Unit-5
Transducers
Introduction To Transducers
A transducer is a device that converts one form of energy to
other form. It converts the measured energy to a usable
electrical signal.
In other word it is a device that is capable of converting the
physical quantity into a proportional electrical quantity such
as voltage or current.
The physical quantity may be mechanical, chemical, optical
or thermal.
Transducers are classified based on,
Application.
Method of energy conversion.
Nature of output signal
Classifications
The transducers can be classified as:
Active and passive transducers.
Analog and digital transducers.
On the basis of transduction principle used.
Primary and secondary transducer
Transducers and inverse transducers
Active Transducers
These transducers do not need any external source of
power for their operation. Therefore they are also
called as self generating type transducers.
The active transducer are self generating devices
which operate under the energy conversion principle.
As the output of active transducers we get an
equivalent electrical output signal e.g. temperature or
strain to electric potential, without any external source
of energy being used.
Classification of Active transducers
Passive Transducers
These transducers need external source of power for
their operation. So they are not self generating type
transducers.
A DC power supply or an audio frequency generator is
used as an external power source.
These transducers produce the output signal in the
form of variation in resistance, capacitance, inductance
or some other electrical parameter in response to the
quantity to be measured
Classification of Passive transducers
Active and Passive transducers
Active Transducers Externally powered.
Self-generating type. Resistance type
Energy for generating Strain gauge
output is obtained from Potentiometric device
physical phenomenon. Thermistor
Thermocouple Inductive type
Piezoelectric transducer LVDT
Photovoltaic cell Capacitive type
Photoelectric
Hall effect transducer
(photoemission) cell
Passive Transducers
Resistive Transducer
Resistive transducers are those transducers in which
the resistance change due to the change in some
physical phenomenon.
The resistance of a metal conductor is expressed by a
simple equation.
R = ρL/A
Where R = resistance of conductor in Ω
L = length of conductor in m
A = cross sectional area of conductor in m2
ρ= resistivity of conductor material in Ω-m.
Capacitive Transducer
In capacitive transduction transducers the measured energy
converted to a change in the capacitance.
The relationship between the capacitance and the size of capacitor
plate, amount of plate separation, and the dielectric is given by
C = ε0εrA / d
d is the separation distance of plates (m)
C is the capacitance (F, Farad)
ε0: absolute permittivity of vacuum
εr: relative permittivity
A is the effective (overlapping) area of capacitor plates (m2)
A movable diaphragm forms one plate of the capacitor.
The distance between diaphragm and static plate
changes when a force applied to the diaphragm.
The change in capacitance is measured with an ac
bridge circuit or oscillator circuit as change in
frequency.
Can measure both static and dynamic changes.
Drawback
Sensitivity to temperature
Inductive Transducer
When a force is applied to the ferromagnetic armature,
the air gap changes, varying the reluctance of the
magnetic circuit.
Applied force is measure as change of inductance in
the coil.
Can measure both static and dynamic changes.
Drawback
Limited frequency response.
