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Types and Selection of Transducers

Transducers convert one form of energy into another for measurement purposes. They are classified based on their operating principle and whether they are primary or secondary. Primary transducers directly convert the measured quantity into a mechanical or electrical signal, while secondary transducers convert the mechanical signal from a primary transducer into an electrical signal. Common primary transducers include resistive, inductive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and photoelectric devices. Selection of a transducer depends on factors like sensitivity, operating range, accuracy, and the measurable quantity.

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143 views4 pages

Types and Selection of Transducers

Transducers convert one form of energy into another for measurement purposes. They are classified based on their operating principle and whether they are primary or secondary. Primary transducers directly convert the measured quantity into a mechanical or electrical signal, while secondary transducers convert the mechanical signal from a primary transducer into an electrical signal. Common primary transducers include resistive, inductive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and photoelectric devices. Selection of a transducer depends on factors like sensitivity, operating range, accuracy, and the measurable quantity.

Uploaded by

Aurongo Nasir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Transducers

Transducer is a device that converts primary form of energy into other different energy form
only for measurement purposes.

Classification of Transducers
• Principle of use: resistive, capacitive, inductive, piezoelectric, photoelectric, etc
• Primary or secondary
• Active or passive
• Analog or digital

Primary vs Secondary Transducers


Some transducers contain the mechanical as well as electrical devices. The mechanical or
electrical device that converts the physical quantity into mechanical signal is called primary
transducer. The electrical device that convert mechanical signal into a corresponding
electrical signal is known as secondary transducer.

Typical primary transducers are:


a) Mechanical
• Contacting pin, spindle or finger: displacement to distance
• Elastic member: pressure / force to displacement
• Mass: pressure / force to displacement
• Thermal: temperature to current
• Hydro-pneumatic: velocity to pressure

b) Electrical
• Resistive: displacement to resistance change
• Inductive: displacement /velocity to inductance change
• Capacitive: displacement to capacitance change
• Electronic: displacement to current / voltage
• Piezoelectric: pressure to voltage
• Photoelectric: light to voltage

Active vs Passive Transducers


Active transducers add energy to the measurement environment as part of the measurement
process. It requires external power supply. Examples are strain gauge, potentiometer, etc. On
the other hand, passive transducers do not add energy but may remove it and it does not
require external power. Typical examples are thermocouple, photo-voltaic cell, etc.
Selection of Transducer
• Sensitivity: must be sensitive enough to produce detectable output
• Operating range: should maintain the range requirement and have a good resolution
over the entire range
• Accuracy: high accuracy is desired
• Cross sensitivity: needed for measuring mechanical quantities, in the situation where
actual quantity is measured in one plane and the transducer is subjected to variation in
another plane
• Errors: should maintain expected input-output relationship as described by the
transfer function so as to avoid errors
• Operating principle: should be appropriately selected

Measurable Quantity
• Acoustic: wave (amplitude, phase, polarization), spectrum, velocity
• Electric: charge, current, voltage, electric field (amplitude, phase, polarization,
spectrum), conductivity, permittivity,
• Magnetic: magnetic field (amplitude, phase, polarization, spectrum), flux,
permeability
• Optical: wave (amplitude, phase, polarization, spectrum), velocity, refractive index,
emissivity, reflectivity, absorption
• Thermal: temperature, flux, specific heat, thermal conductivity
• Mechanical: position (linear, angular), acceleration, force, stress, pressure, strain,
mass, density, moment, torque, shape, roughness, orientation, stiffness, compliance,
crystallinity, structure

Resistive Transducer
Inductive Transducer (LVDT)

Capacitive Transducer
Piezoelectric Transducer

Ultrasound Transducer

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