MIEE2110N/MIOG 2120

ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

ELECTRICAL TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY Course Teacher : V.SARAVANAN

INTRODUCTION
Instrumentation is the heart of industrial applications. Instrumentation is
the art and science of measuring and controlling different variables such
as flow, level, temperature, angle, displacement etc. A basic
instrumentation system consists of various devices. One of these device
is a transducer.
TRANSDUCERS
• A transducer plays a very important role in any instrumentation
system. Any device which is able to convert one form of energy into
another form when actuated is called as a transducer.
• For example, a speaker can be called as a transducer as it converts
electrical signal to Sound waves.

An electrical transducer is a device which is capable of converting the physical quantity

into a proportional electrical quantity such as voltage or electric current. Hence it
converts any quantity to be measured into usable electrical signal.
This physical quantity which is to be measured can be pressure, level, temperature,
displacement etc. The output which is obtained from the transducer is in the electrical
form and is equivalent to the measured quantity.
For example, a temperature transducer will convert temperature to an
equivalent electrical potential (thermometer).
This output signal can be used to control the physical quantity or display
it. Therefore an electrical transducer will convert a physical quantity to an
electrical one.
Types of Transducer based on Quantity to be measured
 Temperature transducers (e.g. a thermocouple, RTD)
 Pressure transducers (e.g. a diaphragm, bourdon tube pressure gauge)
 Displacement transducers (e.g. LVDT)
 Flow transducers (e.g. Orifice meters, Electromagnetic Flow meter)

Active and Passive Transducers

Active transducers are those which do not require any power source for
their operation. They work on the energy conversion principle. They
produce an electrical signal proportional to the input (physical quantity).
For example, a thermocouple is an active transducer. Active transducers
are self-generating transducers.
Transducers which require an external power source for their operation
is called as a passive transducer.
They produce an output signal in the form of some variation in
resistance, capacitance or any other electrical parameter, which has to be
converted to an equivalent current or voltage signal.

For example, a photocell (LDR) is a passive transducer which will vary

the resistance of the cell when light falls on it. This change in
resistance is converted to proportional signal with the help of a DC
bridge circuit. Hence a photocell can be used to measure the intensity
of light.
Another example of passive transducer is a strain gauge used to
measure stress or pressure. As the stress on the strain gauge increases
or decreases the strain gauge bends or compresses causing the
resistance of the wire bonded on it to increase or decrease. The change
in resistance which is equivalent to the change in stress is measured
with the help of a DC bridge. Hence stress is measured.
Classification:
The different electrical phenomena employed in the transduction
elements of transducers are as follows.
1. Resistive
2. Inductive
3. Capacitive
4. Piezoelectric
5. Photoelectric
6. Thermo-electric
Each of the above are explained in brief with examples:
Resisitve Transducers:
Those transducers in which the resistance changes due to change in some
physical phenomenon are called as resistive transducers.
(i) Strain Gauges
The electrical resistance strain gauge is a metal wire, metal foil strip, or a strip of
semiconductor material which is very thin and can be stuck onto surfaces like a
postage stamp.
Uses of Strain Gauge:
 In the field of mechanical engineering development.
 To measure the stress generated by machinery.
 In the field of component testing of aircraft like; linkages, structural
damage etc.
 Many other quantities such as torque, pressure, weight, and tension
also involve force or displacement effects, they can also be measured by
strain gauges.
(ii) Resistance thermometer
A Resistance Thermometer or Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) is
a device used to determine the temperature by measuring the resistance
of pure electrical wire. This wire is referred to as a temperature sensor.
The variation of resistance of the metal with the variation of the
temperature is given as,
is the temperature coefficient of resistance. Ro is the resistance at
0oC.
(iii) Thermistors
Thermistor is a temperature sensitive device. If the temperature varies,
then the resistance of the thermistor either increases or decreases.
Therefore thermistors are classified into two types. They are, Negative
Temperature Co-efficient Thermistors & Positive Temperature Co-
efficient Thermistors.
In thermistors, the semiconductor materials are used. The semiconductor
materials are prepared from the oxides of chromium, cobalt, nickel,
manganese, and sulphides of iron, aluminium or copper. Because of
semiconductor, resistance of the thermistor varies significantly with
temperature, more than the normal resistance.
They can be made into a small sensor and it costs less than platinum wire.
The temperature range is limited. They are only used for a typical range of -20
to 120oC and are commonly used in small hand held thermometers for
everyday use. The relationship between resistance and temperature is of the
form R = AeB/θ. Thermistor thermometers have high sensitivity but it has
nonlinear characteristics. Thermistors are available in different sizes and
shapes.
Inductive displacement sensors OR “Linear Variable Differential
Transformer” ( LVDT)
The term LVDT stands for the linear variable differential
transformer. It is the most widely used inductive transducer that covert
the linear motion into the electrical signals.

Problem:
A platinum resistance coil is to be used as a temperature sensor and has a
resistance at 00C of 100Ω.If the value of α is 0.0039, what will the resistance be
at 250C.
Answer: The equation to calculate resistance is,

Therefore, Rt = 100(1+0.0039 x 25) = 109.75Ω.

The resistance at 250C is 109.75Ω.