Abstract
Sensors provide an interface between mechanical systems and the physical world. With the move towards Industry 4.0 and cyber-physical systems, demands for cost-effective sensors are rapidly increasing. Conventional sensors used for monitoring manufacturing processes are often bulky and need complex processes. In this study, a novel high-sensitive nanocomposite-based sensor is developed for measuring strain. The developed sensor is comprised of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a piezoelectric polymer matrix, and embedded carbon nanotube (CNT) nanoparticles creating a conductive network. Exhibiting both piezoelectric and piezoresistive properties, the developed sensors are capable of strain measurement over a wide frequency band, including static and dynamic measurements. The piezoresistive and piezoelectric properties are fused to improve the overall sensitivity and frequency bandwidth of the sensor. To simulate the sensor, a 3D random walk model and a 2D finite element (FE) model are used to predict the electrical resistivity and the piezoelectric characteristics of the sensor, respectively. The developed models are verified with the experimental results. The developed nanocomposite sensors were employed for strain measurement of a cantilever beam under static load, impulse excitation, free and forced vibrations, collecting both piezoelectric and piezoresistive properties measurements. The obtained signals were fused and compared with those of a reference sensor. The results show that the sensor is capable of strain measurement in the range of 0–10 kHz, indicating its effectiveness at measuring both static and high frequency signals which is an important feature of the sensor.
Highlights
Sensors are important devices for monitoring the condition of the mechanical systems and manufacturing processes
The Frequency Response Function (FRF) of a structure was obtained using the nanocomposite sensor through impulse excitation test
The piezoelectric and piezoresistive signals extracted from the nanocomposite sensor were fused to achieve an integrated sensor with higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to each signal separately
Summary
Sensors are important devices for monitoring the condition of the mechanical systems and manufacturing processes. They can convert an external stimulus into a measurable signal. The demand for development of new sensors and monitoring techniques continuously increases as the industry moves towards development of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and higher levels of automation for improving the quality of manufactured goods. Size and flexibility are other challenges associated with existing sensors. The existing strain gauges and piezoresistive sensors are good candidates for low frequency measurements but drift errors that accumulates over time is a problem of conventional strain gauges [1].
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