USN 14PHDIT003

Ph.D./M.Sc. (Engg.) by Research Degree Examination, March/April 2017

Sensors and Applications
Time: 3 hrs. Max. Marks:100
Note: Answer any FIVE full questions.
1 a. Explain categories of Errors in detail. (10 Marks)
b. What are the measurement techniques required for the statistical analysis? Explain any three
of them in brief. (06 Marks)
c. Define the terms
i) Dynamic Errors
ii) Speed of Response
iii) Settling time
iv) Dead time elements. (04 Marks)

2 a. Mention the Analogous Quantities for both pre-variable and Trans-variable elements?
(05 Marks)
b. Mention some of the fundamental SI Quantities with their units and symbols. Explain how
they are categorized? (05 Marks)
c. Explain different types of manometers with the neat diagrams. (10 Marks)

3 a. Write a note on the pressure sensitive primary transducer which is most commonly used.
(08 Marks)
b. A bourdon tube which has a range of 0 to 50Psi, reads +0.5Psi when measuring atmospheric
pressure. It is claimed to have an accuracy of  0.2% of full scale reading. What is the
expected error in measurement of 20Psi in Psi and in percentage of reading? How can you
reduce the error produced by this guage? (12 Marks)

4 a. Write a note on Helical springs. (05 Marks)

b. Write a note on Torsion Bar. (05 Marks)
c. Describe basic Seismic system and write the Amplitude and phase characteristics of a
Seismic displacement transducer. (10 Marks)

5 a. State the laws governing to the rate of transfer of Heat [Q]. (06 Marks)
b. A resistive displacement transducer with a shaft stroke of 3.0 in is applied to the circuit in
Fig Q5(b). The total resistance of the potentiometer is 5kΩ. The applied voltage (Vt) is 5V.
When the wiper is 0.9 in from B, what is the value of the output voltage? (04 Marks)

Fig Q5(b)
c. Describe the design features of capacitive pressure transducer and obtain expression relating
the capacitance variation with pressure for the case of
i) Thin plate diaphragm and
ii) A metal coated membrance. (10 Marks)

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6 a. Illustrate the thermo-electric laws with the relevant diagrams by using measuring devices.
State the advantages of it. (08 Marks)
b. Write the input – output characteristics curves for the semiconductor devices. (06 Marks)
c. Define ‘Hall – Coefficient’ and state the factors on which it depends. (06 Marks)

7 a. Determine the energy function of a metal in terms of Joules, if the maximum threshold
wavelength is 1.10 × 10-7 m. (04 Marks)
b. A quartz crystal of thickness 2mm is used for pressure measurement and is subjected to a
static pressure of 1.5kN/m2. If the voltage sensitivity is 0.05 V-m/N, determine the output
voltage of the crystal. If the absolute permittivity of quartz is 4.06 × 10-11 F/m, determine the
quantity of charge developed on the crystal. (06 Marks)
c. Explain ‘Gray code’ adopted in shaft angle Encoders and indicate its merits over the direct
simple binary code used. (10 Marks)

8 Write short notes on :

a. Radio Active Vacuum Gauge
b. Photo Transistor
c. Photo multiplier
d. Measurement of Bio – electric signals. (20 Marks)

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