8/18/2015

SensorSense:PiezoelectricForceSensors|SensorscontentfromMachineDesign

Subscribe

DigitalEdition

Advertise

ContactUs

RSS

REGISTER LOGIN
MachineDesign
Technologies

News

Markets

Community

LearningResources

Companies

PartSearch

HOME > TECHNOLOGIES > SENSORS > SENSOR SENSE: PIEZOELECTRIC FORCE SENSORS

SensorSense:PiezoelectricForceSensors
Somematerialsgenerateanelectricchargewhenplacedundermechanicalstress.
RobertRepas|MachineDesign
SHARE

Tweet

Feb7,2008
Recommend

COMMENTS 0

RELATED

PiezoelectricSensors
Reducedowntimewithvisionsensors
Currentsensorsexpandprecisionmotioncontrolcapabilities
Understandingbackgroundsuppressionsensors
Forexample,a2kNforceproperlyappliedtoacubiccentimetersizedquartzcrystal
producesover12.5kV.Voltagecreatedbyanappliedstressiscalledpiezoelectricity.
Unlikestraingagesthatcanmeasurestaticforces,piezoelectricforcesensorsaremostly
usedfordynamicforcemeasurementssuchasoscillation,impact,orhighspeed
compressionortension.Anyforceappliedtothepiezoelectricsensingelementproducesa
separationofchargeswithintheatomicstructureofthematerial,generatingan
electrostaticoutputvoltage.Thepolarityofthevoltagegenerateddependsontheatomic
structureofthematerialandthedirectioninwhichtheforceisapplied.
However,anyleakagepathletselectronsredistributeacrossthematerial,droppingthe
voltageoutputbacktozero.Internalleakagepathsareformedbyimpuritieswithinthe
crystalwhileexternalpathsarecreatedbytheelectronicsusedtomeasurethevoltage
generated.Allleakagesmustbeconsideredtodeterminethedischargetimeconstant
(DTC).TheDTCtypicallyfollowsanexponentialcurvesimilartoanRCtimeconstant
andisusedtodeterminethesensorslowestfrequencyresponse.
Inatypicalquartzbasedforcesensor,achargecollectionelectrodeissandwiched
betweentwoquartzcrystalelements.Thequartzelementsareorientedtosupplythesame
polarityvoltagetotheelectrodewhencompressed,whiletheoppositepolarityisapplied
tothesensorhousing.Thisassemblyresidesbetweentwomountingdisksheldtogetherby
anelastic,berylliumcopperstudandthenweldsealedwithintheenclosuretoprevent
contamination.Thestudpreloadsthequartzelementstoassureallpartsareinintimate
contactandtoprovidegoodlinearityandtensileforcemeasurements.
Whenaforceisappliedtotheimpactcap,thequartzelementsgenerateanoutput
voltagewhichcanberouteddirectlytoachargeamplifierorconvertedtoalow
impedancesignalwithinthesensor.Theuseofthedirectsensoroutputdemandsthatany
connector,cable,andchargeamplifierinputmustmaintainahighinsulationresistance
ontheorderof>10.
http://machinedesign.com/sensors/sensorsensepiezoelectricforcesensors

TopArticles
1. MachineDesignsProductsofthe
Week(8/108/17)
2. IntuitiveHMIFacilitatesGrinder
Control
3. MethodsforFasteningSheetMetal
WithoutFasteners
4. WhatAretheDifferencesBetweenthe
6TypesofASTMStandards?
5. 6TipsforTechnicalWriting

Commentaries and Blogs

5CommonMotorMyths
byStephenMraz
Posted1weekago
inASkepticalEngineer

NuclearGetsaNodinCleanPowerPlan,
butNoLoveinthePress
byLindseyFrick
Posted2weeksago
inBigIdeaEngineering

GetReadyforCleanEnergyfromNew
Nuclear
byLindseyFrick
Posted2weeksago
inBigIdeaEngineering

1/3

8/18/2015

SensorSense:PiezoelectricForceSensors|SensorscontentfromMachineDesign

LowimpedancequartzsensorshaveaninternalMOSFETamplifier.Itsoutputisalow
impedancevoltagesignalthatusesstandardcabling.However,forcesensorswithinternal
amplifiersdorequireexternalpowertooperatetheamp.
Signuptoreceiveourfreenewsletters

MotionMonitorNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample
TechInsider(Monthly)ViewSample
MechanicalMonthly(Monthly)View
Sample
CAD/CAM/CAEMonthlyNewsletter
(Monthly)ViewSample
MotorsMonthlyNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample
MaterialsMonthlyNewsletter
(Weekly)ViewSample
SensorSenseNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample
Electrical&ElectronicMonthly
Newsletter(Monthly)ViewSample
ProductSpotlight(Monthly)View
Sample
Fastening&JoiningMonthly(Monthly)
ViewSample
3DPrinting360(TwiceMonthly)View
Sample
EMAIL*

ThiscrosssectiondiagramofaSeries208QuartzForceSensorfromPCBPiezotronics
Inc.ofDepew,N.Y.,showsthebasicassemblyofapiezoelectricsensor.

COUNTRY*

UnitedStates

Enteryouremailabovetoreceivemessagesabout
offeringsbyPenton,itsbrands,affiliatesand/orthird
partypartners,consistentwithPentonsPrivacyPolicy.

SHARE

Tweet

Recommend

PleaseLogInorRegistertopostcomments.

Related Articles
PiezoelectricSensors
Reducedowntimewithvisionsensors

Currentsensorsexpandprecisionmotioncontrolcapabilities
Understandingbackgroundsuppressionsensors
Smartphotoelectricsensorsbringnewcapabilitiestothefactoryfloor

Search Parts
G0

poweredby:

DesignEngineering
Essentials

TheEssentialsofCAD/CAM/CAE
TheEssentialsofElectronicsandElectrical
Equipment
TheEssentialsofFastening,Joiningand
Assembly
TheEssentialsofFluidPower

http://machinedesign.com/sensors/sensorsensepiezoelectricforcesensors

2/3

8/18/2015

SensorSense:PiezoelectricForceSensors|SensorscontentfromMachineDesign
TheEssentialsofMaterialSelection
TheEssentialsofMotionControl
TheEssentialsofMechanicalSystems
Designatronics
XylemInc.
Wittenstein

ConnectWithUs

TwitterFacebook
LinkedIn
RSS

MachineDesign.com
Technologies News Markets Community LearningResources Companies PartSearch

Site Features

Penton Corporate

RSS

AboutUs

Sitemap

ContactUs

SiteArchive

PrivacyPolicy

Newsletter

TermsofService

ViewMobileSite

Follow Us

Search MachineDesign.com

Design, Engineering & Sourcing Related Websites

ElectronicDesign SourceESB Microwaves&RF PowerElectronics Hydraulics&Pneumatics MedicalDesign EngineeringTV
DefenseElectronics GlobalPurchasing ElectronicDesignEurope

Copyright2015Penton

http://machinedesign.com/sensors/sensorsensepiezoelectricforcesensors

3/3