Sensors and Measurement Transducers

Subject description

Fundamentals of sensors and their significance in power engineering; Sensors and transducers of measurement quantities (basic concepts and definitions, measuring chain and definition of its components, ideal / real measuring components, static and dynamic properties, influential quantities, reliability and safety); Insight into physical backgrounds of thermal-electric conversion, optical-electric, mechanical-electrical, magnetic-electrical, chemical-electrical conversion and other geometric changes of material, which are used in modern measuring components; Measurements of mechanical and process quantities for applications in drive systems and mechanical structures (measurement of quantities such as linear displacement, rotation, speed and angular velocity, thickness of the layer, force, pressure and torque and power, mass, volume and mass flow of fluids and loose materials); Introduction to the transmission of the measurement signal through insulation barriers; Introduction to the adaptive circuits and the structure of modern measurement systems.

The subject is taught in programs

Objectives and competences

The objective of the course is to familiarize the student with a wide range of sensors that exploit different material-geometric changes of the basic-active sensor material. The subject includes measurement challenges from different technical areas with an emphasis on mechatronics applications. It provides the student with knowledge about the limitations of the sensors in question and about the guidelines for the optimal selection of sensors and the design in the assessment of the properties of non-electrical and electrical quantities.

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures give the theoretical basics of the discussed chapters together with the presentation of the process of solving simpler practical challenges. Students are provided with detailed study material. Practical work is carried out within laboratory exercises, where students gradually become acquainted with sensors and their real case applications.

Laboratory models allow the simultaneous work of two or three students who report the final results at the end of the semester by comparing the results from the literature.

Expected study results

After successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

describe the operation of individual sensors and measurement transducers,

compare different sensors and evaluate their advantages and drawbacks,

select and design the measuring line with the selected sensor,

analyse the impact of interference quantities,
justify the choice of an individual sensor.

Basic sources and literature

D. Fefer, A. Jeglič: Senzorji in pretvorniki, Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za elektrotehniko, 2006.
P.Zajec, zapiski predavanj
J. Turner, Automotive Sensors. Momentum Press, 2009.
E. Ramsden, Hall-Effect Sensors: Theory and Application. Newnes, 2011.
P. P. L. Regtien, Sensors for Mechatronics. Elsevier, 2012.
R.Pallás-Areny, J.G.Webster: Sensors and signal conditioning, New York, Wiley, 2001.
H. Bernstein: Sensoren und Messelektronik, München, Pflaum, 1998.