Abstract
This paper presents a study of the sensing properties exhibited by textile-based knitted strain sensors. Knitted sensors were manufactured using flat-bed knitting technology, and electro-mechanical tests were subsequently performed on the specimens using a tensile testing machine to apply strain whilst the sensor was incorporated into a Wheatstone bridge arrangement to allow electrical monitoring. The sensing fabrics were manufactured from silver-plated nylon and elastomeric yarns. The component yarns offered similar diameters, bending characteristics and surface friction, but their production parameters differed in respect of the required yarn input tension, the number of conductive courses in the sensing structure and the elastomeric yarn extension characteristics. Experimental results showed that these manufacturing controls significantly affected the sensing properties of the knitted structures such that the gauge factor values, the working range and the linearity of the sensors varied according to the knitted structure. These results confirm that production parameters play a fundamental role in determining the physical behavior and the sensing properties of knitted sensors. It is thus possible to manipulate the sensing properties of knitted sensors and the sensor response may be engineered by varying the production parameters applied to specific designs.
Highlights
Intelligent textiles or electro-textiles may be defined as flexible textile structures that have the capability to react to environmental stimuli [1]
There is a plethora of production methods and raw materials which may be employed in the manufacture of electro-textile platforms
It should be noted that the first linear working range starts from the finishing value of the first hysteresis loop. This behavior derives from the fact that when the input tension of the conductive yarn is increased, this contributes to the production of knitted structures that are more dimensionally stable
Summary
Intelligent textiles or electro-textiles may be defined as flexible textile structures that have the capability to react to environmental stimuli [1]. Such devices rely on the natural structural elasticity of the knitted fabric to provide recovery after stress deformation This method has some drawbacks, including the limited elasticity of the sensing panel, the small working range of the sensor, and the necessary deformation of conductive yarns during repetitive usage; these factors affect the responsivity and the reliability of the sensor in real time applications. Conductive yarns are commonly knitted along with non-conductive yarns and this improves the dimensional stability of the detector and it offers the advantage that multiple sensing areas may be created within a single knitted structure by selective introduction of the conductive yarn [1][11] This method opens alternative design possibilities, one of which is the creation of consecutive conductive courses within a non-conductive base structure [38]. The third part of this work reports the results obtained from the experimental procedures and promotes a discussion of the electro-mechanical properties of the sensors
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