THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA

DIPLOMA IN TECHNOLOGY LEVEL 4

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016
ASSIGNMENT #01
MEX4271 SENSORS AND ACTUATORS

(1)
(2)
(3)

(4)
(5)

Answer all questions.

Write your registration number and other details clearly on your answer script.
Send your answer scripts under registered cover to the address given below/ hand- over to
the course coordinator or put it into the assignment box available at the Department of
Mechanical Engineering (Research Laboratory), The Open University of Sri Lanka,
Nawala.
THE COURSE COORDINATOR IN MEX4271
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA
P.O. BOX 21, NAWALA
NUGEGODA.
Last date of submission 01.04.2016
If you need any clarification, contact course coordinator (Tel:-0112881085) or academic
coordinator (Tel: 0112881477)

Question 01
(a)

(b)
(c)
(d)

Explain the following terms briefly

i.
Sensor
ii.
Actuator
iii.
Transducer
Explain the difference between static and dynamic characteristics of a sensor/transducer.
Write two dynamic characteristics and explain briefly.
Explain the following terms briefly
i.
Hysteresis error
ii.
Resolution

Question 02
(a)
(b)
(c)

(d)

Name three sensors which are used for displacement measurement.

Write two signal conditioning operations. Briefly explain one signal conditioning operation.
What is a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)? Describe briefly how it works.
List the advantages and disadvantages of the LVDT with compare to other displacement
measuring transducers.

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Question 03
Assume you are a member of a domestic washing machine designing project.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Suggest a simple sensor to determine the amount of dirt in the laundry. Explain the operation
briefly.
Suggest suitable method to approximately determine the mass of the laundry in a washing
machine. Explain the operation briefly.
If you need to measure/indicate the water level of the washing machine, propose method for it.
If you want to measure/control the volume of water added to the washing machine, suggest
suitable method and explain the operation briefly.

Question 04
(a)
(b)

(c)
(d)

Discuss advantages and disadvantages of fiber optic sensors.

A Platinum resistance thermometer has a resistance of 25 at 0C and the temperature
coefficient of resistance of platinum is 0.0038/C. When measuring the temperature of a
process, resistance value of 50 is obtained. What is the corresponding temperature of the
process?
Describe how to eliminate error due to temperature changes when use strain gauges in
applications such as load cells?
Explain the significance of the following information given in the specification of a strain gauge
transducer:
Range
: 70 to 1000 kPa
Full range output
: 40 mV
Non linearity & hysteresis
: 0.5% full range output.
Thermal zero shift
: 0.030% full range output/C

Question 05
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Explain the construction and operation of absolute position encoder and incremental position
encoder.
Explain how the angular resolution of the absolute position encoder and incremental position
encoder can be improved.
Explain about the gray code used in absolute position encoders.
Explain how you can use an ultrasonic sensor to measure distance to an object.

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