Applied Instrumentation

EEN-208
Electrical Engineering Department
Practice Problems
Due: On or Before 24 April 2018

1. A capacitance-based displacement transducer of area 200 𝑚𝑚2 and distance h between the
plates is 5 mm and is filled with air. What is the maximum possible displacement of the
plates so that the nonlinearity does not exceed 3%? What is the sensitivity of this transducer
and what would be the sensitivity of a square moving plate sensor of 14 mm side of the
same air gap?

2. A temperature sensor has a span of 20°𝐶 to 250°𝐶. A measurement results in a value of

55°𝐶 for the temperature. Specify the error if the accuracy is (a) ±0.5% FS, (b) ±0.75%
of span, and (c) ±0.8% of reading. What is the possible temperature in each case?

3. A sample of metal resistance versus temperature has the following measured values:
T(℉) R(Ω)
60 106.0
65 107.6
70 109.1
75 110.2
80 111.1
85 111.7
90 112.2
Find the linear approximation of resistance versus temperature between 60℉ and 90℉.

4. A weight of 4.9 N rests on a rough horizontal floor that has a co-efficient of friction 0.5.
What is the smallest horizontal force that gives the weight an acceleration of 4 m/𝑠 2
approximately, if g = 9.8 m/𝑠 2 .

5. A mass-spring damper system with force as input and displacement of the mass as output
has a TF 𝐺(𝑠) = 1⁄(𝑠 2 + 24𝑠 + 900) . A force input F(t) = 10 sin(70t) Newton is applied
at time t=0s. A beam from a stroboscope is focused on the mass. In steady state, the strobe
frequency in hertz at which the mass appears to be stationary is?