Mechanical Engineering - 22.

302 ME Lab I

ME 22.302 Mechanical Lab I

Displacement Measurements LVDT

Linear Variable Differential Transformer

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 1

Copyright 2001

Mechanical Engineering - 22.302 ME Lab I

A transducer is a device that converts some mechanical quantity into some measurable electrical quantity. Through a calibration procedure, the sensitivity of the transducer can be obtained

INPUT transducer
Physical Phenomenon Pressure, Temperature, Strain, Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, etc Volts per Engineering Unit V/EU

OUTPUT
Electrical Signal related to Physical Phenomenon DC voltage, AC voltage, current, resistance, etc

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 2

Copyright 2001

Mechanical Engineering - 22.302 ME Lab I

There are a wide variety of devices used to measure displacement Potentiometer Linear and Rotary Variable Differential Transformers Capacitive Displacement Sensors Linear Velocity Transducers Angular Displacement and Velocity Devices Only the LVDT will be considered here

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 3

Copyright 2001

Mechanical Engineering - 22.302 ME Lab I

An LVDT works on the principle of modifying the spatial distribution of an alternating magnetic field. The LVDT consists of a primary coil and two secondary coils. The primary core tends to concentrate the field in its vicinity. This induces alternating currents in the secondary coils. As the primary is displaced, the voltage in the closest secondary increases. The difference in the two secondary coils is proportional to the displacement of the primary coil. The direction of the motion is obtained from the phase of the secondary coil AC voltages
Animate LVDT

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 4

Copyright 2001

Mechanical Engineering - 22.302 ME Lab I

LVDTs can be obtained to measure thousands of an inch up to several inches. However, their frequency response characteristics are limited. They can be used up to 100 to 200 Hz depending on the excitation frequency for the coil. (They are self filtering low pass filters.) They are also very linear over their designed linear range and then become highly non-linear.

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 5

Copyright 2001

Mechanical Engineering - 22.302 ME Lab I

Dr. Peter Avitabile

University of Massachusetts Lowell

LVDT - 122601 - 6

Copyright 2001