Investigation on Eddy Current Sensor in Tension Measurement at a Resonant Frequency

Abstract

For resolving deficiencies of conventional tension measurement methods, this paper proposes a novel eddy current sensor with a single-coil structure based on the inverse magnetostrictive effect. An inductor–resistor–capacitor (LRC) model of eddy current sensor, which considers more parameters than the traditional inductor–resistor (LR) model, was established. The eddy current sensor was operated by a swept frequency signal that ranged from 0.1 MHz to 1.6 MHz, encompassing the sensor resonant frequency. At the resonant frequency, the data of impedance magnitude and phase were extracted and linear relations between the impedance parameters and the external tension were ascertained. The experimental results show that the resonant frequency and impedance magnitude of eddy current sensor will decrease linearly with the increase of the external tension, which is consistent with the theoretical model. In addition, to improve sensor performance, the sleeve structure was designed to reduce the loss of magnetic field. Both finite element simulations and experimental results demonstrate that the sleeve structure provides a higher permeability path to the magnetic field lines than the non-sleeve structure and effectively improves sensor sensitivity and correlation coefficient.