force Spring or Piston LVDT

Outer Platform

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Strain Gauge Bridge

GF =
Tension

R= R L L R = R GF

Vmeas R3 R2 = Strain Gauges Vexc R3 + R4 R1 + R2 assume R1 = R2 , R4 = RG , R3 = RG + R 4Vmeas then = GF ( 2Vmeas Vexc )

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Example Load Cells

Subminature Load cells

Reaction torque load cell

Axial load cell

http://www.entran.com/ltoc.htm
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Sub-miniature Load cells

All signal conditioning and amplification integrated with the sensor

Stefan B. Williams

Load cell bridge structure

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Piezo Load Cells

Distortion of crystal, either quartz or BaTiO3 Used for accurate measurement of small loads Come in the form of: single axis load washers or multiple axis load washers and tables

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Pressure
Pressure measured by:
Pitot tube and Deformation of fixed membrane

Deformation measured using same methods as for force: Industry IP69 Spring (manometer) Piezo distortion Strain gauges

Miniature

High Temperature
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Acceleration
Acceleration is also measured via the force exerted by an accelerating mass Distortion of a piezo Motion of a cantilever Strain on mass restraints Accelerometers mainly used to measure vibration
Stefan B. Williams

Single Axis, 10,000g

Shielded for Severe environment EMI shielded

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Tri-axial Accelerometers
Triaxial accelerometers used in mobile systems
In high-performance cars Inside rotating elements of turbines In aircraft elements

Triple axis Accelerometer For racing cars

Provide vibration information Provide short-term position data

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Silicon Machined Accelerometers

Used in eg air-bags

Cantilever beams
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Silicon Gyroscopes
Structural arrangement of silicon which records centrifugal acceleration and thus angular speed Use strain-gauge bridges and/or piezo structure to record deformations Multiple component elements to calibrate other accelrations
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Inertial Systems
Many different types of accelerometer and gyroscope systems Mechanical bodies, fibre optic, etc Together in an orthogonal arrangement of accelerometers and gyroscopes, these comprise an inertial measurement unit (IMU) An IMU that is used for navigation is called an inertial navigation system (INS) These are widely used in aircraft and missile navigation and guidance
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Aerospace INS

Ballistic Missile

Aircraft

http://www.littongcs.com/products/2guidance/space/overview.html
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