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Light and Position Sensors

Describes about light and position sensors

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18 views24 pages

Light and Position Sensors

Describes about light and position sensors

Uploaded by

amonkairuki3107
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

(MEU 07569)
LIGHT & POSITION SENSORS
L EC T U R E 4
I N S T R U C TO R
E N G . G R A C E K I BW E JA
LIGHT SENSORS
▪When light strikes special types of materials, a voltage may be generated, a
change in electrical resistance may occur, or electrons may be ejected from the
material surface.
▪As long as the light is present, the condition continues. It ceases when the light is
turned off.
▪Any of the above conditions may be used to change the flow of the current or the
voltage in an external circuit and, thus, may be used to monitor the presence of
the light and to measure its intensity.
▪Some of the commonly used light sensors are photoresistors, photodiodes and
phototransistors.
Photoresistors
▪ Photoresistors are resistors whose resistance is a function of
the amount of light falling on them.
▪Their resistance is very high when no light is present and
significantly lower when they are illuminated.
▪ These are also often called light-dependent resistors (LDRs)
▪Photoresistors can be used as light sensors, which can enable
robot behaviors such as hiding in the dark, moving toward a
beacon, etc.
Photodiode
▪ A photodiode is a type of photodetector capable of converting
light into either current or voltage, depending upon the mode of
operation.
▪Photodiodes are used both to detect the presence of light and to
measure light intensity.
▪Most photodiodes consist of semiconductor pn junctions housed
in a container designed to collect and focus the ambient light
close to the junction.
▪They are normally biased in the reverse, or blocking direction;
the current, therefore, is quite small in the dark. When they are
illuminated, the current is proportional to the amount of light
falling on the photodiode.
Phototransistor
▪ A second optoelectronic device that conducts
current when exposed to light is the
phototransistor.
▪A phototransistor, however, is much more
sensitive to light and produces more output
current for a given light intensity that does a
photodiode.
POSITION SENSORS
▪ A position, or linear displacement sensor, is a device whose output signal
represents the distance an object has traveled from a reference point
▪ The types of position/displacement sensors are:
- Inductive sensors
- Capacitive displacement sensors
- Magnetostrictive sensors
INDUCTIVE SENSORS
▪ These are sensors that measure inductance variations caused by movement of a
flux-concentrating element
▪They are probably the most versatile of all position sensors, with a wide range of
operating characteristics. Inductive sensors are contact-free, inherently robust,
and have infinite resolution with high repeatability.
▪ They are often used where long-term reliability is important, particularly in
harsh and hostile environments
▪ There are two basic types of inductive sensors:
(a) Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)
(b) Rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT)
Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)
▪ Linear Variable Differential Transformer, LVDT is the most used inductive
transducer for converting translating linear motion into electrical signal

▪ This transducer converts a mechanical displacement proportionally into


electrical signal
Construction of LVDT
▪ LVDT is a transformer consisting of one
primary winding P1 and two secondary
windings S1 & S2 mounted on a cylindrical
former.
▪ The two secondary winding have equal number
of turns and placed identically on either side of
the primary winding
▪A movable soft iron core made of nickel iron is
placed inside the former
▪The core is laminated in order to reduce eddy
current loss
▪ The assembly of laminated core is placed in a
cylindrical steel housing and end lids are provided
for electromagnetic and electrostatic shielding.

▪ The displacement to be measured is attached to this


movable soft iron core
Working of LVDT
▪ When the primary winding of LVDT is
supplied with AC supply, it produces an
alternating magnetic flux in the core which in
turn link with the secondary winding S1 and S2
to produce emf due to transformer action
▪Let us assume that the emf produced in
secondary winding S1 is Es1 and that in S2 is
Es2. The magnitude of Es1 and Es2 will depend
upon the magnitude of rate of change of flux
(dØ / dt) as per the Faraday’s Law
• The lower the value of ‘dt’, the more will be the emf induced, and the faster the
movement of the core
• To get a single output voltage from the Linear Variable Differential Transformer
(LVDT), both the secondary winding are connected in series but in phase
opposition as shown in figure
• The net output voltage E0 of the LVDT is given as:
E0 = Es1 – Es2
CASE I
▪ This is when the core is at null position (for no displacement)
▪ When the core is at null position then the flux linking with both the secondary
windings is equal so the induced emf is equal in both the windings
▪ For no displacement the value of output eout is zero as e1 and e2 both are equal
▪It shows that no displacement took place
CASE II
▪ When the core is moved to upward of null position (For displacement to the
upward of reference point)
▪ In the this case the flux linking with secondary winding S1 is more as compared
to flux linking with S2. Due to this e1 will be more as that of e2.
▪ This makes the output voltage eout is to be positive
CASE III
▪ When the core is moved to downward of Null position (for displacement to the
downward of the reference point)
▪ In this case magnitude of e2 will be more as that of e1. Due to this output
eout will be negative and shows the output to downward of the reference point
Output Vs Core Displacement
The output voltage of an LVDT displays a linear relationship with the core’s
displacement, as represented by a linear curve on a graph.
Some important points about magnitude and sign of voltage induced in
LVDT

•The amount of change in voltage either negative or positive is proportional to the


amount of movement of core and indicates amount of linear motion.
•By noting the output voltage increasing or decreasing the direction of motion can
be determined
•The output voltage of an LVDT is linear function of core displacement
Advantages of LVDT
•High Range – LVDTs can measure a wide range of displacements, from as little
as 1.25 mm up to 250 mm, which enhances their versatility in various
applications.
•No Frictional Losses – As the core moves inside a hollow former so there is no
loss of displacement input as frictional loss so it makes LVDT as very accurate
device.
•High Input and High Sensitivity – The output of LVDT is so high that it
doesn’t need any amplification. The transducer possesses a high sensitivity which
is typically about 40V/mm.
•Low Hysteresis – LVDTs show a low hysteresis and hence repeatability is
excellent under all conditions
•Low Power Consumption – The power is about 1W which is very low as
compared to other transducers.
•Direct Conversion to Electrical Signals – They convert the linear displacement
to electrical voltage which are easy to process
Disadvantages
•Due to their sensitivity to stray magnetic fields, LVDTs require protective setups
to ensure accurate performance and prevent interference.
•LVDT gets affected by vibrations and temperature.
Application
VDT is used in those applications where displacement ranging from fraction of a
mm to few cm. As a primary transducer, it converts the mechanical displacement
into electrical signal.

Acting as a secondary transducer, it is used for measurement of force, pressure,


weight etc.
Rotary Variable Differential Transducer
(RVDT)
▪ The rotational variable differential transducer (RVDT) is used to measure
rotational angles.
▪It operates under the same principles as the LVDT sensor.
▪Whereas the LVDT uses a cylindrical iron core, the RVDT uses a rotary
ferromagnetic core.
▪It is similar to the LVDT except that its core is cam shaped and may be rotated
between the windings by means of a shaft.

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