Design of a Distributive Load Sensor using PZT

摘要

The work presented relates to the design and construction of an inexpensive distributive load sensor. It is to be used for impact tests on samples which are in the form of flexible or deformable beams of a considerable length. The sensor compromises of forty fingers made of steel, arranged next to each other and covering a total length of about a meter. Both ends of each finger are clamped. PZT ceramic patches, which are bonded to the bottom surfaces of each finger, are used to convert the impact response into an electrical signal. An amplifier and filter were designed for each finger. The frequency range over which each finger operates is extended by the use of a Butterworth filter. An amplifier box was built containing the charge amplifier circuitry and filter of each of the forty fingers comprising the distributive sensor. Tests are performed on the distributive sensor in order to show that this simple and inexpensive distributive sensor is effective. The results are presented and discussed.