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EE 4900: Fundamentals of Sensor Design

Lecture 4
Pressure Sensing

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Pressure Sensing
Q: What are we measuring?
A: Relative Pressure or Gauge Pressure.
Pressure is Force (F) per Unit Area (A); P=F/A

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Units of Pressure
SI units: Pascal (Pa), Torr

1 Pa=1 N/m2=9.869x10-6 atm=7.5x10-3 mmHg=7.5x10-3 Torr

1 atm. = 760 Torr = 101.325 kPa

1 psi (pound per square inch) = 6.89x103 Pa = 0.0703 atm

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Pressure Sensing: Basics
 Pressure sensors convert input pressures into electrical outputs
(usually voltage)
 Pressure sensors measure pressure, force, and airflow

Application
 Water level in the washer
 Car exhaust system

Car Exhaust Gas Sensor

Washer Water Level Sensor

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Pressure Sensing: Basics
Application
 Monitor blood pressure and intravenous infusion
 Control HVAC system
 Altimeter in the airplane

Blood Pressure Monitor

HVAC System Pressure Sensor

Altimeter
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Pressure Sensor Types
 Mercury Pressure Sensor
 U-shaped wire is suspended in mercury
 The resistance of wire is balanced at two ends
 As pressure applies to the left tube, mercury will be pushed into the
right tube
 More resistance in the left tube and less resistance in the right tube
 As a result there will be a disbalance in the bridge circuit which is
related to the change in pressure

Dynisco Melt Pressure Sensor

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Pressure Sensor Types
Vaccum Sensors: Pirani Gauge

 Measure pressure in vacuum systems
 Based on thermal conductivity
 Platinum RTD measures amount of heat
loss which depends on the gas pressure

Pirani Gauge
Optoelectronic Pressure Sensors
 Optical cavity with Fabry-Perot interferometer
 Measure deflection of the diaphragm

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Pressure Sensor Types
Capacitive Pressure Sensors
 Si diaphragm: displacement changes capacitance
 Good for sensing low pressures
 Planar diaphragms are more sensitive

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Pressure Sensor Types
Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors
 Deformable membrane or plate deflects (moves) due to the
pressure
 This deflection is measured by Piezoresistors
Piezoresistors

MPM283: Liquid Pressure

Sensor by MicroSensor

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Piezoresistive Pressure Sensing
 Piezoresistors are formed by a) epitaxial growth (layer is
deposited) or b) diffusion or c) ion implantation of a certain
material on Si
 Si is etched with special etchant to create the diaphragm
 The resistors are connected in half-bridge or full-bridge
configuration to measure the pressure differential

Ref:
[1] Demystifying Piezoresistors, http://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/871
[2] Piezoresistive Pressure and Temperature Sensor Cluster: http://www.microsystems.metu.edu.tr/piezops/piezops.html
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Piezoresistive Sensing: Strain Gauges

Strain Gauges can measure

Strain: Piezoresistive Effect

Force: Strain gauge in a load cell
Pressure: Diaphragm to Force to Strain
Flow Rate: Differential Pressure

Load Cell Force Sensor Load Cell Pressure Sensor Load Cell Flow Sensor
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Piezoresistive Sensing: Strain Gauges
Strain Gauge

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Piezoresistive Effect
Q: What is a Piezoresistive effect?
A: When mechanical strain (due to pressure, force etc) is applied to
a material, it deforms and its electrical resistance changes
Resistance of a l where, ρ=resistivity [Ωm],
R
conductor a a=cross sectional area [m2],
l=length [m],
2 2
l l l v=volume [m3]
R   ;
a a l v Constant
dR 
2 l Deformation
dl v
    dl dl
dR  2 l  dl  2 l   2 R
v a  l l
dR dl dR dl
2  S e  GF  
R l R l
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Piezoresistive Effect (Continued)
F dl dR dl
   E  E   S e  GF  
a l R l
where, σ=stress or pressure [Pa], Piezoresistive Effect
E=Young's modulus [Pa]
ε=Strain
Se=GF=gauge factor or
Applied Stress=Pressure
strain sensitivity
R GF
    GF  
R E

Relative Change in Resistance

R GF R E
     p 
R E R GF
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Piezoresistive Pressure Sensing: Wheatstone Bridge
Q: What does the Wheatstone Bridge measure?
A: Relative Change in Resistance

Quarter Bridge Circuit Half Bridge Circuit Full Bridge Circuit

Half Bridge Circuit

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Quarter Bridge Circuit
Quarter Bridge Circuit
 R2 R4 
Vout    Vin
R1 R3  R1  R2 R3  R4 
Unknown  R4 
 R2 
Resistor Vout  0   Vin   Vin
R2 R4  R1  R2   R3  R4 
R1 R3
 
R2 R4
where, Vout=V+OUT - V-OUT
R3
Vin=V+IN - V-IN R4  R2
R1
Make R3=R1
Tune R2 till Vout = 0 (Iout = 0)
Then R4=R2

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Quarter Bridge Circuit and Strain Gauge
Quarter Bridge Circuit

R R
Strain
Gauge
R R+∆R  
 R  R R  1 R / R 

Vout   Vin Vout   Vin
4  1  R / R 
 2 R  R 2 R  
 2 

where, Vout=V+OUT - V-OUT
Vin=V+IN - V-IN  
1  GF   
Vout   Vin
4  1  GF   
 
 2 

Prone to Temperature Variation

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Half Bridge Circuit and Strain Gauge
Half Bridge Circuit

R-∆R (compression)
R
Strain
Gauges
R R+∆R (tension)

tension

where, Vout=V+OUT - V-OUT

Vin=V+IN - V-IN

Compression
Resistance increases under tension
Resistance decreases under compression

Common-mode effect= temperature variation is eliminated

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Half Bridge Circuit and Strain Gauge
Half Bridge Circuit

R-∆R (compression)

Strain  R  R R   R 
Vout   Vin   Vin
Gauges  2R 2R   2R 
R+∆R (tension)

 GF   Vin
1
Vout
where, Vout=V+OUT - V-OUT 2
Vin=V+IN - V-IN

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Full Bridge Circuit and Strain Gauge
Full Bridge Circuit Vout=V+OUT - V-OUT
Vin=V+IN - V-IN
R+∆R (tension) R-∆R (compression)

Strain Strain
Gauges Gauges
R-∆R R+∆R (tension)
(compression)

 R  R R  R   R  Vout  GF   Vin

Vout    
 in 
V Vin
 2R 2R   R 

 GF  R E Vout E
Vout    Vin       σ=stress
 E  R GF Vin GF ="pressure" [N/m2]

More Sensitive than Half Bridge Circuit (why?)

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Example: Pressure Sensor

Columbia Research Labs 100P

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Assignment 2
Simulation
 Simulate Pressure Sensor System (Strain Gauge)
 Quarter Bridge
 Full Bridge
 Use Multisim (or Simscape or Cppsim)

Input Signal
Pressure Change Change Conditioning DAQ
[Pa] in resistance in voltage (Amplifier (NI myDAQ)
if necessary)
Pressure (Wheatstone Bridge)
Sensor Display
(Labview)
ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Assignment 3
Experiment
 Build Strain Gauge System
 Use Ni DAQ with Multisim
 Display Unknown Stress (Pressure)

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik

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Gauge Factor for Different Materials
Metals: typically between 2 and 4

Ref: Electrical Resistance Strain Gauge Circuits, Georgia Tech

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik
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Gauge Factors for Various Strain Gauge Grids

Ref: Electrical Resistance Strain Gauge Circuits, Georgia Tech

ECE 5900/6900 Fundamentals of Sensor Design Dr. Suketu Naik