Instrumentation & Measurement

Lecture#5

Maliha Saleem Bakhshi

 Topics to be covered today
Overview of the last lecture
Sensors for Transducers
 Differential Transformers
Based on variable inductance principle
Can be Used to measure displacement
Most popular variable inductance sensor used
for linear displacement measurement is the
linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)
LVDT
A reliable and accurate sensing
device that converts linear position
or motion to a proportional
electrical output.

4
Applications of LVDTs

5
 LVDT
Among the advantages of LVDT are as follows:

It produces a higher output voltages for small

changes in core position.
Low cost
Solid and robust -capable of working in a wide
variety of environments.
No permanent damage to the LVDT if
measurements exceed the designed range.

6
 LVDT
Primary Secondary
A
A

B B

An inductor is basically a coil of wire

over a core (usually ferrous)
It responds to electric or magnetic
fields
A transformer is made of at
least two coils wound over the
core: one is primary and
another is secondary

Vout VA VB
Inductors and tranformers work only for ac signals

7
LVDT Operation

Windings are connected series

opposing polarities of V1 and V2
oppose each other if we trace through
the circuit from terminal A to B.
If the core at the center, V1=V2, Vo=0
When the core is away from center
toward S1, V1 is greater than V2 and
the output voltage Vo will have the
polarity V1.
When the core is away from center
toward S2, V2 is greater than V1 and
the output voltage Vo will have the
polarity V2.

8
LVDT Operation
That is, the output ac voltage inverts
as the core passes the center position
The farther the core moves from
center, the greater the difference in
value between V1 and V2,
consequently the greater the value of
Vo.
Thus, the amplitude of Vo is a function
of the distance the core has moved,
and the polarity or phase indicates
which direction is has moved.
If the core is attached to a moving
object, the LVDT output voltage can be
a measure of the position of the
object.

9
LVDT Operation

10
 Example
An ac LVDT has the following data; input 6.3V,
output 5.2V, range 0.50 cm. Determine:

a) Plot of output voltage versus core position for a

core movement going from +0.45cm to -0.03cm?
b) The output voltage when the core is -0.35cm from
the center?
c) The core movement from center when the output
voltage is -3V?
d) The plot of core position versus output voltages
varying from +4V to -2.5V.

11