Preliminary investigation of a differential pressure sensor using flexible piezoelectrics with pyroelectric compensation

Arun K. Ramanathan; Leon M. Headings; Marcelo J. Dapino

doi:10.1117/12.2558725

20 May 2020 Preliminary investigation of a differential pressure sensor using flexible piezoelectrics with pyroelectric compensation

Arun K. Ramanathan, Leon M. Headings, Marcelo J. Dapino

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11382, Smart Structures and NDE for Industry 4.0, Smart Cities, and Energy Systems; 113820I (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2558725
Event: SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

Pressure sensors that can provide both high temporal and spatial resolutions are desired for the measurement of aerodynamic and acoustic events, ultrasonics, and underwater phenomena. Piezoelectric materials are attractive candidates for measuring dynamic pressure due to their high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio, and potential for miniaturization. However, their inability to directly measure static pressure prevents their use in many applications. Due to their strong pyroelectric response, their use is also generally limited to conditions where the rate of temperature change is below the lower cutoff frequency of the measurement system. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a polymer with a high piezoelectric sensitivity which is readily available as a flexible, tough film. Under steady ow conditions, configuring PVDF as a cantilever unimorph provides a higher pressure sensitivity than alternatives such as compressive, doubly clamped, or diaphragm configurations. In this work, we demonstrate a differential aerodynamic pressure sensor based on a cantilever PVDF unimorph that has been optimized to maximize pressure sensitivity for a targeted deflection sensitivity. The sensor is characterized using a laboratory-scale wind tunnel for flows ranging from 0 to 12 ms^-1. Near-static measurements are enabled by a compensated charge amplifier with an extremely low cutoff frequency. The pyroelectric voltage generated from changes in the air ow temperature is compensated using a PVDF sensor in compressive mode. Within the tested pressure range of 0 to 80 Pa, the sensor exhibits a proportional response with a sensitivity of 0.97 mV Pa^-1.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Arun K. Ramanathan, Leon M. Headings, and Marcelo J. Dapino "Preliminary investigation of a differential pressure sensor using flexible piezoelectrics with pyroelectric compensation", Proc. SPIE 11382, Smart Structures and NDE for Industry 4.0, Smart Cities, and Energy Systems, 113820I (20 May 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2558725

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available