Wireless Magnetoelastic Resonance Sensors: A Critical Review

Craig A Grimes,William R Dreschel,Keat G Ong,Mahaveer K Jain,Maggie Paulose,Kefeng Zeng,Casey S Mungle

doi:10.3390/s20700294

Craig A Grimes, William R Dreschel + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s20700294

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Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive review of magnetoelastic environmental sensor technology; topics include operating physics, sensor design, and illustrative applications. Magnetoelastic sensors are made of amorphous metallic glass ribbons or wires, with a characteristic resonant frequency inversely proportional to length. The remotely detected resonant frequency of a magnetoelastic sensor shifts in response to different physical parameters including stress, pressure, temperature, flow velocity, liquid viscosity, magnetic field, and mass loading. Coating the magnetoelastic sensor with a mass changing, chemically responsive layer enables realization of chemical sensors. Magnetoelastic sensors can be remotely interrogated by magnetic, acoustic, or optical means. The sensors can be characterized in the time domain, where the resonant frequency is determined through analysis of the sensor transient response, or in the frequency domain where the resonant frequency is determined from the frequency-amplitude spectrum of the sensor.

Highlights

Magnetoelastic sensors have attracted considerable interest within the sensor community as they form an excellent sensor platform that can be used to measure a wide range of environmental parameters including pressure [1-3], humidity [3-5], temperature [5-6], liquid viscosity and density [710], thin-film elasticity [11], and chemicals such as carbon dioxide [12-13], ammonia [14], and pH [15]
Magnetoelastic sensors are amorphous ferromagnetic ribbons that exhibit a magneto-mechanical resonance when excited by a time varying magnetic field
Magnetoelastic sensors have successfully been used for stress, pressure, liquid viscosity and density, fluid flow velocity, elasticity, and temperature monitoring

Summary

Introduction

Magnetoelastic sensors have attracted considerable interest within the sensor community as they form an excellent sensor platform that can be used to measure a wide range of environmental parameters including pressure [1-3], humidity [3-5], temperature [5-6], liquid viscosity and density [710], thin-film elasticity [11], and chemicals such as carbon dioxide [12-13], ammonia [14], and pH [15]. The fundamental resonance for a 4 cm × 1.3 cm × 28 μm Metglas 2826MB sensor ribbon, measured in air at room temperature, is shown, where the resonant frequency is at the peak of the curve at 58.18 kHz. Effect of Mass Loading the Sensor As indicated by Eq (17), the resonant frequency shift of a magnetoelastic sensor can be positive or negative, large or small, depending upon the mechanical and magnetic properties of the sensor and the magnitude of the applied field.

Results

Conclusion