Development of a PVDF film sensor for infrastructure monitoring

Debashis Satpathi; J. P. Victor; Ming L. Wang; H.Y. Yang; C. C. Shih

doi:10.1117/12.348658

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18 May 1999 Development of a PVDF film sensor for infrastructure monitoring

Debashis Satpathi, J. P. Victor, Ming L. Wang, H.Y. Yang, C. C. Shih

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Proceedings Volume 3671, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.348658
Event: 1999 Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 1999, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Development of a health monitoring system is of vital importance for all civil infrastructures. However, this effort has been stymied in part by the lack of suitable low priced sensors and associated signal conditioning. Very often the requirement of a controlled stable power supply to the sensor itself poses another challenge. Piezoelectric polymer films offer an excellent alternative to the ubiquitous strain gage technology. The PVDF film generates an electrical charge when mechanically deformed. The PVDF film is typically a high impedance source with a capacitance in the nanofarad range and measurement of low frequency event can pose a challenge. The authors have utilized a charge mode amplification scheme for measuring quasi-static processes. The processed signal can be transmitted to a data acquisition system via a RF microelectronic circuit. The PVDF film as a transducer can be cut to very small size and are very affordable at around 50 cents per sensor. The whole circuitry can be integrated into one single unit. It would require very low power to function and could be embedded in the structure for a large number of remote applications. In this article the authors have reported the result of the various characterization test that have been carried out to determine the suitability of the basic film as the core of an autoadaptive sensor system to be designed for infrastructure monitoring.

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Debashis Satpathi, J. P. Victor, Ming L. Wang, H.Y. Yang, and C. C. Shih "Development of a PVDF film sensor for infrastructure monitoring", Proc. SPIE 3671, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways, (18 May 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.348658

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