Elastic Transducers
Dr. Deblina Biswas
Assistant Professor, I&C Engg
Elastic sensing elements
If a force is applied to a spring, then the amount of extension or
compression of the spring is approximately proportional to the applied
force.
This is the principle of elastic sensing elements which convert an
input force into an output displacement.
Elastic elements are also commonly used for measuring torque,
pressure and acceleration, which are related to force by the
equations:
Cont.
In a measurement system an elastic element will be followed
by a suitable secondary displacement sensor, e.g.
potentiometer, strain gauge or LVDT, which converts
displacement into an electrical signal. The displacement may
be translational or rotational.
The initial concept of. converting an applied force into a
displacement is basic to many types of transducers. The
mechanical elements which are used to convert the applied
force into a displacement are usually elastic members.
There are many types of these elastic members. They can be
classified into three categories, although some elastic members
may fall into a combination of these categories. The three
categories are :
Direct tension or compression type
Bending type
Torsion type
Different elastic
transduces
Pressure Sensitive Primary
Devices:
• Bourdon tubes
• Mechanical Springs
• Diaphragms
• Bellows
Elastic
pressure
sensing
elements
Bourdon Tubes
The Bourdon tubes are made out of an elliptically sectioned
flattened tube bent in such a way as to produce the above
mentioned shapes.
Cont.
The Bourdon tubes are made out of an elliptically
sectioned flattened tube bent in such a way as to produce
the above mentioned shapes.
One end of the tube is sealed or closed and physically
held.
The other end is open for the fluid to enter. When the
fluid whose pressure is to be measured enters the tube,
the tube tends to straighten out on account of the
pressure.
This causes the movement of the free end which is
measured. Bourdon tubes normally measure gauge
pressure.
The materials used for Bourdon tubes are brass, phosphor
bronze, beryllium copper, and steel
Diaphragms
The movement of a diaphragm is a
convenient way of sensing a
pressure. The unknown pressure is
applied to one side of the
diaphragm.
The edge of the diaphragm is rigidly
fixed and this causes a deflection.
The displacement of the center of
the diaphragm may be measured in
order to know the value of the
pressure, because the deflection is
directly proportional to the
pressure.
The diaphragms are of two types :
Flat
Corrugated.
Cont.
Corrugated diaphragms give
a larger displacement which
may be about 2 per cent of'
diaphragm diameter. In
order to obtain larger
deflections, two corrugated
diaphragms may be welded,
brazed or soldered to form a
Capsule.
The diaphragms are usually
made of mild steel
Cont.
Corrugated designs help in providing a linear
deflection and also increase the member
strength. The total amount of deflection for a
given pressure differential is known by the
following factors:
Number and depth of corrugation
Number of capsules
Capsule diameter
Shell thickness
Material characteristics
Material
Non-metallic or slack diaphragms are used for
measuring very small pressures.
The commonly used materials for making the
diaphragm are polythene, neoprene, animal
membrane, silk, and synthetic materials.
Due to their non-elastic characteristics, the
device will have to be opposed with external
springs for calibration and precise operation.
Cont.
The diaphragms may be membranes. However, it is usual
to employ thin circular plates which may either be
clamped around their circumference between two solid
rings or are machined from a solid piece of metal.
A flat diaphragm is shown in Fig.
E =Young's modulus ; N/m2
t=thickness of diaphragm ; m,
D=diameter of diaphragm; m,
v=Poisson's ratio,
dm=deflection at the centre of the diaphragm ; m.
Cont.
The above relationship between pressure, and the
deflection at the center, dm, is linear.
But linearity holds good as long as dm<<0.5t and not
otherwise. The maximum stress at the circumference of
diaphragm is :
The lowest natural frequency for air or gas medium is :
where ρ =density of diaphragm material, kg/m3
Advantages
Good for low pressure
Inexpensive
Wide range
Reliable and proven
Used to measure gauge, atmospheric and differential pressure
Bellows.
Cont.
Bellows is a thin walled tube approximately o· 1 mm thick having a
corrugated shape.
It is made from a single piece of metal, usually special brass or
stainless steel. Bellows is essentially a pressure activated spring.
The displacement of the Bellows for a particular pressure depends
upon the type and the thickness of the material used,
It is observed from above that the action of the Bourdon tube, the
diaphragm and the Bellows are all based upon the elastic
deformations brought out by the force resulting from pressure
summation.
The deformations or mechanical displacements are normally very
small to be detectable with good accuracy by mechanical means and
hence secondary transducers which are electrical in nature have to be
used invariably and probably compulsarily in order that the output is
in a intelligible and interpretable form.
Cont.
A bellow gauge contains
an elastic element that
is a convoluted unit
that expands and
contracts axially with
change in pressure.
