Introduction:

The Humble Mechanical Accelerometer: Measuring Movement:

At the heart of many motion-sensing technologies lies the unassuming mechanical

accelerometer. This device, despite its potentially complex inner workings, operates on a
fundamental principle: translating the physical effects of acceleration into a measurable
signal.

Imagine a tiny weight suspended on a spring. In a world without acceleration, this weight
would remain perfectly still. However, when the weight experiences an acceleration, it tries
to resist the change in motion due to its inertia. This resistance creates a force on the spring,
causing it to compress or stretch. A mechanical accelerometer harnesses this phenomenon by
converting the displacement of the weight (often called the proof mass) into a usable output.

There are several ways to achieve this conversion. In some designs, the spring's deformation
might alter the distance between electrical plates, affecting their capacitance. In others, the
movement might strain a piezoelectric material, generating a voltage proportional to the
force. The choice of method depends on factors like desired sensitivity, measurement range,
and environmental factors.

While largely overshadowed by their miniaturized cousins, MEMS (Micro-electro-

mechanical systems) accelerometers, mechanical accelerometers still hold their ground in
specific applications. Their simple design translates to exceptional durability, making them
ideal for high-g environments like crash testing or rocket launches. Additionally, their lack of
reliance on complex electronics allows them to function at extreme temperatures where
MEMS might struggle.
Designing with MATLAB:

While the core functionality of a mechanical accelerometer is relatively straightforward,

optimizing its design for a specific application requires careful consideration of various
factors like mass, spring constant, damping, and chosen transduction method. MATLAB, a
powerful programming language for scientific computing, can be a valuable tool in this
process.

By creating models that simulate the behaviour of the accelerometer under different
conditions, engineers can explore various design choices and predict their impact on
performance. This allows for targeted optimization, ensuring the final design meets the
specific needs of the application.

Problem Statement:

Our task here is to design and analyse a mechanical accelerometer entirely within MATLAB.
This simulated accelerometer needs to excel at measuring accelerations within a ±2g range,
prioritizing two key aspects: linearity and sensitivity. Linearity ensures the simulated output
signal directly reflects the applied acceleration within this range. High sensitivity translates to
the largest possible simulated deflection of the proof mass for a given acceleration.

Solution Approach:

To achieve these goals, we'll take a multi-step approach. First, we'll define the core structure
of the accelerometer, including the proof mass, spring element, and the chosen method for
converting the movement into a measurable signal (like capacitance or piezoelectricity).
Then, we'll leverage the power of MATLAB to create a mathematical model that relates the
proof mass deflection to the applied acceleration based on relevant physics principles. This
model will be implemented as a MATLAB script, allowing us to easily adjust key parameters
and analyse their impact on the accelerometer's performance.

Through a sensitivity analysis within MATLAB, we'll explore how factors like proof mass,
spring constant, and damping affect the overall performance, particularly sensitivity and
linearity. Finally, by optimizing these parameters based on our analysis, we can achieve the
desired performance goals. Once the optimal design is established, MATLAB will be used
again to generate a deflection-acceleration diagram, visualizing the linear relationship
between these quantities within the ±2g measurement range. This diagram serves as a crucial
tool for understanding and verifying the performance of our designed accelerometer.

Assumptions:

The MATLAB code utilizes several simplifying assumptions to facilitate the simulation of a
mechanical accelerometer. These assumptions include linear spring behaviour, viscous
7damping (neglecting friction), a single degree-of-freedom (treating the movement along one
axis), small deflections relative to the accelerometer's size, and a constant desired
acceleration throughout the simulation. While these assumptions enable efficient analysis
within MATLAB, it's important to remember that real-world accelerometers might exhibit
non-linearities, frictional losses, and some multi-axial sensitivity due to deviations from these
idealized conditions.

Calculations:

Hooke’s Law:

F=−kx

Hooke's Law describes the force exerted by a spring when it is stretched or compressed. The
negative sign indicates that the force is in the opposite direction to the displacement from the
equilibrium position. This law is based on the assumption that the spring is ideal and obeys
linear elasticity.

Equation of Motion for a Mass-Spring System:

m ẍ+ c ẋ +kx=0

This equation is derived from Newton's second law of motion, F=ma, where F is the sum of
the forces acting on the mass m . For a mass-spring system, the forces include the spring force
−kx and the damping force −c ẋ , where ẋ is the velocity of the mass.

Damping Ratio of a Mass-Spring-Damper System:

c
ζ=
2 √ mk

The damping ratio describes the level of damping in a system relative to the critical damping.
It is calculated using the damping coefficient 𝑐, the mass 𝑚, and the spring constant 𝑘.
Acceleration Measurement by a Mechanical Accelerometer:

1
a= ( F measured −mg )
k

In a mechanical accelerometer, the displacement of the mass due to acceleration is measured.

The acceleration is calculated based on the force required to produce this displacement,
which includes the spring force and the gravitational force acting on the mass.

MATLAB

Code:

% Input variables
m = input('Enter mass (kg): ');
k = input('Enter spring constant (N/m): ');
c = input('Enter damping coefficient (Ns/m): ');
g = 9.81; % Acceleration due to gravity (m/s^2)

% Fixed parameters and initial conditions

A = 2; % Desired acceleration (m/s^2)
tspan = [0 10]; % Simulation time (s)
x0 = 0; % Initial displacement (m)
v0 = 0; % Initial velocity (m/s)

% Equation of motion
f = @(t, y) [y(2); (A + g - k*y(1) - c*y(2))/m];

% Solving the equation of motion

[t, y] = ode45(f, tspan, [x0 v0]);

% Plotting the deflection-acceleration diagram

figure;
plot(y(:,1), A + g - k*y(:,1) - c*y(:,2));
xlabel('Deflection (m)');
ylabel('Acceleration (m/s^2)');
title('Deflection-Acceleration Diagram');

Explanation:
This MATLAB code simulates the performance of a mechanical accelerometer. It begins by
prompting the user to enter three key parameters: the mass of the proof mass, the spring
constant, and the damping coefficient. These values, along with the pre-defined acceleration
due to gravity, define the physical characteristics of the simulated accelerometer.
Additionally, the code sets fixed parameters for the desired acceleration to be measured, the
simulation time span, and the initial conditions (zero displacement and velocity) of the proof
mass.

The core functionality lies in defining the equation of motion using an anonymous function.
This function essentially represents a system of differential equations that govern the
movement of the proof mass. It considers the desired acceleration, gravity, the spring force
opposing the movement (proportional to displacement), and the damping force acting against
the velocity. By solving these equations numerically using MATLAB's ode45 function, the
code calculates the displacement and velocity of the proof mass over the specified simulation
time.

Finally, the code extracts the displacement data and plots it against the total acceleration
experienced by the mass. This plot, titled "Deflection-Acceleration Diagram," visually
represents the relationship between the deflection of the proof mass and the combined effect
of the desired acceleration, gravity, spring force, and damping effect. This allows us to
analyse the performance of the simulated accelerometer and understand how these factors
influence its response to the desired acceleration.

Results:
 Deflection-Acceleration Diagram
15

10

5
Acceleration (m/s )
2

-5

-10

-15
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Deflection (m)

The graph appears to show a general upward trend, indicating that as the deflection of the
proof mass increases, the total acceleration experienced by the mass also increases. This is
the expected behaviour for an accelerometer; a larger deflection signifies a greater response
to the applied acceleration.

Linearity:

While there is a positive correlation between deflection and acceleration, the plot doesn't
exhibit a perfectly linear relationship. There seems to be a slight curvature, especially at
higher deflection values. This curvature suggests the presence of some non-linearities in the
system.

Spring behaviour:

The code assumes an ideal linear spring. In reality, springs might exhibit slight non-linearities
in their force-displacement relationship, especially at larger deflections.

Damping:
The damping effect can introduce some non-linearity, particularly if the damping coefficient
is high. A more pronounced curve at higher deflections could indicate this.

Sensitivity:

The slope of the curve represents the sensitivity of the simulated accelerometer. A steeper
slope would indicate higher sensitivity, meaning larger deflections for a given increase in
acceleration. While it's difficult to quantify the exact sensitivity from this graph without
knowing the scale, you can compare it to deflection-acceleration diagrams generated with
different parameters to see how it changes.

Overall Performance:

The presence of non-linearities suggests there might be room for improvement in the
simulated design. Depending on the specific requirements of your application, you might
need to consider adjusting the mass, spring constant, or damping coefficient to achieve a
more linear response and potentially enhance sensitivity.

Conclusion:

This report explored the design and analysis of a mechanical accelerometer within the
MATLAB environment. The goal was to achieve optimal performance within a range of ±2g
acceleration, prioritizing both linearity and sensitivity. The provided MATLAB code
successfully simulated the accelerometer's behaviour. The resulting deflection-acceleration
diagram showed a positive correlation between the movement of the proof mass and the total
acceleration experienced, which is the expected behaviour. However, a perfectly linear
relationship wasn't observed. There was a slight curvature, particularly at higher deflection
values, indicating the presence of non-linearities within the system.

Potential sources of these non-linearities include limitations in the simulation itself. The code
assumed an ideal, perfectly linear spring. Real springs exhibit slight deviations in their force-
displacement relationship, especially at larger deflections. Damping effects can also introduce
non-linearities, particularly if the damping coefficient is high.

The observed curvature suggests there's room for improvement in the simulated design.
Depending on the specific application requirements, future work could involve adjusting the
mass of the proof mass, the spring constant, or the damping coefficient. The goal would be to
achieve a more linear response and potentially enhance the sensitivity of the accelerometer.
Additionally, a sensitivity analysis within MATLAB could be conducted to explore how
different parameter values impact these crucial performance metrics. Refining the simulation
code to account for more realistic spring behaviour and damping effects would provide a
more accurate representation of a real-world accelerometer. By iteratively optimizing the
design within MATLAB, engineers can create accelerometers tailored for specific
applications, ensuring they meet critical performance requirements like linearity and
sensitivity.

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