Title of Experiment : 11.

Displacement measurement using

LVDT and pressure measurement using
Strain gauge

Name of the candidate : Himanshu kumar singh

Register Number : RA2011047010137

Date of Experiment :20/07/2021

Date of submission : 23/07/2021

Sl. Marks Split up Maximum marks Marks obtained

No. (50)
1 Pre Lab questions 5
2 Preparation of observation 15
3 Execution of experiment 15
4 Calculation / Evaluation of Result 10
5 Post Lab questions 5
Total 50

Staff Signature
 Experiment No. 11 a) Displacement measurement using Linear Variable
Date : Differential Transformer

Aim: To measure the displacement and to determine the characteristics of LVDT (Linear
Variable Differential Transformer).

Apparatus required: LVDT, Digital displacement indicator, Calibration jig (with

micrometre).

THEORY: LVDT (LINEAR VARIABLE DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER)

The most widely used inductive transducer to translate the linear motion into electrical signals
is the linear variable differential transformer (LVDT). The basic construction of LVDT is
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Linear Variable Differential Transformer

The transformer consists of a single primary P and two secondary windings S1 and S2
wound on a cylindrical former. The secondary windings have equal number of turns and are
identically placed on either side. A moveable soft iron core is placed inside the transformer.
The displacement to be measured is applied to the arm attached to the soft iron core. In practice
the arm is made of highly permeability, nickel iron which is hydrogen annealed. This gives low
harmonics low null voltage and high sensitivity. This is slotted longitudinally to reduce eddy
current losses. The assembly is placed in stainless steel housing and the end leads provides
electrostatic and electromagnetic shielding. The frequency of AC applied to primary windings
may be between 50 Hz to 20 kHz. Since the primary winding is excited by an alternating source,
it produces an alternating magnetic field which in turn induces alternating current voltage in
the two secondary windings. Figure 2 depicts a cross-sectional view of an LVDT. The core
causes the magnetic field generated by the primary winding to be coupled to the secondary.
When the core is centred perfectly between both secondary and the primary as shown, the
voltage induced in each secondary is equal in amplitude and 180 degree out of phase. Thus the
LVDT output (for the series-opposed connection shown in this case) is zero because the voltage
cancels each other. E0 = Es1 - Es2 = 0.

Figure 2. View of LVDT Core and Windings

Displacing the core to the left causes the first secondary to be more strongly coupled to the
primary than the second secondary. The resulting higher voltage of the first secondary in
relation to the second secondary causes an output voltage that is in phase with the primary
voltage. Likewise, displacing the core to the right causes the second secondary to be more
strongly coupled to the primary than the first secondary. The greater voltage of the second
secondary causes an output voltage to be out of phase with the primary voltage.

Procedure:
1. Plug power chord to AC mains 230 V, 50 Hz and switch on the instrument.
2. Place the READ/CAL switch at READ position.
 3. Balance the amplifier with the help of zero knob so that display should read zero
without connecting the LVDT to instrument.
4. Replace the READ/CAL switch at CAL position.
5. Adjust the calibration point by rotating CAL knob so display should read 10.00 i.e.,
maximum calibration range.
6. Again keep the READ/CAL switch at READ position and connect the LVDT cable to
instrument.
7. Make mechanical zero by rotating the micrometre. Display will read (00.00) this is null
balancing.
8. Give displacement with micrometre and observe the digital readings.
9. Plot the graph of micrometre reading v/s digital reading.

Model Graph:
Tabulations:

CORE DISPLACEMENT SECONDARY OUTPUT

(mm) VOLTAGE(V)
2 17.38
3 25.91
4 34.24
5 42.31
6 50.05
-2 17.38
-3 25.91
-4 34.24
-5 42.31
-6 50.05
 Result:- Displacement measurement using LVDT is studied.
POST LAB QUESTIONS

1. What are the three principles of Inductive

transducers? Ans:- Principles of Inductive transducers :-
1.Self inductance change
2.Mutual inductive change
3. Eddy current production

2. What are the limitations of LVDT?

Ans:- It has large primary voltage produce distortion in output.
Temperature affects the performance.
Sensitive to stray magnetic field.

3. Where LVDT is used?

Ans:- LVDT is used in applications such as - Power turbines Hydraulics, Aircrafts,
Satellites, Nuclear reactors, Factory automation , Servo mechanisms, Weight
sensitive applications, General industrial applications and Process and control.

4. What are the different types of transducers used for displacement

measurement? Ans:- Transducers used for displacement measurement are :- Linear
Potentiometer Transducer
• Linear Motion Variable Inductance Transducer
• Proximity Inductance Transducer
• Capacitive Transducer
• Linear Voltage Differential Transformer (LVDT)
• Piezoelectric Transducer  Photo-Electric Transducers

5. What is the difference between variable resistance & variable inductance

displacement transducer?
Ans:- Variable resistance displacement transducer :- The variable resistance transducers
are one of the most commonly used types of transducers. The variable resistance
transducers are also called as resistive transducers or resistive sensors. They can
be used for measuring various physical quantities like temperature, pressure,
displacement, force, vibrations etc.
Variable inductive displacement transducer :- It work on the principle of inductance change
due to any appreciable change in the quantity to be measured i.e. measured. For example,
LVDT, a kind of inductive transducers, measures displacement in terms of voltage difference
between its two secondary voltages. Secondary voltages are nothing but the result of
induction due to the flux change in the secondary coil with the displacement of the iron bar.
 PRE LAB QUESTIONS (Strain gauge)

1. How does a strain gauges work?

Ans:- A strain gauge (also spelled strain gage) is a device used to measure strain on an object.
The gauge is attached to the object by a suitable adhesive, such as cyanoacrylate. As the
object is deformed, the foil is deformed, causing its electrical resistance to change. This
resistance change, usually measured using a Wheatstone bridge, is related to the strain by the
quantity known as the gauge factor.

2. What is piezo-resistive effect?

Ans:- The piezoresistive effect is a change in the electrical resistivity of a material
(Example - semiconductor, metal) when mechanical strain is applied. The electrical
resistance change is due to two causes; geometry change and conductivity change of
the material. The change in resistance is much more pronounced for semiconductors
than for metals.

3. What are the types of strain gauge?

Ans:- There are five main types of strain gauges: mechanical, hydraulic, electrical
resistance, optical, and piezoelectric.

4. Define gauge factor

Ans:- Gauge factor is defined as the ratio of fractional change in electrical resistance
to the fractional change in length (strain).

5. Mention some practical applications of strain gauge

Ans:- It can be used to test vehicles, ship hulls, dams, and oil drilling platforms. A
simple civil engineering application using strain gauge technology is to install
strain gauges on structural components in a bridge or building to measure stress
and compare them to analytical models and stress calculations.

Experiment No. 11 b) Date : Strain measurement using Strain gauge

Aim: To measure the strain using strain gauge.

Apparatus Required: Strain gauge, weight, LABVIEW software.

Theory: Strain is the amount of deformation of a body due to an applied force. More
specifically, strain (e) is defined as the fractional change in length, Strain can be positive
(tensile) or negative (compressive). Although dimensionless, strain is sometimes expressed in
units such as in./in. or mm/mm. In practice, the magnitude of measured strain is very small.
Therefore, strain is often expressed as microstrain (me), which is e x 10-6. When a bar is
strained with a uniaxial force, as in Figure 1, a phenomenon known as Poisson Strain causes
the girth of the bar, D, to contract in the transverse, or perpendicular, direction. The magnitude
of this transverse contraction is a material property indicated by its Poisson's Ratio. The
Poisson's Ratio n of a material is defined as the negative ratio of the strain in the transverse
direction (perpendicular to the force) to the strain in the axial direction (parallel to the force),
or n = eT/e. The most widely used gage is the bonded metallic strain gage. The metallic strain
gauge consists of a very fine wire or, more commonly, metallic foil arranged in a grid pattern.
The grid pattern maximizes the amount of metallic wire or foil subject to strain in the parallel
direction (Figure 2). The cross-sectional area of the grid is minimized to reduce the effect of
shear strain and Poisson Strain. The grid is bonded to a thin backing, called the carrier, which
is attached directly to the test specimen.

Figure 1. Strain measurement

Figure 2. Full- Bridge Strain gauge circuit

Procedure:

1. Connect the cantilever strain measurement assembly to the main trainer and switch ON the
trainer
2. Connect the multi meter at the Instrument output with multimeter in DC VOLTAGE mode
and 20 V Range.
3. Connect this STRAIN output also to display section marked Vout.
4. Now without any strain or load in the cantilever beam. So adjust the OFFSET CONTROL
to 0 volts at the output.
5. Now place 500 grams weights on the pan suspended n the beam and adjust the gain or call
control to read 0.5 volt by multimeter at the strain output terminal.
6. Now remove the weight from the pan and the output must be 0 volt. IF not then readjust
OFFSET Control
7. Table the readings for different weight or strain on the load cell as well as display readings.
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Result:- We have successfully completed the experiment of finding the strain using the
strain guage.
 POST-LAB QUESTIONS:

1. How can you apply the principle of stain gauge?

Ans:- A strain gauge is a resistor used to measure strain on an object. When an external
force is applied on an object, due to which there is a deformation occurs in the shape of
the object. This deformation in the shape is both compressive or tensile is called strain,
and it is measured by the strain gauge. When an object deforms within the limit of
elasticity, either it becomes narrower and longer or it become shorter and broadens. As
a result of it, there is a change in resistance end-to-end.

2. What is meant by passive transducer?

Ans:- Passive transducer means the transducer whose internal parameters like capacitance,
resistance and inductance changes because of the input signal. It take power from the
external source which changes because of the input signal. Examples :- Thermistor and
Photovoltaic cell

3. What is sensitivity of strain gauge?

Ans:- A fundamental parameter of the strain gauge is its sensitivity to strain,
expressed quantitatively as the gauge factor (GF). Gauge factor is defined as the ratio
of fractional change in electrical resistance to the fractional change in length (strain).

4. What is a microstrain?
Ans:- The root mean square of the variations in the lattice parameters across the
individual crystallites, usually across microscopic distances. Micro strain means
strain in parts per million.

5. What are the limitations of a strain gauge?

Ans:- Strain guage are non-linear and needs regular calibration in order to use
perfectly and take perfect reading.
Mounting can be difficult in some cases.