SNS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

(An Autonomous Institution)

Coimbatore – 35
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING

Piezo Resistive pressure sensor

Principle :

When a wire is subjected to pressure from all sides its electrical resistance changes.This principle
can be utilized to obtain a primary type resistive pressure sensor and its often known as
Bridgman type transducer.

Construction and working:

The constructional feature of a Bridgman gauge has improved since it was first proposed.A bone
ring of about 1 cm diameter and 0.5cm thickness is wound with a 38 gauge insulated maganin
wore having a β=23x107 cm2/kg so that the total resistance of the wire is 100 ohm. The winding
is generally bifilar for avoiding inductive effect. Carbon can also be used for pressure
measurement in the form of granules or discs.

The approximate relation for small pressure change DP is given by the linear equation

Rp=R0 (1+βp)

Where R0 is the resistance at standard atmospheric condition and b is the pressure coefficient of
resistance and is quite large for small alkali metals, antimony and bismuth.

16EI212 Industrial Instrumentation I

Resonator pressure sensor:

A resonator presasure transducer includes a generally disc- shaped resonator section, a housing
surrounding the resonator section and joined to the perimeter thereof, with the walls of the
housing extending in opposite directions generally normal to the plane of the resonator section.

The housing and resonator section are formed so that the frequency of vibration of the resonator
section is subtantially independent of temperature and relatively independent of temperature
trasients.

16EI212 Industrial Instrumentation I