‫بسمميحرلا نمحرلا هللا‬

Alsalama College of Sciences &Technology

Electrical Engineering Department

Transducers & Sensors

Transducers for Length

1
Ust. Mujahed Eltijani Ali
 Transducers for Length
Transducers for Length
Displacement Transducer
 A device which converts linear or angular motion into
electrical output signal is known as displacement transducer.
 Examples: LVDT, RVDT and Resistive Potentiometer
1. Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)
 LVDT is an inductive type passive transducer.
 It converts linear displacement into electrical voltage.
 The linear variable differential transformer(LVDT) is a type of
electrical transducer used for measuring linear displacement
 The transducer has three coils placed end-to-end around a tube.
 The center coil is the primary, and the two outer coils are the
secondary.
Principle
 It is based on the principle of electro-magnetic induction.
 Transducers for Length
Construction
 LVDT consist of cylindrical transformer where it is surrounded by one
primary winding in the center of the former and two secondary windings at
the sides.
 The number of turns in both the secondary windings are equal but they are
opposite to each other.
 The primary winding is connected to the AC source.
 A movable soft iron core slides within hollow former and therefore affects
magnetic coupling between primary and two secondary.
Transducers for Length
 Operation
 When the iron core lies at the center of both secondary, the output
differential voltage remains unaffected and have zero magnitude.
 When the core moves towards secondary-1, it induces more emf
across it and less emf across secondary-2. Let’s assume that it is
positive displacement due to more flux links with the secondary-1
than secondary-2.
 When the core moves towards secondary-2, it induces more emf
across it and less emf across secondary-1. Let’s assume that it is
negative displacement due to more flux links with the secondary-2
than secondary-1.
 The output differential voltage is proportional to the displacement
of the iron core.
 Transducers for Length

Advantages
1. High range
2. No frictional losses
3. High input and high sensitivity
4. Low power consumption
5. Direct conversion to electrical signals

Disadvantages
They are affected by vibrations and temperature.
 Transducers for Length
Example
 Transducers for Length

2. Rotary Variable Differential Transformer (RVDT)

 RVDT is an inductive type passive transducer.

 It converts rotary or angular displacement into electrical

voltage.

Principle

It is based on the principle of electro-magnetic induction.

 Transducers for Length
Construction
1. RVDT consist of rotating iron core and one primary excitation
coil and two secondary output coils.
2. A fixed alternating current excitation is applied to the primary
stator coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the secondary
coils.
3. This coupling is proportional to the angle of the input shaft.
 Transducers for Length
Operation

 When the iron core lies at the center of

both secondary, the output differential
voltage remains unaffected and have
zero magnitude.
 When the core moves towards secondary-1, it induces more emf
across it and less emf across secondary-2. Let’s assume that it is
positive displacement due to more flux links with the secondary-1
than secondary-2.
 When the core moves towards secondary-2, it induces more emf
across it and less emf across secondary-1. Let’s assume that it is
negative displacement due to more flux links with the secondary-2
than secondary-1.
 The output differential voltage is proportional to the angular motion
of the iron core.
 Transducers for Length

Advantages

1. Low cost

2. Small size

3. Simple control

Disadvantage

They are affected by vibrations and temperature.

 Transducers for Length

3. Resistive Potentiometer
Transducers for Length
 Transducers for Length
Example
A resistive positive displacement transducer with a shaft stroke
of 10cm is used in the circuit of figure below. The total
resistance of potentiometer is 500Ω and the applied voltage Vi is
15V. If the wiper, W is 7.5cm from A, what is the value of
(a) R1
(b) R2
(c) Vo

(a) R1 375 Ω
(b) R2 125Ω
(c) Vo 3.75V