Version 1.0, August 31, 2001, Copyright, Hugh Jack 1993-2001

13.2 SENSOR TYPES

 

· A list of physical properties, and sensors to measure them is given below,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

· Common transducers,

  1. - Ammeter - meter to indicate electrical current
  2. - Bourdon tube - widely used industrial gage to measure pressure and vacuum
  3. - Chromatographic instruments - laboratory-type instruments used to analyze chemical compounds and gases.
  4. - Inductance-coil pulse generator - transducer used to measure rotational speed. Output is pulse train.
  5. - Linear-Variable-Differential transformer (LVDT) electromechanical transducer used to measure angular or linear displacement. Output is Voltage
  6. - Manometer - liquid column gage used widely in industry to measure pressure.
  7. - Ohmmeter - meter to indicate electrical resistance
  8. - Optical Pyrometer - device to measure temperature of an object at high temperatures by sensing the brightness of an objects surface.
  9. - Orifice Plate - widely used flowmeter to indicate fluid flow rates
  10. - Photometric Transducers - a class of transducers used to sense light, including phototubes, photodiodes, phototransistors, and photoconductors.
  11. - Piezoelectric Accelerometer - Transducer used to measure vibration. Output is emf.
  12. - Pitot Tube - Laboratory device used to measure flow.
  13. - Positive displacement Flowmeter - Variety of transducers used to measure flow. Typical output is pulse train.
  14. - Potentiometer - instrument used to measure voltage
  15. - Pressure Transducers - A class of transducers used to measure pressure. Typical output is voltage. Operation of the transducer can be based on strain gages or other devices.
  16. - Radiation pyrometer - device to measure temperature by sensing the thermal radiation emitted from the object.
  17. - Strain Gage - Widely used to indicate torque, force, pressure, and other variables. Output is change in resistance due to strain, which can be converted into voltage.
  18. - Thermistor - Also called a resistance thermometer; an instrument used to measure temperature. Operation is based on change in resistance as a function of temperature.
  19. - Thermocouple - widely used temperature transducer based on the Seebeck effect, in which a junction of two dissimilar metals emits emf related to temperature.
  20. - Turbine Flowmeter - transducer to measure flow rate. Output is pulse train.
  21. - Venturi Tube - device used to measure flow rates.