A Humidity Sensing Organic-Inorganic Composite for Environmental Monitoring

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Zubair; Zafar, Qayyum; Sulaiman, Khaulah; Akram, Rizwan; Karimov, Khasan S.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we present the effect of varying humidity levels on the electrical parameters and the multi frequency response of the electrical parameters of an organic-inorganic composite (PEPC+NiPc+Cu2O)-based humidity sensor. Silver thin films (thickness ∼200 nm) were primarily deposited on plasma cleaned glass substrates by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. A pair of rectangular silver electrodes was formed by patterning silver film through standard optical lithography technique. An active layer of organic-inorganic composite for humidity sensing was later spun coated to cover the separation between the silver electrodes. The electrical characterization of the sensor was performed as a function of relative humidity levels and frequency of the AC input signal. The sensor showed reversible changes in its capacitance with variations in humidity level. The maximum sensitivity ∼31.6 pF/%RH at 100 Hz in capacitive mode of operation has been attained. The aim of this study was to increase the sensitivity of the previously reported humidity sensors using PEPC and NiPc, which has been successfully achieved. PMID:23493124

FDR Soil Moisture Sensor for Environmental Testing and Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linmao, Ye; longqin, Xue; guangzhou, Zhang; haibo, Chen; likuai, Shi; zhigang, Wu; gouhe, Yu; yanbin, Wang; sujun, Niu; Jin, Ye; Qi, Jin

To test the affect of environmental stresses on a adaptability of soil moisture capacitance sensor(FDR) a number of stresses were induced including vibrational shock as well as temperature and humidity through the use of a CH-I constant humidity chamber with variable temperature. A Vibrational platform was used to exam the resistance and structural integrity of the sensor after vibrations simulating the process of using, transporting and handling the sensor. A Impactive trial platform was used to test the resistance and structural integrity of the sensor after enduring repeated mechanical shocks. An CH-I constant humidity chamber with high-low temperature was used to test the adaptability of sensor in different environments with high temperature, low temperature and constant humidity. Otherwise, scope of magnetic force line of sensor was also tested in this paper. Test show:the capacitance type soil moisture sensor spread a feeling machine to bear heat, high wet and low temperature, at bear impact and vibration experiment in pass an examination, is a kind of environment to adapt to ability very strong instrument;Spread a feeling machine moreover electric field strength function radius scope 7 cms.

Field Evaluation of Polymer Capacitive Humidity Sensors for Bowen Ratio Energy Balance Flux Measurements

PubMed Central

Savage, Michael J.

2010-01-01

The possibility of reliable, reasonably accurate and relatively inexpensive estimates of sensible heat and latent energy fluxes was investigated using a commercial combination thin-film polymer capacitive relative humidity and adjacent temperature sensor instrument. Long-term and unattended water vapour pressure profile difference measurements using low-power combination instruments were compared with those from a cooled dewpoint mirror hygrometer, the latter often used with Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) systems. An error analysis, based on instrument relative humidity and temperature errors, was applied for various capacitive humidity instrument models. The main disadvantage of a combination capacitive humidity instrument is that two measurements, relative humidity and temperature, are required for estimation of water vapour pressure as opposed to one for a dewpoint hygrometer. In a laboratory experiment using an automated procedure, water vapour pressure differences generated using a reference dewpoint generator were measured using a commercial model (Dew-10) dewpoint hygrometer and a combination capacitive humidity instrument. The laboratory measurement comparisons showed that, potentially, an inexpensive model combination capacitive humidity instrument (CS500 or HMP50), or for improved results a slightly more expensive model (HMP35C or HMP45C), could substitute for the more expensive dewpoint hygrometer. In a field study, in a mesic grassland, the water vapour pressure measurement noise for the combination capacitive humidity instruments was greater than that for the dewpoint hygrometer. The average water vapour pressure profile difference measured using a HMP45C was highly correlated with that from a dewpoint hygrometer with a slope less than unity. Water vapour pressure measurements using the capacitive humidity instruments were not as accurate, compared to those obtained using a dewpoint hygrometer, but the resolution magnitudes for the profile difference measurements were less than the minimum of 0.01 kPa required for BREB measurements when averaged over 20 min. Furthermore, the longer-term capacitive humidity measurements are more reliable and not dependent on a sensor bias adjustment as is the case for the dewpoint hygrometer. A field comparison of CS500 and HMP45C profile water vapour pressure differences yielded a slope of close to unity. However, the CS500 exhibited more variable water vapour pressure measurements mainly due to its increased variation in temperature measurements compared to the HMP45C. Comparisons between 20-min BREB sensible heat fluxes obtained using a HMP45C and a dewpoint hygrometer yielded a slope of almost unity. BREB sensible heat fluxes measured using a HMP45C were reasonably well correlated with those obtained using a surface-layer scintillometer and eddy covariance (slope of 0.9629 and 0.9198 respectively). This reasonable agreement showed that a combination capacitive humidity instrument, with similar relative humidity (RH) and temperature error magnitudes of at most 2% RH and 0.3 °C respectively, and similar measurement time response, would be an adequate and less expensive substitute for a dewpoint hygrometer. Furthermore, a combination capacitive humidity instrument requires no servicing compared to a dewpoint hygrometer which requires a bias adjustment and mirror cleaning each week. These findings make unattended BREB measurements of sensible heat flux and evaporation cheaper and more reliable with the system easier to assemble and service and with reduced instrument power. PMID:22163625

CMOS-MEMS Chemiresistive and Chemicapacitive Chemical Sensor System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazarus, Nathan S.

Integrating chemical sensors with testing electronics is a powerful technique with the potential to lower power and cost and allow for lower system limits of detection. This thesis explores the possibility of creating an integrated sensor system intended to be embedded within respirator cartridges to notify the user that hazardous chemicals will soon leak into the face mask. For a chemical sensor designer, this application is particularly challenging due to the need for a very sensitive and cheap sensor that will be exposed to widely varying environmental conditions during use. An octanethiol-coated gold nanoparticle chemiresistor to detect industrial solvents is developed, focusing on characterizing the environmental stability and limits of detection of the sensor. Since the chemiresistor was found to be highly sensitive to water vapor, a series of highly sensitive humidity sensor topologies were developed, with sensitivities several times previous integrated capacitive humidity sensors achieved. Circuit techniques were then explored to reduce the humidity sensor limits of detection, including the analysis of noise, charge injection, jitter and clock feedthrough in a charge-based capacitance measurement (CBCM) circuit and the design of a low noise Colpitts LC oscillator. The characterization of high resistance gold nanoclusters for capacitive chemical sensing was also performed. In the final section, a preconcentrator, a heater element intended to release a brief concentrated pulse of analate, was developed and tested for the purposes of lowering the system limit of detection.

A Radiosonde Using a Humidity Sensor Array with a Platinum Resistance Heater and Multi-Sensor Data Fusion

PubMed Central

Shi, Yunbo; Luo, Yi; Zhao, Wenjie; Shang, Chunxue; Wang, Yadong; Chen, Yinsheng

2013-01-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of a radiosonde which can measure the meteorological temperature, humidity, pressure, and other atmospheric data. The system is composed of a CPU, microwave module, temperature sensor, pressure sensor and humidity sensor array. In order to effectively solve the humidity sensor condensation problem due to the low temperatures in the high altitude environment, a capacitive humidity sensor including four humidity sensors to collect meteorological humidity and a platinum resistance heater was developed using micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) technology. A platinum resistance wire with 99.999% purity and 0.023 mm in diameter was used to obtain the meteorological temperature. A multi-sensor data fusion technique was applied to process the atmospheric data. Static and dynamic experimental results show that the designed humidity sensor with platinum resistance heater can effectively tackle the sensor condensation problem, shorten response times and enhance sensitivity. The humidity sensor array can improve measurement accuracy and obtain a reliable initial meteorological humidity data, while the multi-sensor data fusion technique eliminates the uncertainty in the measurement. The radiosonde can accurately reflect the meteorological changes. PMID:23857263

A radiosonde using a humidity sensor array with a platinum resistance heater and multi-sensor data fusion.

PubMed

Shi, Yunbo; Luo, Yi; Zhao, Wenjie; Shang, Chunxue; Wang, Yadong; Chen, Yinsheng

2013-07-12

This paper describes the design and implementation of a radiosonde which can measure the meteorological temperature, humidity, pressure, and other atmospheric data. The system is composed of a CPU, microwave module, temperature sensor, pressure sensor and humidity sensor array. In order to effectively solve the humidity sensor condensation problem due to the low temperatures in the high altitude environment, a capacitive humidity sensor including four humidity sensors to collect meteorological humidity and a platinum resistance heater was developed using micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) technology. A platinum resistance wire with 99.999% purity and 0.023 mm in diameter was used to obtain the meteorological temperature. A multi-sensor data fusion technique was applied to process the atmospheric data. Static and dynamic experimental results show that the designed humidity sensor with platinum resistance heater can effectively tackle the sensor condensation problem, shorten response times and enhance sensitivity. The humidity sensor array can improve measurement accuracy and obtain a reliable initial meteorological humidity data, while the multi-sensor data fusion technique eliminates the uncertainty in the measurement. The radiosonde can accurately reflect the meteorological changes.

Numerical study on response time of a parallel plate capacitive polyimide humidity sensor based on microhole upper electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wenhe; He, Xuan; Wu, Jianyun; Wang, Liangbi; Wang, Liangcheng

2017-07-01

The parallel plate capacitive humidity sensor based on the grid upper electrode is considered to be a promising one in some fields which require a humidity sensor with better dynamic characteristics. To strengthen the structure and balance the electric charge of the grid upper electrode, a strip is needed. However, it is the strip that keeps the dynamic characteristics of the sensor from being further improved. The numerical method is time- and cost-saving, but the numerical study on the response time of the sensor is just of bits and pieces. The numerical models presented by these studies did not consider the porosity effect of the polymer film on the dynamic characteristics. To overcome the defect of the grid upper electrode, a new structure of the upper electrode is provided by this paper first, and then a model considering the porosity effects of the polymer film on the dynamic characteristics is presented and validated. Finally, with the help of software FLUENT, parameter effects on the response time of the humidity sensor based on the microhole upper electrode are studied by the numerical method. The numerical results show that the response time of the microhole upper electrode sensor is 86% better than that of the grid upper electrode sensor, the response time of humidity sensor can be improved by reducing the hole spacing, increasing the aperture, reducing film thickness, and reasonably enlarging the porosity of the film.

A compact perspiration meter system with capacitive humidity sensor for wearable health-care applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitani, Yusuke; Miyaji, Kousuke; Kaneko, Satoshi; Uekura, Takaharu; Momose, Hideya; Johguchi, Koh

2018-04-01

This paper presents a compact wearable perspiration meter system using a 180-nm CMOS technology. With custom chip and board design, the proposed perspiration meter, which can measure a qualitative sweating rate, is integrated into 15 × 20 mm2. From the experimental results, the capacitances of the humidity sensors with analog-to-digital converter and band-gap reference circuits can operate accurately without hysteresis. In addition, a demonstration with simulated human skin is carried out to investigate the sensor’s performance under real environments. The proposed perspiration meter can output values equivalent to a conventional meter. As a result, it is verified that the proposed system can be used as a human sweat sensor for wearable application.

Uncertainly Analysis of Two Types of Humidity Sensors by a Humidity Generator with a Divided-Flow System.

PubMed

Chen, Ling-Hsi; Chen, Chiachung

2018-02-21

Humidity measurement is an important technique for the agricultural, foods, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. For the sake of convenience, electrical relative humidity (RH) sensors have been widely used. These sensors need to be calibrated to ensure their accuracy and the uncertainty measurement of these sensors has become a major concern. In this study, a self-made divided-flow generator was established to calibrate two types of electrical humidity sensors. The standard reference humidity was calculated from dew-point temperature and air dry-bulb temperature measured by a chilled mirror monitor. This divided-flow generator could produce consistent result of RH measurement results. The uncertainty of the reference standard increased with the increase of RH values. The combined uncertainty with the adequate calibration equations were ranged from 0.82% to 1.45% RH for resistive humidity sensors and 0.63% to 1.4% for capacitive humidity sensors, respectively. This self-made, divided-flow generator, and calibration method are cheap, time-saving, and easy to be used. Thus, the proposed approach can easily be applied in research laboratories.

Uncertainly Analysis of Two Types of Humidity Sensors by a Humidity Generator with a Divided-Flow System

PubMed Central

Chen, Ling-Hsi

2018-01-01

Humidity measurement is an important technique for the agricultural, foods, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. For the sake of convenience, electrical relative humidity (RH) sensors have been widely used. These sensors need to be calibrated to ensure their accuracy and the uncertainty measurement of these sensors has become a major concern. In this study, a self-made divided-flow generator was established to calibrate two types of electrical humidity sensors. The standard reference humidity was calculated from dew-point temperature and air dry-bulb temperature measured by a chilled mirror monitor. This divided-flow generator could produce consistent result of RH measurement results. The uncertainty of the reference standard increased with the increase of RH values. The combined uncertainty with the adequate calibration equations were ranged from 0.82% to 1.45% RH for resistive humidity sensors and 0.63% to 1.4% for capacitive humidity sensors, respectively. This self-made, divided-flow generator, and calibration method are cheap, time-saving, and easy to be used. Thus, the proposed approach can easily be applied in research laboratories. PMID:29466313

Characterization of Polymer-Coated MEMS Humidity Sensors for Flight Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shams, Qamar A.; Burkett, Cecil G., Jr.; Daniels, Taumi S.; Tsoucalas, George; Comeaux, Toby; Sealey, Bradley S.; Fox, Melanie L.

2005-01-01

Under NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP), in addition to wind velocity and temperature, water vapor is considered one key factor in determining aviation weather, which is a substantial contributor to many general aviation (GA) accidents. The conventional and reliable humidity measuring methods such as radiation reflection or absorption have relatively high cost in addition to highly specialized operating and maintenance characteristics. This paper presents characterizations of inexpensive MEMS and capacitance type humidity sensors for their potential use on aircraft. If installed, these sensors are subjected to ambient environmental conditions as well as to different chemicals and deicing fluids used on aircraft. This paper reports the effect of different deicing fluids and chemicals on these inexpensive humidity sensors.

MOFs for the Sensitive Detection of Ammonia: Deployment of fcu-MOF Thin Films as Effective Chemical Capacitive Sensors.

PubMed

Assen, Ayalew H; Yassine, Omar; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Salama, Khaled N

2017-09-22

This work reports on the fabrication and deployment of a select metal-organic framework (MOF) thin film as an advanced chemical capacitive sensor for the sensing/detection of ammonia (NH 3 ) at room temperature. Namely, the MOF thin film sensing layer consists of a rare-earth (RE) MOF (RE-fcu-MOF) deposited on a capacitive interdigitated electrode (IDE). Purposely, the chemically stable naphthalene-based RE-fcu-MOF (NDC-Y-fcu-MOF) was elected and prepared/arranged as a thin film on a prefunctionalized capacitive IDE via the solvothermal growth method. Unlike earlier realizations, the fabricated MOF-based sensor showed a notable detection sensitivity for NH 3 at concentrations down to 1 ppm, with a detection limit appraised to be around 100 ppb (at room temperature) even in the presence of humidity and/or CO 2 . Distinctly, the NDC-Y-fcu-MOF based sensor exhibited the required stability to NH 3 , in contrast to other reported MOFs, and a remarkable detection selectivity toward NH 3 vs CH 4 , NO 2 , H 2 , and C 7 H 8 . The NDC-Y-fcu-MOF based sensor exhibited excellent performance for sensing ammonia for simulated breathing system in the presence of the mixture of carbon dioxide and/or humidity (water vapor), with no major alteration in the detection signal.

A Novel Passive Wireless Sensor for Concrete Humidity Monitoring.

PubMed

Zhou, Shuangxi; Deng, Fangming; Yu, Lehua; Li, Bing; Wu, Xiang; Yin, Baiqiang

2016-09-20

This paper presents a passive wireless humidity sensor for concrete monitoring. After discussing the transmission of electromagnetic wave in concrete, a novel architecture of wireless humidity sensor, based on Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, is proposed for low-power application. The humidity sensor utilizes the top metal layer to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. The sensor interface converts the humidity capacitance into a digital signal in the frequency domain. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture. The clock generator employs a novel structure to reduce the internal voltage swing. The measurement results show that our proposed wireless humidity can achieve a high linearity with a normalized sensitivity of 0.55% %RH at 20 °C. Despite the high losses of concrete, the proposed wireless humidity sensor achieves reliable communication performances in passive mode. The maximum operating distance is 0.52 m when the proposed wireless sensor is embedded into the concrete at the depth of 8 cm. The measured results are highly consistent with the results measured by traditional methods.

A Novel Passive Wireless Sensor for Concrete Humidity Monitoring

PubMed Central

Zhou, Shuangxi; Deng, Fangming; Yu, Lehua; Li, Bing; Wu, Xiang; Yin, Baiqiang

2016-01-01

This paper presents a passive wireless humidity sensor for concrete monitoring. After discussing the transmission of electromagnetic wave in concrete, a novel architecture of wireless humidity sensor, based on Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, is proposed for low-power application. The humidity sensor utilizes the top metal layer to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. The sensor interface converts the humidity capacitance into a digital signal in the frequency domain. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture. The clock generator employs a novel structure to reduce the internal voltage swing. The measurement results show that our proposed wireless humidity can achieve a high linearity with a normalized sensitivity of 0.55% %RH at 20 °C. Despite the high losses of concrete, the proposed wireless humidity sensor achieves reliable communication performances in passive mode. The maximum operating distance is 0.52 m when the proposed wireless sensor is embedded into the concrete at the depth of 8 cm. The measured results are highly consistent with the results measured by traditional methods. PMID:27657070

Sensitivity enhancement of OD- and OD-CNT-based humidity sensors by high gravity thin film deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimov, Kh. S.; Fatima, Noshin; Sulaiman, Khaulah; Mahroof Tahir, M.; Ahmad, Zubair; Mateen, A.

2015-03-01

The humidity sensing properties of the thin films of an organic semiconductor material orange dye (OD) and its composite with CNTs deposited at high gravity conditions have been reported. Impedance, phase angle, capacitance and dissipation of the samples were measured at 1 kHz and room temperature conditions. The impedance decreases and capacitance increases with an increase in the humidity level. It was found that the sensitivity of the OD-based thin film samples deposited at high gravity condition is higher than the samples deposited at low gravity condition. The impedances and capacitance sensitivities of the of the samples deposited under high gravity condition are 6.1 times and 1.6 times higher than the films deposited under low gravity condition.

Inductive-capacitive resonant circuit sensors for structural health and environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeRouin, Andrew J.

Inductive-capacitive (LC) sensors are low-cost, wireless, durable, simple to fabricate and battery-less. Consequently, they are well suited to sensing applications in harsh environments or where large numbers of sensors are needed. Due to their many advantages, LC sensors have been used for sensing a variety of parameters including humidity, temperature, chemical concentrations, pH, stress/pressure, strain, food quality and even biological growth. However, current versions of the LC sensor technology are limited to sensing only one parameter. This work focuses on the development and characterization of two new sensor designs that address this limitation in addition to significantly reducing the overall sensor footprint and thus the sensor unit cost.

Design of a Humidity Sensor Tag for Passive Wireless Applications.

PubMed

Wu, Xiang; Deng, Fangming; Hao, Yong; Fu, Zhihui; Zhang, Lihua

2015-10-07

This paper presents a wireless humidity sensor tag for low-cost and low-power applications. The proposed humidity sensor tag, based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, was fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The top metal layer was deposited to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture, resulting in a flat power conversion efficiency curve. The capacitive sensor interface, based on phase-locked loop (PLL) theory, employs a simple architecture and can work with 0.5 V supply voltage. The measurement results show that humidity sensor tag achieves excellent linearity, hysteresis and stability performance. The total power-dissipation of the sensor tag is 2.5 μW, resulting in a maximum operating distance of 23 m under 4 W of radiation power of the RFID reader.

Design of a Humidity Sensor Tag for Passive Wireless Applications

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiang; Deng, Fangming; Hao, Yong; Fu, Zhihui; Zhang, Lihua

2015-01-01

This paper presents a wireless humidity sensor tag for low-cost and low-power applications. The proposed humidity sensor tag, based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, was fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The top metal layer was deposited to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture, resulting in a flat power conversion efficiency curve. The capacitive sensor interface, based on phase-locked loop (PLL) theory, employs a simple architecture and can work with 0.5 V supply voltage. The measurement results show that humidity sensor tag achieves excellent linearity, hysteresis and stability performance. The total power-dissipation of the sensor tag is 2.5 μW, resulting in a maximum operating distance of 23 m under 4 W of radiation power of the RFID reader. PMID:26457707

EDITORIAL: Humidity sensors Humidity sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regtien, Paul P. L.

2012-01-01

All matter is more or less hygroscopic. The moisture content varies with vapour concentration of the surrounding air and, as a consequence, most material properties change with humidity. Mechanical and thermal properties of many materials, such as the tensile strength of adhesives, stiffness of plastics, stoutness of building and packaging materials or the thermal resistivity of isolation materials, all decrease with increasing environmental humidity or cyclic humidity changes. The presence of water vapour may have a detrimental influence on many electrical constructions and systems exposed to humid air, from high-power systems to microcircuits. Water vapour penetrates through coatings, cable insulations and integrated-circuit packages, exerting a fatal influence on the performance of the enclosed systems. For these and many other applications, knowledge of the relationship between moisture content or humidity and material properties or system behaviour is indispensable. This requires hygrometers for process control or test and calibration chambers with high accuracy in the appropriate temperature and humidity range. Humidity measurement methods can roughly be categorized into four groups: water vapour removal (the mass before and after removal is measured); saturation (the air is brought to saturation and the `effort' to reach that state is measured); humidity-dependent parameters (measurement of properties of humid air with a known relation between a specific property and the vapour content, for instance the refractive index, electromagnetic spectrum and acoustic velocity); and absorption (based on the known relation between characteristic properties of non-hydrophobic materials and the amount of absorbed water from the gas to which these materials are exposed). The many basic principles to measure air humidity are described in, for instance, the extensive compilations by Wexler [1] and Sonntag [2]. Absorption-type hygrometers have small dimensions and can be produced at relatively low cost. Therefore, they find wide use in lots of applications. However, the method requires a material that possesses some conflicting properties: stable and reproducible relations between air humidity, moisture uptake and a specific property (for instance the length of a hair, the electrical impedance of the material), fast absorption and desorption of the water vapour (to obtain a short response time), small hysteresis, wide range of relative humidity (RH) and temperature-independent output (only responsive to RH). For these reasons, much research is done and is still going on to find suitable materials that combine high performance and low price. In this special feature, three of the four papers report on absorption sensors, all with different focus. Aziz et al describe experiments with newly developed materials. The surface structure is extensively studied, in view of its ability to rapidly absorb water vapour and exhibit a reproducible change in the resistance and capacitance of the device. Sanchez et al employ optical fibres coated with a thin moisture-absorbing layer as a sensitive humidity sensor. They have studied various coating materials and investigated the possibility of using changes in optical properties of the fibre (here the lossy mode resonance) due to a change in humidity of the surrounding air. The third paper, by Weremczuk et al, focuses on a cheap fabrication method for absorption-based humidity sensors. The inkjet technology appears to be suitable for mass fabrication of such sensors, which is demonstrated by extensive measurements of the electrical properties (resistance and capacitance) of the absorbing layers. Moreover, they have developed a model that describes the relation between humidity and the electrical parameters of the moisture-sensitive layer. Despite intensive research, absorption sensors still do not meet the requirements for high accuracy applications. The dew-point temperature method is more appropriate, since it uses the accurately known relation between temperature and saturation vapour pressure in air. When an object exposed to humid air is cooled down below the dew-point water vapour condenses as drops on its cold surface. The temperature can be kept exactly at the dew point by controlling the amount of dew (equilibrium between evaporation and condensation). In most dew-point hygrometers dew is detected with optical or capacitive means. In the former the dew drops on a reflective surface (chilled mirror) scatter incident light, and the capacitive method uses the change in capacitance due to the large dielectric constant of liquid water (80) compared to air (1). Kunze et al, in the fourth paper of this special feature, use another property of water to detect dew: the relatively high value of the thermal capacitance of liquid water. In traditional technology this method would not be sensitive enough, but with MEMS technology a sufficient detectivity of dew can be achieved, which is demonstrated in this paper. A control system keeps the temperature of the substrate just at the dew-point temperature, the latter being measured by an on-chip diode. The accuracy achieved is comparable with traditional dew-point hygrometers. These four papers in this issue are nice examples of research leading to significant advances in hygrometry. References [1] Wexler A (ed) 1965 Humidity and Moisture. Vol. I: Principles and Methods of Measuring Humidity in Gases; Vol. II: Applications; Vol. III: Fundamentals and Standards; Vol. IV: Principles and Methods of Measuring Moisture in Liquids and Solids (New York: Reinhold) [2] Sonntag D 1966-1968 Hygrometrie (Berlin: Akademie Verlag)

Comparative study of all-printed polyimide humidity sensors with single- and multiwalled carbon nanotube gas-permeable top electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Eiji; Yuan, Zihan

2017-05-01

We have developed printed capacitive humidity sensors with highly gas permeable carbon nanotube top electrodes using solution techniques. The hydrophobic, porous multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) network was suitable for gas permeation, and the response of the capacitive humidity sensors was faster than that of a device with a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) top electrode. The newly developed measurement system consisting of a small measurement chamber, a computer-controlled high-speed solenoid valve, and a mass-flow controller enabled us to vary the ambient relative humidity within 0.1 s. A comparative study of the devices consisting of a 1.1-µm-thick partially fluorinated polyimide dielectric layer and an MWCNT or SWCNT top electrode revealed that the rise time (humidification process) of the device with MWCNTs (0.49 s) in the transient measurement was almost 3 times shorter than that with SWCNTs (1.48 s) owing to the hydrophobic surface of the MWCNTs. A much larger difference was observed during the drying process (recovery time) probably owing to the hydrophilic parts of the SWCNT surface. It was revealed that the response time was almost proportional to the square of the thickness of the polyimide dielectric layer, d, and the sensitivity was inversely proportional to d. The rise time decreased to 0.15 s and a sensitivity per unit area of 12.1 pF %RH-1 cm-2 was obtained in a device with 0.6-µm-thick polyimide and MWCNT top electrodes. This value is suitable for use in high-speed humidity sensors to realize a real-time humidity and breath-sensing measurement system.

A CMOS smart temperature and humidity sensor with combined readout.

PubMed

Eder, Clemens; Valente, Virgilio; Donaldson, Nick; Demosthenous, Andreas

2014-09-16

A fully-integrated complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor for combined temperature and humidity measurements is presented. The main purpose of the device is to monitor the hermeticity of micro-packages for implanted integrated circuits and to ensure their safe operation by monitoring the operating temperature and humidity on-chip. The smart sensor has two modes of operation, in which either the temperature or humidity is converted into a digital code representing a frequency ratio between two oscillators. This ratio is determined by the ratios of the timing capacitances and bias currents in both oscillators. The reference oscillator is biased by a current whose temperature dependency is complementary to the proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current. For the temperature measurement, this results in an exceptional normalized sensitivity of about 0.77%/°C at the accepted expense of reduced linearity. The humidity sensor is a capacitor, whose value varies linearly with relative humidity (RH) with a normalized sensitivity of 0.055%/% RH. For comparison, two versions of the humidity sensor with an area of either 0.2 mm2 or 1.2 mm2 were fabricated in a commercial 0.18 μm CMOS process. The on-chip readout electronics operate from a 5 V power supply and consume a current of approximately 85 µA.

Role of Morphological Structure, Doping, and Coating of Different Materials in the Sensing Characteristics of Humidity Sensors

PubMed Central

Tripathy, Ashis; Pramanik, Sumit; Cho, Jongman; Santhosh, Jayasree; Osman, Noor Azuan Abu

2014-01-01

The humidity sensing characteristics of different sensing materials are important properties in order to monitor different products or events in a wide range of industrial sectors, research and development laboratories as well as daily life. The primary aim of this study is to compare the sensing characteristics, including impedance or resistance, capacitance, hysteresis, recovery and response times, and stability with respect to relative humidity, frequency, and temperature, of different materials. Various materials, including ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers, used for sensing relative humidity have been reviewed. Correlations of the different electrical characteristics of different doped sensor materials as the most unique feature of a material have been noted. The electrical properties of different sensor materials are found to change significantly with the morphological changes, doping concentration of different materials and film thickness of the substrate. Various applications and scopes are pointed out in the review article. We extensively reviewed almost all main kinds of relative humidity sensors and how their electrical characteristics vary with different doping concentrations, film thickness and basic sensing materials. Based on statistical tests, the zinc oxide-based sensing material is best for humidity sensor design since it shows extremely low hysteresis loss, minimum response and recovery times and excellent stability. PMID:25256110

Integrated CMOS dew point sensors for relative humidity measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savalli, Nicolo; Baglio, Salvatore; Castorina, Salvatore; Sacco, Vincenzo; Tringali, Cristina

2004-07-01

This work deals with the development of integrated relative humidity dew point sensors realized by adopting standard CMOS technology for applications in various fields. The proposed system is composed by a suspended plate that is cooled by exploiting integrated Peltier cells. The cold junctions of the cells have been spread over the plate surface to improve the homogeneity of the temperature distribution over its surface, where cooling will cause the water condensation. The temperature at which water drops occur, named dew point temperature, is a function of the air humidity. Measurement of such dew point temperature and the ambient temperature allows to know the relative humidity. The detection of water drops is achieved by adopting a capacitive sensing strategy realized by interdigited fixed combs, composed by the upper layer of the adopted process. Such a capacitive sensor, together with its conditioning circuit, drives a trigger that stops the cooling of the plate and enables the reading of the dew point temperature. Temperature measurements are achieved by means of suitably integrated thermocouples. The analytical model of the proposed system has been developed and has been used to design a prototype device and to estimate its performances. In such a prototype, the thermoelectric cooler is composed by 56 Peltier cells, made by metal 1/poly 1 junctions. The plate has a square shape with 200 μm side, and it is realized by exploiting the oxide layers. Starting from the ambient temperature a temperature variation of ΔT = 15 K can be reached in 10 ms thus allowing to measure a relative humidity greater than 40%.

A Hygroscopic Sensor Electrode for Fast Stabilized Non-Contact ECG Signal Acquisition

PubMed Central

Fong, Ee-May; Chung, Wan-Young

2015-01-01

A capacitive electrocardiography (cECG) technique using a non-invasive ECG measuring technology that does not require direct contact between the sensor and the skin has attracted much interest. The system encounters several challenges when the sensor electrode and subject’s skin are weakly coupled. Because there is no direct physical contact between the subject and any grounding point, there is no discharge path for the built-up electrostatic charge. Subsequently, the electrostatic charge build-up can temporarily contaminate the ECG signal from being clearly visible; a stabilization period (3–15 min) is required for the measurement of a clean, stable ECG signal at low humidity levels (below 55% relative humidity). Therefore, to obtain a clear ECG signal without noise and to reduce the ECG signal stabilization time to within 2 min in a dry ambient environment, we have developed a fabric electrode with embedded polymer (FEEP). The designed hygroscopic FEEP has an embedded superabsorbent polymer layer. The principle of FEEP as a conductive electrode is to provide humidity to the capacitive coupling to ensure strong coupling and to allow for the measurement of a stable, clear biomedical signal. The evaluation results show that hygroscopic FEEP is capable of rapidly measuring high-accuracy ECG signals with a higher SNR ratio. PMID:26251913

A Hygroscopic Sensor Electrode for Fast Stabilized Non-Contact ECG Signal Acquisition.

PubMed

Fong, Ee-May; Chung, Wan-Young

2015-08-05

A capacitive electrocardiography (cECG) technique using a non-invasive ECG measuring technology that does not require direct contact between the sensor and the skin has attracted much interest. The system encounters several challenges when the sensor electrode and subject's skin are weakly coupled. Because there is no direct physical contact between the subject and any grounding point, there is no discharge path for the built-up electrostatic charge. Subsequently, the electrostatic charge build-up can temporarily contaminate the ECG signal from being clearly visible; a stabilization period (3-15 min) is required for the measurement of a clean, stable ECG signal at low humidity levels (below 55% relative humidity). Therefore, to obtain a clear ECG signal without noise and to reduce the ECG signal stabilization time to within 2 min in a dry ambient environment, we have developed a fabric electrode with embedded polymer (FEEP). The designed hygroscopic FEEP has an embedded superabsorbent polymer layer. The principle of FEEP as a conductive electrode is to provide humidity to the capacitive coupling to ensure strong coupling and to allow for the measurement of a stable, clear biomedical signal. The evaluation results show that hygroscopic FEEP is capable of rapidly measuring high-accuracy ECG signals with a higher SNR ratio.

The capacitive proximity sensor based on transients in RC-circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakunin, A. G.

2018-05-01

The principle of operation of the capacitive proximity sensor is described. It can be used in various robotic complexes, automation systems and alarm devices to inform the control device of the approach to the sensor sensitive surface of an object. At the heart of the device is the measurement of the change in the current of the transient accompanying the charge of the reference capacitor because of the parallel connection to it the capacitance formed by the sensitive sensor surface and the external object. At the heart of the device is the measurement of the change in the current of the transient accompanying the charge of the reference capacitor caused by the parallel connection to it the capacitance formed by the sensitive sensor surface and the external object. As shown by theoretical and experimental studies, the value of this capacity, depending on the purpose of the device, can vary within very wide limits. In this case, the sensitive surface can be both a piece of ordinary wire several centimeters long, and a metall plate or grid, the area of which can reach units and even tens of square meters. The main advantage of the proposed solution is a significant reduction in the effect of spurious leakage currents arising at the capacitance of the measuring electrode under the influence of pollution and humidity of the environment.

A Wireless, Passive Sensor for Quantifying Packaged Food Quality.

PubMed

Tan, Ee Lim; Ng, Wen Ni; Shao, Ranyuan; Pereles, Brandon D; Ong, Keat Ghee

2007-09-05

This paper describes the fabrication of a wireless, passive sensor based on aninductive-capacitive resonant circuit, and its application for in situ monitoring of thequality of dry, packaged food such as cereals, and fried and baked snacks. The sensor ismade of a planar inductor and capacitor printed on a paper substrate. To monitor foodquality, the sensor is embedded inside the food package by adhering it to the package'sinner wall; its response is remotely detected through a coil connected to a sensor reader. Asfood quality degrades due to increasing humidity inside the package, the paper substrateabsorbs water vapor, changing the capacitor's capacitance and the sensor's resonantfrequency. Therefore, the taste quality of the packaged food can be indirectly determined bymeasuring the change in the sensor's resonant frequency. The novelty of this sensortechnology is its wireless and passive nature, which allows in situ determination of foodquality. In addition, the simple fabrication process and inexpensive sensor material ensure alow sensor cost, thus making this technology economically viable.

Real-Time Remote Monitoring of Temperature and Humidity Within a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using Flexible Sensors

PubMed Central

Kuo, Long-Sheng; Huang, Hao-Hsiu; Yang, Cheng-Hao; Chen, Ping-Hei

2011-01-01

This study developed portable, non-invasive flexible humidity and temperature microsensors and an in situ wireless sensing system for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The system integrated three parts: a flexible capacitive humidity microsensor, a flexible resistive temperature microsensor, and a radio frequency (RF) module for signal transmission. The results show that the capacitive humidity microsensor has a high sensitivity of 0.83 pF%RH−1 and the resistive temperature microsensor also exhibits a high sensitivity of 2.94 × 10−3 °C−1. The established RF module transmits the signals from the two microsensors. The transmission distance can reach 4 m and the response time is less than 0.25 s. The performance measurements demonstrate that the maximum power density of the fuel cell with and without these microsensors are 14.76 mW·cm−2 and 15.90 mW·cm−2, with only 7.17% power loss. PMID:22164099

An inverse-modelling approach for frequency response correction of capacitive humidity sensors in ABL research with small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wildmann, N.; Kaufmann, F.; Bange, J.

2014-09-01

The measurement of water vapour concentration in the atmosphere is an ongoing challenge in environmental research. Satisfactory solutions exist for ground-based meteorological stations and measurements of mean values. However, carrying out advanced research of thermodynamic processes aloft as well, above the surface layer and especially in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), requires the resolution of small-scale turbulence. Sophisticated optical instruments are used in airborne meteorology with manned aircraft to achieve the necessary fast-response measurements of the order of 10 Hz (e.g. LiCor 7500). Since these instruments are too large and heavy for the application on small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), a method is presented in this study that enhances small capacitive humidity sensors to be able to resolve turbulent eddies of the order of 10 m. The sensor examined here is a polymer-based sensor of the type P14-Rapid, by the Swiss company Innovative Sensor Technologies (IST) AG, with a surface area of less than 10 mm2 and a negligible weight. A physical and dynamical model of this sensor is described and then inverted in order to restore original water vapour fluctuations from sensor measurements. Examples of flight measurements show how the method can be used to correct vertical profiles and resolve turbulence spectra up to about 3 Hz. At an airspeed of 25 m s-1 this corresponds to a spatial resolution of less than 10 m.

A Wireless, Passive Sensor for Quantifying Packaged Food Quality

PubMed Central

Tan, Ee Lim; Ng, Wen Ni; Shao, Ranyuan; Pereles, Brandon D.; Ong, Keat Ghee

2007-01-01

This paper describes the fabrication of a wireless, passive sensor based on an inductive-capacitive resonant circuit, and its application for in situ monitoring of the quality of dry, packaged food such as cereals, and fried and baked snacks. The sensor is made of a planar inductor and capacitor printed on a paper substrate. To monitor food quality, the sensor is embedded inside the food package by adhering it to the package's inner wall; its response is remotely detected through a coil connected to a sensor reader. As food quality degrades due to increasing humidity inside the package, the paper substrate absorbs water vapor, changing the capacitor's capacitance and the sensor's resonant frequency. Therefore, the taste quality of the packaged food can be indirectly determined by measuring the change in the sensor's resonant frequency. The novelty of this sensor technology is its wireless and passive nature, which allows in situ determination of food quality. In addition, the simple fabrication process and inexpensive sensor material ensure a low sensor cost, thus making this technology economically viable. PMID:28903195

In-Line Capacitance Sensor for Real-Time Water Absorption Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nurge, Mark A.; Perusich, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

A capacitance/dielectric sensor was designed, constructed, and used to measure in real time the in-situ water concentration in a desiccant water bed. Measurements were carried out with two experimental setups: (1) passing nitrogen through a humidity generator and allowing the gas stream to become saturated at a measured temperature and pressure, and (2) injecting water via a syringe pump into a nitrogen stream. Both water vapor generating devices were attached to a downstream vertically-mounted water capture bed filled with 19.5 g of Moisture Gone desiccant. The sensor consisted of two electrodes: (1) a 1/8" dia stainless steel rod placed in the middle of the bed and (2) the outer shell of the stainless steel bed concentric with the rod. All phases of the water capture process (background, heating, absorption, desorption, and cooling) were monitored with capacitance. The measured capacitance was found to vary linearly with the water content in the bed at frequencies above 100 kHz indicating dipolar motion dominated the signal; below this frequency, ionic motion caused nonlinearities in the water concentration/capacitance relationship. The desiccant exhibited a dielectric relaxation whose activation energy was lowered upon addition of water indicating either a less hindered rotational motion or crystal reorientation.

Impact of pulse thermal processing on the properties of inkjet printed metal and flexible sensors

DOE PAGES

Joshi, Pooran C.; Kuruganti, Teja; Killough, Stephen M.

2015-03-11

In this paper, we report on the low temperature processing of environmental sensors employing pulse thermal processing (PTP) technique to define a path toward flexible sensor technology on plastic, paper, and fabric substrates. Inkjet printing and pulse thermal processing technique were used to realize mask-less, additive integration of low-cost sensors on polymeric substrates with specific focus on temperature, humidity, and strain sensors. The printed metal line performance was evaluated in terms of the electrical conductivity characteristics as a function of post-deposition thermal processing conditions. The PTP processed Ag metal lines exhibited high conductivity with metal sheet resistance values below 100more » mΩ/{whitesquare} using a pulse width as short as 250 μs. The flexible temperature and relative humidity sensors were defined on flexible polyimide substrates by direct printing of Ag metal structures. The printed resistive temperature sensor and capacitive humidity sensor were characterized for their sensitivity with focus on future smart-building applications. Strain gauges were printed on polyimide substrate to determine the mechanical properties of the silver nanoparticle films. Finally, the observed electrical properties of the printed metal lines and the sensitivity of the flexible sensors show promise for the realization of a high performance print-on-demand technology exploiting low thermal-budget PTP technique.« less

Pressure and Humidity Measurements at the MSL Landing Site Supported by Modeling of the Atmospheric Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harri, A.; Savijarvi, H. I.; Schmidt, W.; Genzer, M.; Paton, M.; Kauhanen, J.; Atlaskin, E.; Polkko, J.; Kahanpaa, H.; Kemppinen, O.; Haukka, H.

2012-12-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) called Curiosity Rover landed safely on the Martian surface at the Gale crater on 6th August 2012. Among the MSL scientific objectives are investigations of the Martian environment that will be addressed by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument. It will investigate habitability conditions at the Martian surface by performing a versatile set of environmental measurements including accurate observations of pressure and humidity of the Martian atmosphere. This paper describes the instrumental implementation of the MSL pressure and humidity measurement devices and briefly analyzes the atmospheric conditions at the Gale crater by modeling efforts using an atmospheric modeling tools. MSL humidity and pressure devices are based on proprietary technology of Vaisala, Inc. Humidity observations make use of Vaisala Humicap® relative humidity sensor heads and Vaisala Barocap® sensor heads are used for pressure observations. Vaisala Thermocap® temperature sensors heads are mounted in a close proximity of Humicap® and Barocap® sensor heads to enable accurate temperature measurements needed for interpretation of Humicap® and Barocap® readings. The sensor heads are capacitive. The pressure and humidity devices are lightweight and are based on a low-power transducer controlled by a dedicated ASIC. The transducer is designed to measure small capacitances in order of a few pF with resolution in order of 0.1fF (femtoFarad). The transducer design has a good spaceflight heritage, as it has been used in several previous missions, for example Mars mission Phoenix as well as the Cassini Huygens mission. The humidity device has overall dimensions of 40 x 25 x 55 mm. It weighs18 g, and consumes 15 mW of power. It includes 3 Humicap® sensor heads and 1 Thermocap®. The transducer electronics and the sensor heads are placed on a single multi-layer PCB protected by a metallic Faraday cage. The Humidity device has measurement range of 0 - 100%RH in temperature range of -70°C - +25°C. Its survival temperature is as low as -135°C. The pressure device has overall dimensions of 62 x 55 x 17 mm. It weighs 35 g, and consumes 15 mW of power. The sensor makes use of two transducers placed on a single multi-layer PCB and protected by box-like FR4 Faraday cages. The transducers of the pressure device can be used in turn, thus providing redundancy and improved reliability. The pressure device measurement range is 0 - 1025 hPa in temperature range of -45°C - +55°C, but its calibration is optimized for the Martian pressure range of 4 - 12 hPa. In support of the in situ measurements we have analyzed the atmospheric conditions at the MSL landing site at the Gale crater by utilizing mesoscale and limited area models. The compatibility of the results of these modeling tools with the actual environmental conditions will be discussed.

Self-Test Procedures for Gas Sensors Embedded in Microreactor Systems

PubMed Central

Helwig, Andreas; Hackner, Angelika; Zappa, Dario; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2018-01-01

Metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors sensitively respond to a wide variety of combustible, explosive and poisonous gases. However, due to the lack of a built-in self-test capability, MOX gas sensors have not yet been able to penetrate safety-critical applications. In the present work we report on gas sensing experiments performed on MOX gas sensors embedded in ceramic micro-reaction chambers. With the help of an external micro-pump, such systems can be operated in a periodic manner alternating between flow and no-flow conditions, thus allowing repetitive measurements of the sensor resistances under clean air, R0, and under gas exposure, Rgas, to be obtained, even under field conditions. With these pairs of resistance values, eventual drifts in the sensor baseline resistance can be detected and drift-corrected values of the relative resistance response Resp=(R0−Rgas)/R0 can be determined. Residual poisoning-induced changes in the relative resistance response can be detected by reference to humidity measurements taken with room-temperature-operated capacitive humidity sensors which are insensitive to the poisoning processes operative on heated MOX gas sensors. PMID:29401673

Solution-assisted ultrafast transfer of graphene-based thin films for solar cells and humidity sensors.

PubMed

Sun, Jiawei; Xie, Xiao; Bi, Hengchang; Jia, Haiyang; Zhu, Chongyang; Wan, Neng; Huang, Jianqiu; Nie, Meng; Li, Dan; Sun, Litao

2017-03-01

Vacuum filtration enables the fabrication of large-area graphene-based membranes (GBMs), possessing a smoother surface than that by spray, spin coating or drop casting. However, due to the strong interaction with substrates, the separation of thin GBMs from the filter is problematic. Conventional stamping separation/transfer of graphene oxide (GO) thin films requires another substrate and pressing for >10 h, which may damage the delicate structure of the transfer substrates. Other methods require GO to be reduced on filters before separation, thus limiting the reduction methods. Inspired by a coagulation bath that enables rapid formation of ultrastrong GO fibers, we present an ultrafast (<1 min) and solution-assisted strategy to fabricate smooth and freestanding GO films. The diverse interfacial energy of hydrogen bonds also demonstrates another reason for the successful separation. The film thickness ranges from 45 nm to several micrometers. When used as a composite of counter electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells, it showed higher (8.58%) power conversion efficiency than its spin-(7.71%) and spray-coated (8.07%) counterparts. It also showed promising performance in capacitive humidity sensors. The capacitance varied by three orders of magnitude in the range of the relative humidity of 15%-95%. Therefore the strategy realizes an ultrafast and high-quality film production which is suitable for various applications.

Solution-assisted ultrafast transfer of graphene-based thin films for solar cells and humidity sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jiawei; Xie, Xiao; Bi, Hengchang; Jia, Haiyang; Zhu, Chongyang; Wan, Neng; Huang, Jianqiu; Nie, Meng; Li, Dan; Sun, Litao

2017-03-01

Vacuum filtration enables the fabrication of large-area graphene-based membranes (GBMs), possessing a smoother surface than that by spray, spin coating or drop casting. However, due to the strong interaction with substrates, the separation of thin GBMs from the filter is problematic. Conventional stamping separation/transfer of graphene oxide (GO) thin films requires another substrate and pressing for >10 h, which may damage the delicate structure of the transfer substrates. Other methods require GO to be reduced on filters before separation, thus limiting the reduction methods. Inspired by a coagulation bath that enables rapid formation of ultrastrong GO fibers, we present an ultrafast (<1 min) and solution-assisted strategy to fabricate smooth and freestanding GO films. The diverse interfacial energy of hydrogen bonds also demonstrates another reason for the successful separation. The film thickness ranges from 45 nm to several micrometers. When used as a composite of counter electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells, it showed higher (8.58%) power conversion efficiency than its spin-(7.71%) and spray-coated (8.07%) counterparts. It also showed promising performance in capacitive humidity sensors. The capacitance varied by three orders of magnitude in the range of the relative humidity of 15%-95%. Therefore the strategy realizes an ultrafast and high-quality film production which is suitable for various applications.

Evaluate humidity sensing properties of novel TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} composite material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Wang-De; Department of Center for General Education, St. Mary's Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Yilan 26644 Taiwan, ROC; Lai, De-Sheng

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} (1:1) showed better humidity sensing properties than others within the range of 12–90% relative humidity (RH), the response and recovery time were about 20 s and 160 s, respectively. Compared to the previous studies, the prepared sensor exhibits higher sensitivity (S = 451) and the low hysteresis value was around 0.13% at 32% RH. - Highlights: • Novel TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} composite material was prepared for humidity sensor. • The sensor exhibits higher sensitivity (S = 451). • Low hysteresis value was around 0.13% at 32% RH. - Abstract: A novel TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} compositemore » material was prepared using a different proportion of TiO{sub 2} and WO{sub 3} to that investigated in previous studies. The obtained mesoporous material was characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption techniques. The humidity-sensing properties were measured using an inductance, capacitance and resistance analyzer. The results demonstrated that the TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} sample with a ratio of 1:1 showed better humidity sensing properties. Compared to previous studies, the prepared sensor exhibited higher sensitivity (S = 451) and the lower hysteresis value was around 0.13% at 32% RH. Complex impedance analysis indicated that the enhanced humidity sensitivity was probably due to spherical Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and the hetero-junction between TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} thin films, while the impedance varied about three orders of magnitude. Our results demonstrated the potential application of TiO{sub 2}–WO{sub 3} composite for fabricating high performance humidity sensors.« less

Self-Test Procedures for Gas Sensors Embedded in Microreactor Systems.

PubMed

Helwig, Andreas; Hackner, Angelika; Müller, Gerhard; Zappa, Dario; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2018-02-03

Metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors sensitively respond to a wide variety of combustible, explosive and poisonous gases. However, due to the lack of a built-in self-test capability, MOX gas sensors have not yet been able to penetrate safety-critical applications. In the present work we report on gas sensing experiments performed on MOX gas sensors embedded in ceramic micro-reaction chambers. With the help of an external micro-pump, such systems can be operated in a periodic manner alternating between flow and no-flow conditions, thus allowing repetitive measurements of the sensor resistances under clean air, R 0 , and under gas exposure, R g a s , to be obtained, even under field conditions. With these pairs of resistance values, eventual drifts in the sensor baseline resistance can be detected and drift-corrected values of the relative resistance response R e s p = ( R 0 - R g a s ) / R 0 can be determined. Residual poisoning-induced changes in the relative resistance response can be detected by reference to humidity measurements taken with room-temperature-operated capacitive humidity sensors which are insensitive to the poisoning processes operative on heated MOX gas sensors.

Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results.

PubMed

Harri, A-M; Genzer, M; Kemppinen, O; Gomez-Elvira, J; Haberle, R; Polkko, J; Savijärvi, H; Rennó, N; Rodriguez-Manfredi, J A; Schmidt, W; Richardson, M; Siili, T; Paton, M; Torre-Juarez, M De La; Mäkinen, T; Newman, C; Rafkin, S; Mischna, M; Merikallio, S; Haukka, H; Martin-Torres, J; Komu, M; Zorzano, M-P; Peinado, V; Vazquez, L; Urqui, R

2014-09-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppmMSL relative humidity observation provides good dataHighest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75.

Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results

PubMed Central

Harri, A-M; Genzer, M; Kemppinen, O; Gomez-Elvira, J; Haberle, R; Polkko, J; Savijärvi, H; Rennó, N; Rodriguez-Manfredi, JA; Schmidt, W; Richardson, M; Siili, T; Paton, M; Torre-Juarez, M De La; Mäkinen, T; Newman, C; Rafkin, S; Mischna, M; Merikallio, S; Haukka, H; Martin-Torres, J; Komu, M; Zorzano, M-P; Peinado, V; Vazquez, L; Urqui, R

2014-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. Key Points Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppm MSL relative humidity observation provides good data Highest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75% PMID:26213667

Relative Humidity in Limited Streamer Tubes for Stanford Linear Accelerator Center's BaBar Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lang, M.I.; /MIT; Convery, M.

2005-12-15

The BABAR Detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center studies the decay of B mesons created in e{sup +}e{sup -} collisions. The outermost layer of the detector, used to detect muons and neutral hadrons created during this process, is being upgraded from Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) to Limited Streamer Tubes (LSTs). The standard-size LST tube consists of eight cells, where a silver-plated wire runs down the center of each. A large potential difference is placed between the wires and ground. Gas flows through a series of modules connected with tubing, typically four. LSTs must be carefully tested before installation, asmore » it will be extremely difficult to repair any damage once installed in the detector. In the testing process, the count rate in most modules showed was stable and consistent with cosmic ray rate over an approximately 500 V operating range between 5400 to 5900 V. The count in some modules, however, was shown to unexpectedly spike near the operation point. In general, the modules through which the gas first flows did not show this problem, but those further along the gas chain were much more likely to do so. The suggestion was that this spike was due to higher humidity in the modules furthest from the fresh, dry inflowing gas, and that the water molecules in more humid modules were adversely affecting the modules' performance. This project studied the effect of humidity in the modules, using a small capacitive humidity sensor (Honeywell). The sensor provided a humidity-dependent output voltage, as well as a temperature measurement from a thermistor. A full-size hygrometer (Panametrics) was used for testing and calibrating the Honeywell sensors. First the relative humidity of the air was measured. For the full calibration, a special gas-mixing setup was used, where relative humidity of the LST gas mixture could be varied from almost dry to almost fully saturated. With the sensor calibrated, a set of sensors was used to measure humidity vs. time in the LSTs. The sensors were placed in two sets of LST modules, one gas line flowing through each set. These modules were tested for count rate v. voltage while simultaneously measuring relative humidity in each module. One set produced expected readings, while the other showed the spike in count rate. The relative humidity in the two sets of modules looked very similar, but it rose significantly for modules further along the gas chain.« less

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS): an in Situ Instrument for Mineral and Volatile-element Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gooding, J. L.; Ming, D. W.; Gruener, J. E.; Gibbons, F. L.; Allton, J. H.

1993-01-01

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS) offers a specific implementation for the generic thermal analyzer/evolved-gas analyzer (TA/EGA) function included in the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) strawman payload; applications to asteroids and comets are also possible. The baseline TAPS is a single-sample differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), backed by a capacitive-polymer humidity sensor, with an integrated sampling mechanism. After placement on a planetary surface, TAPS acquires 10-50 mg of soil or sediment and heats the sample from ambient temperature to 1000-1300 K. During heating, DSC data are taken for the solid and evolved gases are swept past the water sensor. Through ground based data analysis, multicomponent DSC data are deconvolved and correlated with the water release profile to quantitatively determine the types and relative proportions of volatile-bearing minerals such as clays and other hydrates, carbonates, and nitrates. The rapid-response humidity sensors also achieve quantitative analysis of total water. After conclusion of soil-analysis operations, the humidity sensors become available for meteorology. The baseline design fits within a circular-cylindrical volume less than 1000 cm(sup 3), occupies 1.2 kg mass, and consumes about 2 Whr of power per analysis. Enhanced designs would acquire and analyze multiple samples and employ additional microchemical sensors for analysis of CO2, SO2, NO(x), and other gaseous species. Atmospheric pumps are also being considered as alternatives to pressurized purge gas.

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS): an in situ instrument for mineral and volatile-element measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gooding, J. L.; Ming, D. W.; Gruener, J. E.; Gibbons, F. L.; Allton, J. H.

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS) offers a specific implementation for the generic thermal analyzer/evolved-gas analyzer (TA/EGA) function included in the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) strawman payload; applications to asteroids and comets are also possible. The baseline TAPS is a single-sample differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), backed by a capacitive-polymer humidity sensor, with an integrated sampling mechanism. After placement on a planetary surface, TAPS acquires 10-50 mg of soil or sediment and heats the sample from ambient temperature to 1000-1300 K. During heating, DSC data are taken for the solid and evolved gases are swept past the water sensor. Through ground based data analysis, multicomponent DSC data are deconvolved and correlated with the water release profile to quantitatively determine the types and relative proportions of volatile-bearing minerals such as clays and other hydrates, carbonates, and nitrates. The rapid-response humidity sensors also achieve quantitative analysis of total water. After conclusion of soil-analysis operations, the humidity sensors become available for meteorology. The baseline design fits within a circular-cylindrical volume less than 1000 cm3, occupies 1.2 kg mass, and consumes about 2 Whr of power per analysis. Enhanced designs would acquire and analyze multiple samples and employ additional microchemical sensors for analysis of CO2, SO2, NO(x), and other gaseous species. Atmospheric pumps are also being considered as alternatives to pressurized purge gas.

Ion track based tunable device as humidity sensor: a neural network approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Mamta; Sharma, Anuradha; Bhattacherjee, Vandana

2013-01-01

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been applied in statistical model development, adaptive control system, pattern recognition in data mining, and decision making under uncertainty. The nonlinear dependence of any sensor output on the input physical variable has been the motivation for many researchers to attempt unconventional modeling techniques such as neural networks and other machine learning approaches. Artificial neural network (ANN) is a computational tool inspired by the network of neurons in biological nervous system. It is a network consisting of arrays of artificial neurons linked together with different weights of connection. The states of the neurons as well as the weights of connections among them evolve according to certain learning rules.. In the present work we focus on the category of sensors which respond to electrical property changes such as impedance or capacitance. Recently, sensor materials have been embedded in etched tracks due to their nanometric dimensions and high aspect ratio which give high surface area available for exposure to sensing material. Various materials can be used for this purpose to probe physical (light intensity, temperature etc.), chemical (humidity, ammonia gas, alcohol etc.) or biological (germs, hormones etc.) parameters. The present work involves the application of TEMPOS structures as humidity sensors. The sample to be studied was prepared using the polymer electrolyte (PEO/NH4ClO4) with CdS nano-particles dispersed in the polymer electrolyte. In the present research we have attempted to correlate the combined effects of voltage and frequency on impedance of humidity sensors using a neural network model and results have indicated that the mean absolute error of the ANN Model for the training data was 3.95% while for the validation data it was 4.65%. The corresponding values for the LR model were 8.28% and 8.35% respectively. It was also demonstrated the percentage improvement of the ANN Model with respect to the linear regression model. This demonstrates the suitability of neural networks to perform such modeling.

Testing and ground calibration of DREAMS-H relative humidity device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genzer, Maria; Hieta, Maria; Nikkanen, Timo; Schmidt, Walter; Kemppinen, Osku; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri

2015-04-01

DREAMS (Dust Characterization, Risk Assessment and Environmental Analyzer on the Martian Surface) instrument suite is to be launched as part of the ESA ExoMars 2016/Schiaparelli lander. DREAMS consists of an environmental package for monitoring temperature, pressure, relative humidity, winds and dust opacity, as well as atmospheric electricity of Martian atmosphere. The DREAMS instruments and scientific goals are described in [1]. Here we describe testing and ground calibration of the relative humidity device, DREAMS-H, provided to the DREAMS payload by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and based on proprietary technology of Vaisala, Inc. The same kind of device is part of the REMS instrument package onboard MSL Curiosity Rover [2][3]. DREAMS-H is based on Vaisala Humicap® technology adapted for use in Martian environment by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The device is very small and lightweighed, with total mass less than 20 g and consuming only 15 mW of power. The Humicap® sensor heads contain an active polymer film that changes its capacitance as function of relative humidity, with 0% to 100% RH measurement range. The dynamic range of the device gets smaller with sensor temperature, being in -70°C approximately 30% of the dynamic range in 0°C [3]. Good-quality relative humidity measurements require knowing the temperature of the environment in which relative humidity is measured. An important part of DREAMS-H calibration was temperature calibration of Vaisala Thermocap® temperature sensors used for housekeeping temperature measurements of the DREAMS-H device. For this, several temperature points in the desired operational range were measured with 0.1°C accuracy traceable to national standards. The main part of humidity calibration of DREAMS-H flight models was done in subzero temperatures in a humidity generator of the Finnish Center of Metrology and Accreditation (MIKES). Several relative humidity points ranging from almost dry to almost wet were measured at several temperature points between 0°C and -70°C. Dry baseline was established in vacuum measurements at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. In addition to stable relative humidity points, measurements in changing relative humidity and temperature were done in order to get information about the lag of the sensor. References: 1] Esposito, F. et al: The DREAMS Experiment on the ExoMars 2016 Mission for the Study of Martian Environment during the Dust Storm Season, The Fifth International Workshop on the Mars Atmosphere, 13-16 January 2014, Oxford, UK, 2014. [2] Gómez-Elvira, J. et al.: REMS: The Environmental Sensor Suite for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover, Space Sci. Rev., 170, pp. 583-640, 2012. [3] Harri, A.-M. et al.: Mars Science Laboratory Relative Humidity Observations - Initial Results, JGR Planets, Vol 119 Issue 9, pp. 2132-2147, 2014.

A critical analysis of one standard and five methods to monitor surface wetness and time-of-wetness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camuffo, Dario; della Valle, Antonio; Becherini, Francesca

2018-05-01

Surface wetness is a synergistic factor to determine atmospheric corrosion, monument weathering, mould growth, sick buildings, etc. However, its detection and monitoring are neither easy nor homogeneous, for a number of factors that may affect readings. Various types of methods and sensors, either commercial or prototypes built in the lab, have been investigated and compared, i.e. the international standard ISO 9223 to evaluate corrosivity after wetness and time-of-wetness; indirect evaluation of wetness, based on the dew point calculated after the output of temperature and relative humidity sensors and direct measurements by means of capacitive wetness sensors, safety sensors, rain sensors (also known as leaf wetness sensors), infrared reflection sensors and fibre optic sensors. A comparison between the different methods is presented, specifying physical principles, forms of wetting to which they are respondent (i.e. condensation, ice melting, splashing drops, percolation and capillary rise), critical factors, use and cost.

Gelatin as a new humidity sensing material: Characterization and limitations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shapardanis, Steven; Hudpeth, Mathew; Kaya, Tolga, E-mail: kaya2t@cmich.edu

The goal of this work is to assert the utility of collagen and its denatured counterpart gelatin as cost-effective alternatives to existing sensing layers comprised of polymers. Rather than producing a material that will need to be discarded or recycled, collagen, as a by-product of the meat and leather industry, could be repurposed. This work examines the feasibility of using collagen as a sensing layer. Planar electrodes were patterned with lift-off process to work with the natural characteristics of gelatin by utilizing metal vapor deposition, spin coating, and photolithography. Characterization methods have also been optimized through the creation of specializedmore » humidity chambers that isolate specific characteristics such as response time, accuracy, and hysteresis. Collagen-based sensors are found to have a sensitivity to moisture in the range of 0.065 pF/%RH. Diffusion characteristics were also analyzed with the diffusion coefficient found to be 2.5 × 10{sup −5} cm{sup 2}/s. Absorption and desorption times were found to be 20 seconds and 8 seconds, respectively. Hysteresis present in the data is attributed to temperature cross-sensitivity. Ultimately, the utility of collagen as a dielectric sensing material is, in part, due to its fibrous macrostructures as well its hydrophilic sites along the peptide chains. Gelatin was patterned between and below interdigitated copper electrodes and tested as a relative humidity sensor. This work shows that gelatin, which is inexpensive, widely available, and easy to process, can be an effective dielectric sensing polymer for capacitive-type relative humidity sensors.« less

Capacitance variation measurement method with a continuously variable measuring range for a micro-capacitance sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Xiaozhou; Xie, Kai; Xue, Dongfeng; Zhang, Feng; Qi, Liang; Tao, Yebo; Li, Teng; Bao, Weimin; Wang, Songlin; Li, Xiaoping; Chen, Renjie

2017-10-01

Micro-capacitance sensors are widely applied in industrial applications for the measurement of mechanical variations. The measurement accuracy of micro-capacitance sensors is highly dependent on the capacitance measurement circuit. To overcome the inability of commonly used methods to directly measure capacitance variation and deal with the conflict between the measurement range and accuracy, this paper presents a capacitance variation measurement method which is able to measure the output capacitance variation (relative value) of the micro-capacitance sensor with a continuously variable measuring range. We present the principles and analyze the non-ideal factors affecting this method. To implement the method, we developed a capacitance variation measurement circuit and carried out experiments to test the circuit. The result shows that the circuit is able to measure a capacitance variation range of 0-700 pF linearly with a maximum relative accuracy of 0.05% and a capacitance range of 0-2 nF (with a baseline capacitance of 1 nF) with a constant resolution of 0.03%. The circuit is proposed as a new method to measure capacitance and is expected to have applications in micro-capacitance sensors for measuring capacitance variation with a continuously variable measuring range.

Transparent Flexible Active Faraday Cage Enables In Vivo Capacitance Measurement in Assembled Microsensor.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Mahdi; Rajamani, Rajesh; Sezen, Serdar

2017-10-01

Capacitive micro-sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and pressure sensors are increasingly used in the modern electronic world. However, the in vivo use of capacitive sensing for measurement of pressure or other variables inside a human body suffers from significant errors due to stray capacitance. This paper proposes a solution consisting of a transparent thin flexible Faraday cage that surrounds the sensor. By supplying the active sensing voltage simultaneously to the deformable electrode of the capacitive sensor and to the Faraday cage, the stray capacitance during in vivo measurements can be largely eliminated. Due to the transparency of the Faraday cage, the top and bottom portions of a capacitive sensor can be accurately aligned and assembled together. Experimental results presented in the paper show that stray capacitance is reduced by a factor of 10 by the Faraday cage, when the sensor is subjected to a full immersion in water.

Assurance of MOZAIC/IAGOS relative humidity data quality by evaluating the Capacitive Hygrometer during airborne field studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neis, Patrick; Smit, Herman G. J.; Rohs, Susanne; Rolf, Christian; Krämer, Martina; Ebert, Volker; Buchholz, Bernhard; Bundke, Ulrich; Finger, Fanny; Klingebiel, Marcus; Petzold, Andreas

2015-04-01

Water vapour is a major parameter in weather prediction and climate research but the interaction between the water vapour in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UT/LS) and tropopause dynamics are not well understood. A continuous measurement of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) is difficult because the abundance of UTH is highly variable on spatial and temporal scales that cannot be resolved, neither by the global radiosondes network nor by satellites. Since 1994, data with high spatial and temporal resolution for relative humidity are provided by the in-situ measurements aboard civil passenger aircraft from the MOZAIC/IAGOS-programme (www.iagos.org). The data set emerging from this long-term observation effort builds the backbone of the ongoing in-situ UTH climatology and trend analyses. In order to assess the validity of the long-term water vapour data and its limitations, an analysis of the humidity data sets of two field campaigns is presented. The validation of applied measurement methods, i.e. the MOZAIC/IAGOS Capacitive Hygrometer, is valued on the basis of the aircraft campaigns CIRRUS-III (2006) and AIRTOSS-ICE (2013), where research-grade water vapour instruments were operated simultaneously to the MOZAIC/IAGOS Capacitive Hygrometers. The performance of the MOZAIC Capacitive Hygrometer (MCH; operated from 1994 to 2014 on MOZAIC aircraft) and the advanced IAGOS Capacitive Hygrometer (ICH; operated since 2011 on IAGOS aircraft) are explored in clear sky, in the vicinity of and inside cirrus clouds as a blind intercomparison to the research-grade water vapour instruments. From these intercomparisons the qualification of the Capacitive Hygrometer for the use in long-term observation programmes is successfully demonstrated and the continuation of high data quality is confirmed for the transition from MCH to ICH. In particular the Capacitive Hygrometer response time to changes in relative humidity could be determined for the full range of temperatures in the comparison against the research-grade instruments.

Active Targets For Capacitive Proximity Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenstrom, Del T.; Mcconnell, Robert L.

1994-01-01

Lightweight, low-power active targets devised for use with improved capacitive proximity sensors described in "Capacitive Proximity Sensor Has Longer Range" (GSC-13377), and "Capacitive Proximity Sensors With Additional Driven Shields" (GSC-13475). Active targets are short-distance electrostatic beacons; they generate known alternating electro-static fields used for alignment and/or to measure distances.

Absolute Position Sensing Based on a Robust Differential Capacitive Sensor with a Grounded Shield Window

PubMed Central

Bai, Yang; Lu, Yunfeng; Hu, Pengcheng; Wang, Gang; Xu, Jinxin; Zeng, Tao; Li, Zhengkun; Zhang, Zhonghua; Tan, Jiubin

2016-01-01

A simple differential capacitive sensor is provided in this paper to measure the absolute positions of length measuring systems. By utilizing a shield window inside the differential capacitor, the measurement range and linearity range of the sensor can reach several millimeters. What is more interesting is that this differential capacitive sensor is only sensitive to one translational degree of freedom (DOF) movement, and immune to the vibration along the other two translational DOFs. In the experiment, we used a novel circuit based on an AC capacitance bridge to directly measure the differential capacitance value. The experimental result shows that this differential capacitive sensor has a sensitivity of 2 × 10−4 pF/μm with 0.08 μm resolution. The measurement range of this differential capacitive sensor is 6 mm, and the linearity error are less than 0.01% over the whole absolute position measurement range. PMID:27187393

Novel High Temperature Capacitive Pressure Sensor Utilizing SiC Integrated Circuit Twin Ring Oscillators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, M.; Neudeck, P.; Spry, D.; Meredith, R.; Jordan, J.; Prokop, N.; Krasowski, M.; Beheim, G.; Hunter, G.

2017-01-01

This paper describes initial development and testing of a novel high temperature capacitive pressure sensor system. The pressure sensor system consists of two 4H-SiC 11-stage ring oscillators and a SiCN capacitive pressure sensor. One oscillator has the capacitive pressure sensor fixed at one node in its feedback loop and varies as a function of pressure and temperature while the other provides a pressure-independent reference frequency which can be used to temperature compensate the output of the first oscillator. A two-day repeatability test was performed up to 500C on the oscillators and the oscillator fundamental frequency changed by only 1. The SiCN capacitive pressure sensor was characterized at room temperature from 0 to 300 psi. The sensor had an initial capacitance of 3.76 pF at 0 psi and 1.75 pF at 300 psi corresponding to a 54 change in capacitance. The integrated pressure sensor system was characterized from 0 to 300 psi in steps of 50 psi over a temperature range of 25 to 500C. The pressure sensor system sensitivity was 0.113 kHzpsi at 25C and 0.026 kHzpsi at 500C.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Novel Ca-Mg-Ti-Fe-Oxides Based Ceramic Nanocrystals and Flexible Film of Polydimethylsiloxane Composite with Improved Mechanical and Dielectric Properties for Sensors

PubMed Central

Tripathy, Ashis; Pramanik, Sumit; Manna, Ayan; Azrin Shah, Nabila Farhana; Shasmin, Hanie Nadia; Radzi, Zamri; Abu Osman, Noor Azuan

2016-01-01

Armalcolite, a rare ceramic mineral and normally found in the lunar earth, was synthesized by solid-state step-sintering. The in situ phase-changed novel ceramic nanocrystals of Ca-Mg-Ti-Fe based oxide (CMTFOx), their chemical reactions and bonding with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were determined by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and microscopy. Water absorption of all the CMTFOx was high. The lower dielectric loss tangent value (0.155 at 1 MHz) was obtained for the ceramic sintered at 1050 °C (S1050) and it became lowest for the S1050/PDMS nanocomposite (0.002 at 1 MHz) film, which was made by spin coating at 3000 rpm. The excellent flexibility (static modulus ≈ 0.27 MPa and elongation > 90%), viscoelastic property (tanδ = E″/E′: 0.225) and glass transition temperature (Tg: −58.5 °C) were obtained for S1050/PDMS film. Parallel-plate capacitive and flexible resistive humidity sensors have been developed successfully. The best sensing performance of the present S1050 (3000%) and its flexible S1050/PDMS composite film (306%) based humidity sensors was found to be at 100 Hz, better than conventional materials. PMID:26927116

Synthesis and Characterizations of Novel Ca-Mg-Ti-Fe-Oxides Based Ceramic Nanocrystals and Flexible Film of Polydimethylsiloxane Composite with Improved Mechanical and Dielectric Properties for Sensors.

PubMed

Tripathy, Ashis; Pramanik, Sumit; Manna, Ayan; Shah, Nabila Farhana Azrin; Shasmin, Hanie Nadia; Radzi, Zamri; Abu Osman, Noor Azuan

2016-02-27

Armalcolite, a rare ceramic mineral and normally found in the lunar earth, was synthesized by solid-state step-sintering. The in situ phase-changed novel ceramic nanocrystals of Ca-Mg-Ti-Fe based oxide (CMTFOx), their chemical reactions and bonding with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were determined by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and microscopy. Water absorption of all the CMTFOx was high. The lower dielectric loss tangent value (0.155 at 1 MHz) was obtained for the ceramic sintered at 1050 °C (S1050) and it became lowest for the S1050/PDMS nanocomposite (0.002 at 1 MHz) film, which was made by spin coating at 3000 rpm. The excellent flexibility (static modulus ≈ 0.27 MPa and elongation > 90%), viscoelastic property (tanδ = E″/E': 0.225) and glass transition temperature (Tg: -58.5 °C) were obtained for S1050/PDMS film. Parallel-plate capacitive and flexible resistive humidity sensors have been developed successfully. The best sensing performance of the present S1050 (3000%) and its flexible S1050/PDMS composite film (306%) based humidity sensors was found to be at 100 Hz, better than conventional materials.

A numerical method for measuring capacitive soft sensors through one channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tairych, Andreas; Anderson, Iain A.

2018-03-01

Soft capacitive stretch sensors are well suited for unobtrusive wearable body motion capture. Conventional sensing methods measure sensor capacitances through separate channels. In sensing garments with many sensors, this results in high wiring complexity, and a large footprint of rigid sensing circuit boards. We have developed a more efficient sensing method that detects multiple sensors through only one channel, and one set of wires. It is based on a R-C transmission line assembled from capacitive conductive fabric stretch sensors, and external resistors. The unknown capacitances are identified by solving a system of nonlinear equations. These equations are established by modelling and continuously measuring transmission line reactances at different frequencies. Solving these equations numerically with a Newton-Raphson solver for the unknown capacitances enables real time reading of all sensors. The method was verified with a prototype comprising three sensors that is capable of detecting both individually and simultaneously stretched sensors. Instead of using three channels and six wires to detect the sensors, the task was achieved with only one channel and two wires.

Capacitance pressure sensor

DOEpatents

Eaton, William P.; Staple, Bevan D.; Smith, James H.

2000-01-01

A microelectromechanical (MEM) capacitance pressure sensor integrated with electronic circuitry on a common substrate and a method for forming such a device are disclosed. The MEM capacitance pressure sensor includes a capacitance pressure sensor formed at least partially in a cavity etched below the surface of a silicon substrate and adjacent circuitry (CMOS, BiCMOS, or bipolar circuitry) formed on the substrate. By forming the capacitance pressure sensor in the cavity, the substrate can be planarized (e.g. by chemical-mechanical polishing) so that a standard set of integrated circuit processing steps can be used to form the electronic circuitry (e.g. using an aluminum or aluminum-alloy interconnect metallization).

Capacitive chemical sensor

DOEpatents

Manginell, Ronald P; Moorman, Matthew W; Wheeler, David R

2014-05-27

A microfabricated capacitive chemical sensor can be used as an autonomous chemical sensor or as an analyte-sensitive chemical preconcentrator in a larger microanalytical system. The capacitive chemical sensor detects changes in sensing film dielectric properties, such as the dielectric constant, conductivity, or dimensionality. These changes result from the interaction of a target analyte with the sensing film. This capability provides a low-power, self-heating chemical sensor suitable for remote and unattended sensing applications. The capacitive chemical sensor also enables a smart, analyte-sensitive chemical preconcentrator. After sorption of the sample by the sensing film, the film can be rapidly heated to release the sample for further analysis. Therefore, the capacitive chemical sensor can optimize the sample collection time prior to release to enable the rapid and accurate analysis of analytes by a microanalytical system.

Surface-atmospheric water cycle at Gale crater through multi-year MSL/REMS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harri, A. M.; Genzer, M.; McConnochie, T. H.; Savijarvi, H. I.; Smith, M. D.; Martinez, G.; de la Torre Juarez, M.; Haberle, R. M.; Polkko, J.; Gomez-Elvira, J.; Renno, N. O.; Kemppinen, O.; Paton, M.; Richardson, M. I.; Newman, C. E.; Siili, T. T.; Mäkinen, T.

2017-12-01

The Mars Science laboratory (MSL) has been successfully operating for almost three Martian years. That includes an unprecedented long time series of atmospheric observations by the REMS instrument performing measurements of atmospheric pressure, relative humidity (REMS-H), temperature of the air, ground temperature, UV and wind speed and direction. The REMS-H relative humidity device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc. and it makes use of three (3) humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The REMS-H humidity instrument has created an unprecedented data record of more than two full Martian. REMS-H measured the relative humidity and temperature at 1.6 m height for a period of 5 minutes every hour as part of the MSL/REMS instrument package. We focus on describing the annual in situ water cycle with the REMS-H instrument data for the period of almost three Martian years. The results will be constrained through comparison with independent indirect observations and through modeling efforts. We inferred the hourly atmospheric VMR from the REMS-H observations and compared these VMR measurements with predictions of VMR from our 1D column Martian atmospheric model and regolith to investigate the local water cycle, exchange processes and the local climate in Gale Crater. The strong diurnal variation suggests there are surface-atmosphere exchange processes at Gale Crater during all seasons, which depletes moisture to the ground in the evening and nighttime and release the moisture back to the atmosphere during the daytime. On the other hand, these processes do not seem to result in significant water deposition on the ground. Hence, our modelling results presumably indicate that adsorption processes take place during the nighttime and desorption during the daytime. Other processes, e.g. convective turbulence play a significant role in the daytime in conveying the moisture into the atmosphere.

Measurement of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Micro-Pipes by a Capacitance Sensor

PubMed Central

Ji, Haifeng; Li, Huajun; Huang, Zhiyao; Wang, Baoliang; Li, Haiqing

2014-01-01

A capacitance measurement system is developed for the measurement of gas-liquid two-phase flow in glass micro-pipes with inner diameters of 3.96, 2.65 and 1.56 mm, respectively. As a typical flow regime in a micro-pipe two-phase flow system, slug flow is chosen for this investigation. A capacitance sensor is designed and a high-resolution and high-speed capacitance measurement circuit is used to measure the small capacitance signals based on the differential sampling method. The performance and feasibility of the capacitance method are investigated and discussed. The capacitance signal is analyzed, which can reflect the voidage variation of two-phase flow. The gas slug velocity is determined through a cross-correlation technique using two identical capacitance sensors. The simulation and experimental results show that the presented capacitance measurement system is successful. Research work also verifies that the capacitance sensor is an effective method for the measurement of gas liquid two-phase flow parameters in micro-pipes. PMID:25587879

Measurement of gas-liquid two-phase flow in micro-pipes by a capacitance sensor.

PubMed

Ji, Haifeng; Li, Huajun; Huang, Zhiyao; Wang, Baoliang; Li, Haiqing

2014-11-26

A capacitance measurement system is developed for the measurement of gas-liquid two-phase flow in glass micro-pipes with inner diameters of 3.96, 2.65 and 1.56 mm, respectively. As a typical flow regime in a micro-pipe two-phase flow system, slug flow is chosen for this investigation. A capacitance sensor is designed and a high-resolution and high-speed capacitance measurement circuit is used to measure the small capacitance signals based on the differential sampling method. The performance and feasibility of the capacitance method are investigated and discussed. The capacitance signal is analyzed, which can reflect the voidage variation of two-phase flow. The gas slug velocity is determined through a cross-correlation technique using two identical capacitance sensors. The simulation and experimental results show that the presented capacitance measurement system is successful. Research work also verifies that the capacitance sensor is an effective method for the measurement of gas liquid two-phase flow parameters in micro-pipes.

Large Capacitance Measurement by Multiple Uses of MBL Charge Sensor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jung Sook; Chae, Min; Kim, Jung Bog

2010-01-01

A recent article by Morse described interesting electrostatics experiments using an MBL charge sensor. In this application, the charge sensor has a large capacitance compared to the charged test object, so nearly all charges can be transferred to the sensor capacitor from the capacitor to be measured. However, the typical capacitance of commercial…

A capacitive CMOS-MEMS sensor designed by multi-physics simulation for integrated CMOS-MEMS technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Toshifumi; Yamane, Daisuke; Matsushima, Takaaki; Masu, Kazuya; Machida, Katsuyuki; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

This paper reports the design and evaluation results of a capacitive CMOS-MEMS sensor that consists of the proposed sensor circuit and a capacitive MEMS device implemented on the circuit. To design a capacitive CMOS-MEMS sensor, a multi-physics simulation of the electromechanical behavior of both the MEMS structure and the sensing LSI was carried out simultaneously. In order to verify the validity of the design, we applied the capacitive CMOS-MEMS sensor to a MEMS accelerometer implemented by the post-CMOS process onto a 0.35-µm CMOS circuit. The experimental results of the CMOS-MEMS accelerometer exhibited good agreement with the simulation results within the input acceleration range between 0.5 and 6 G (1 G = 9.8 m/s2), corresponding to the output voltages between 908.6 and 915.4 mV, respectively. Therefore, we have confirmed that our capacitive CMOS-MEMS sensor and the multi-physics simulation will be beneficial method to realize integrated CMOS-MEMS technology.

An Annular Mechanical Temperature Compensation Structure for Gas-Sealed Capacitive Pressure Sensor

PubMed Central

Hao, Xiuchun; Jiang, Yonggang; Takao, Hidekuni; Maenaka, Kazusuke; Higuchi, Kohei

2012-01-01

A novel gas-sealed capacitive pressure sensor with a temperature compensation structure is reported. The pressure sensor is sealed by Au-Au diffusion bonding under a nitrogen ambient with a pressure of 100 kPa and integrated with a platinum resistor-based temperature sensor for human activity monitoring applications. The capacitance-pressure and capacitance-temperature characteristics of the gas-sealed capacitive pressure sensor without temperature compensation structure are calculated. It is found by simulation that a ring-shaped structure on the diaphragm of the pressure sensor can mechanically suppress the thermal expansion effect of the sealed gas in the cavity. Pressure sensors without/with temperature compensation structures are fabricated and measured. Through measured results, it is verified that the calculation model is accurate. Using the compensation structures with a 900 μm inner radius, the measured temperature coefficient is much reduced as compared to that of the pressure sensor without compensation. The sensitivities of the pressure sensor before and after compensation are almost the same in the pressure range from 80 kPa to 100 kPa. PMID:22969385

Characteristics Study of In-Situ Capacitive Sensor for Monitoring Lubrication Oil Debris.

PubMed

Han, Zhibin; Wang, Yishou; Qing, Xinlin

2017-12-08

As an essential part of engine health monitoring (EHM), online lubrication oil debris monitoring has recently received great attention for the assessment of rotating and reciprocating parts in aero-engines, due to its high integration, low cost and safe characteristics. However, it is be a challenge to find a suitable sensor operating in such a complex environment. We present an unconventional novel approach, in which a cylinder capacitive sensor is designed and integrated with the pipeline of an engine lubrication system, so that the capacitive sensor can effectively detect changes in the lubrication oil condition. In this paper, an attempt to illustrate the performance characteristics of the developed cylinder capacitive sensor is made, through an experiment system that simulates a real scenario of a lubrication oil system. The main aim of the research was to qualitatively describe the relationship between the sensor parameter and the lubrication oil debris. In addition, the effect of the temperature and flow rate of the lubrication oil on capacitance change was performed by several experiments and we figured out a compensation method. The experimental results demonstrated that the cylinder capacitive sensor can potentially be used for lubrication oil debris monitoring of the health condition of an aero-engine.

Development of capacitive sensor for automatically measuring tumbler water level with FEA simulation.

PubMed

Wei, Qun; Kim, Mi-Jung; Lee, Jong-Ha

2018-01-01

Drinking water has several advantages that have already been established, such as improving blood circulation, reducing acid in the stomach, etc. However, due to people not noticing the amount of water they consume every time they drink, most people drink less water than the recommended daily allowance. In this paper, a capacitive sensor for developing an automatic tumbler to measure water level is proposed. Different than in previous studies, the proposed capacitive sensor was separated into two sets: the main sensor for measuring the water level in the tumbler, and the reference sensor for measuring the incremental level unit. In order to confirm the feasibility of the proposed idea, and to optimize the shape of the sensor, a 3D model of the capacitive sensor with the tumbler was designed and subjected to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation. According to the simulation results, the electrodes were made of copper and assembled in a tumbler manufactured by a 3D printer. The tumbler was filled with water and was subjected to experiments in order to assess the sensor's performance. The comparison of experimental results to the simulation results shows that the measured capacitance value of the capacitive sensor changed linearly as the water level varied. This proves that the proposed sensor can accurately measure the water level in the tumbler. Additionally, by use of the curve fitting method, a compensation algorithm was found to match the actual level with the measured level. The experimental results proved that the proposed capacitive sensor is able to measure the actual water level in the tumbler accurately. A digital control part with micro-processor will be designed and fixed on the bottom of the tumbler for developing a smart tumbler.

Capacitive Sensors for Measuring Masses of Cryogenic Fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nurge, Mark; Youngquist, Robert

2003-01-01

An effort is under way to develop capacitive sensors for measuring the masses of cryogenic fluids in tanks. These sensors are intended to function in both microgravitational and normal gravitational settings, and should not be confused with level sensors, including capacitive ones. A sensor of this type is conceptually simple in the sense that (1) it includes only one capacitor and (2) if properly designed, its single capacitance reading should be readily convertible to a close approximation of the mass of the cryogenic fluid in the tank. Consider a pair of electrically insulated electrodes used as a simple capacitive sensor. In general, the capacitance is proportional to the permittivity of the dielectric medium (in this case, a cryogenic fluid) between the electrodes. The success of design and operation of a sensor of the present type depends on the accuracy of the assumption that to a close approximation, the permittivity of the cryogenic fluid varies linearly with the density of the fluid. Data on liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen, reported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, indicate that the permittivities and densities of these fluids are, indeed, linearly related to within a few tenths of a percent over the pressure and temperature regions of interest. Hence, ignoring geometric effects for the moment, the capacitance between two electrodes immersed in the fluid should vary linearly with the density, and, hence, with the mass of the fluid. Of course, it is necessary to take account of the tank geometry. Because most cryogenic tanks do not have uniform cross sections, the readings of level sensors, including capacitive ones, are not linearly correlated with the masses of fluids in the tanks. In a sensor of the present type, the capacitor electrodes are shaped so that at a given height, the capacitance per unit height is approximately proportional to the cross-sectional area of the tank in the horizontal plane at that height (see figure).

Design of capacitive sensor for water level measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qurthobi, A.; Iskandar, R. F.; Krisnatal, A.; Weldzikarvina

2016-11-01

Capacitive sensor for water level detection has been fabricated. It has, typically, high-impedance sensor, particularly at low frequencies, as clear from the impedance (reactance) expression for a capacitor. Also, capacitive sensor is a noncontacting device in the common usage. In this research, water level sensor based on capacitive principal created using two copper plates with height (h), width (b), and distance (l) between two plates, respectively, 0.040 m, 0.015 m, and 0.010 m. 5 V pp 3 kHz AC signal is used as input signal for the system. Dielectric constant between two plates is proportional to water level. Hence, it can be used to determine water level from electrical characteristic as it inversely proportional to sensor impedance. Linearization, inverting amplifier, and rectifier circuits are used as signal conditioning for the system. Based on conducted experiment, the relationship between water level (x), capacitance (C), and output voltage (Vdc ) can be expressed as C(x) = 2.756x + 0.333 nF and Vdc (x) = 15.755 + 0.316 V.

Characteristics Study of In-Situ Capacitive Sensor for Monitoring Lubrication Oil Debris

PubMed Central

Han, Zhibin; Wang, Yishou; Qing, Xinlin

2017-01-01

As an essential part of engine health monitoring (EHM), online lubrication oil debris monitoring has recently received great attention for the assessment of rotating and reciprocating parts in aero-engines, due to its high integration, low cost and safe characteristics. However, it is be a challenge to find a suitable sensor operating in such a complex environment. We present an unconventional novel approach, in which a cylinder capacitive sensor is designed and integrated with the pipeline of an engine lubrication system, so that the capacitive sensor can effectively detect changes in the lubrication oil condition. In this paper, an attempt to illustrate the performance characteristics of the developed cylinder capacitive sensor is made, through an experiment system that simulates a real scenario of a lubrication oil system. The main aim of the research was to qualitatively describe the relationship between the sensor parameter and the lubrication oil debris. In addition, the effect of the temperature and flow rate of the lubrication oil on capacitance change was performed by several experiments and we figured out a compensation method. The experimental results demonstrated that the cylinder capacitive sensor can potentially be used for lubrication oil debris monitoring of the health condition of an aero-engine. PMID:29292748

Development of a fiber shape polymeric humidity sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yen-Tse; Chen, Ling-Chih; Wang, Wei-Chih

2017-04-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a polymeric humidity sensor made of a cellulose based composite nanofiber. The device measures humidity via a humidity induced electrical impedance change. The compact, efficient design of the fiber makes it ideal to incorporate into textiles for biometrics applications such as body fluid monitoring. Initial test results show that the sensor can measure between 20 to 80% relative humidity with a sensitivity of about 2%. The impedance of the sensor material changes relatively linearly with relative humidity. The sensor also shows a relatively fast response ( 4s) compared to current commercial sensors.

Capacitive Micro Pressure Sensor Integrated with a Ring Oscillator Circuit on Chip

PubMed Central

Dai, Ching-Liang; Lu, Po-Wei; Chang, Chienliu; Liu, Cheng-Yang

2009-01-01

The study investigates a capacitive micro pressure sensor integrated with a ring oscillator circuit on a chip. The integrated capacitive pressure sensor is fabricated using the commercial CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) process and a post-process. The ring oscillator is employed to convert the capacitance of the pressure sensor into the frequency output. The pressure sensor consists of 16 sensing cells in parallel. Each sensing cell contains a top electrode and a lower electrode, and the top electrode is a sandwich membrane. The pressure sensor needs a post-CMOS process to release the membranes after completion of the CMOS process. The post-process uses etchants to etch the sacrificial layers, and to release the membranes. The advantages of the post-process include easy execution and low cost. Experimental results reveal that the pressure sensor has a high sensitivity of 7 Hz/Pa in the pressure range of 0–300 kPa. PMID:22303167

Capacitive micro pressure sensor integrated with a ring oscillator circuit on chip.

PubMed

Dai, Ching-Liang; Lu, Po-Wei; Chang, Chienliu; Liu, Cheng-Yang

2009-01-01

The study investigates a capacitive micro pressure sensor integrated with a ring oscillator circuit on a chip. The integrated capacitive pressure sensor is fabricated using the commercial CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) process and a post-process. The ring oscillator is employed to convert the capacitance of the pressure sensor into the frequency output. The pressure sensor consists of 16 sensing cells in parallel. Each sensing cell contains a top electrode and a lower electrode, and the top electrode is a sandwich membrane. The pressure sensor needs a post-CMOS process to release the membranes after completion of the CMOS process. The post-process uses etchants to etch the sacrificial layers, and to release the membranes. The advantages of the post-process include easy execution and low cost. Experimental results reveal that the pressure sensor has a high sensitivity of 7 Hz/Pa in the pressure range of 0-300 kPa.

Lateral displacement and rotational displacement sensor

DOEpatents

Duden, Thomas

2014-04-22

A position measuring sensor formed from opposing sets of capacitor plates measures both rotational displacement and lateral displacement from the changes in capacitances as overlapping areas of capacitors change. Capacitances are measured by a measuring circuit. The measured capacitances are provided to a calculating circuit that performs calculations to obtain angular and lateral displacement from the capacitances measured by the measuring circuit.

HYGROMETER

DOEpatents

Stover, C.M.

1963-01-29

This pntent relates to a hygrometer having a rapid and essentially straight line response to changes in relntive humidity and a high degree of sensitivity to moisture in the low relative humiaity range. In particular, the hygrometer comprises a metal plate coated with a hygrometric oxide coating, and electrical leads coupled to the metal plate and the oxide coating, respectively. When a change in relative humidity occurs, a change in the resistance and capacitance between the leads takes place owing to the hygrometric action of the oxide coating. Thus, with a voltage being applied to the leads, a change in capacitance and resistance between them causes a proportional change in the current between the leads. This may be read upon a suitable indicator for determining the relative humidity at any given instant. (AEC)

A Power-Efficient Capacitive Read-Out Circuit With Parasitic-Cancellation for MEMS Cochlea Sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Shiwei; Koickal, Thomas Jacob; Hamilton, Alister; Mastropaolo, Enrico; Cheung, Rebecca; Abel, Andrew; Smith, Leslie S; Wang, Lei

2016-02-01

This paper proposes a solution for signal read-out in the MEMS cochlea sensors that have very small sensing capacitance and do not have differential sensing structures. The key challenge in such sensors is the significant signal degradation caused by the parasitic capacitance at the MEMS-CMOS interface. Therefore, a novel capacitive read-out circuit with parasitic-cancellation mechanism is developed; the equivalent input capacitance of the circuit is negative and can be adjusted to cancel the parasitic capacitance. Chip results prove that the use of parasitic-cancellation is able to increase the sensor sensitivity by 35 dB without consuming any extra power. In general, the circuit follows a low-degradation low-amplification approach which is more power-efficient than the traditional high-degradation high-amplification approach; it employs parasitic-cancellation to reduce the signal degradation and therefore a lower gain is required in the amplification stage. Besides, the chopper-stabilization technique is employed to effectively reduce the low-frequency circuit noise and DC offsets. As a result of these design considerations, the prototype chip demonstrates the capability of converting a 7.5 fF capacitance change of a 1-Volt-biased 0.5 pF capacitive sensor pair into a 0.745 V signal-conditioned output at the cost of only 165.2 μW power consumption.

3D capacitive tactile sensor using DRIE micromachining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Chiehtang; Chen, Rongshun

2005-07-01

This paper presents a three dimensional micro capacitive tactile sensor that can detect normal and shear forces which is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) bulk silicon micromachining. The tactile sensor consists of a force transmission plate, a symmetric suspension system, and comb electrodes. The sensing character is based on the changes of capacitance between coplanar sense electrodes. High sensitivity is achieved by using the high aspect ratio interdigital electrodes with narrow comb gaps and large overlap areas. The symmetric suspension mechanism of this sensor can easily solve the coupling problem of measurement and increase the stability of the structure. In this paper, the sensor structure is designed, the capacitance variation of the proposed device is theoretically analyzed, and the finite element analysis of mechanical behavior of the structures is performed.

Solid State Humidity Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Song-Lin

There are only a few solid state humidity sensors available today. Most of those sensors use a porous oxide material as a principal part of the device. The devices work on the basis of a change in resistance as the moisture in the air varies. In this experiment, two solid state humidity sensors have been developed for use under practical conditions. One is a Polymer Oxide Semiconductor device with a POLYOX film that absorbs the moisture from the air. The amount of water dipoles absorbed by the polymer is a function of relative humidity. This sensor can measure relative humidity from 20% to 90%. The other is a Dew Point sensor. The sensor is in contact with the upper surface of a miniature Peltier cooler. Water molecules deposited on the sensor surface cause the electrical current through the sensor to increase. The operator adjusts the temperature of the Peltier cooler until a saturated current through the sensor is reached. About one min. is required to measure low relative humidities. The Dew Point sensor can measure a range of relative humidities of 30% to 80%.

Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography: Design and Applications

PubMed Central

Wang, Fei; Marashdeh, Qussai; Fan, Liang-Shih; Warsito, Warsito

2010-01-01

This article reports recent advances and progress in the field of electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT). ECVT, developed from the two-dimensional electrical capacitance tomography (ECT), is a promising non-intrusive imaging technology that can provide real-time three-dimensional images of the sensing domain. Images are reconstructed from capacitance measurements acquired by electrodes placed on the outside boundary of the testing vessel. In this article, a review of progress on capacitance sensor design and applications to multi-phase flows is presented. The sensor shape, electrode configuration, and the number of electrodes that comprise three key elements of three-dimensional capacitance sensors are illustrated. The article also highlights applications of ECVT sensors on vessels of various sizes from 1 to 60 inches with complex geometries. Case studies are used to show the capability and validity of ECVT. The studies provide qualitative and quantitative real-time three-dimensional information of the measuring domain under study. Advantages of ECVT render it a favorable tool to be utilized for industrial applications and fundamental multi-phase flow research. PMID:22294905

An RFID-based on-lens sensor system for long-term IOP monitoring.

PubMed

Hsu, Shun-Hsi; Chiou, Jin-Chern; Liao, Yu-Te; Yang, Tzu-Sen; Kuei, Cheng-Kai; Wu, Tsung-Wei; Huang, Yu-Chieh

2015-01-01

In this paper, an RFID-based on-lens sensor system is proposed for noninvasive long-term intraocular pressure monitoring. The proposed sensor IC, fabricated in a 0.18um CMOS process, consists of capacitive sensor readout circuitry, RFID communication circuits, and digital processing units. The sensor IC is integrated with electroplating capacitive sensors and a receiving antenna on the contact lens. The sensor IC can be wirelessly powered, communicate with RFID compatible equipment, and perform IOP measurement using on-lens capacitive sensor continuously from a 2cm distance while the incident power from an RFID reader is 20 dBm. The proposed system is compatible to Gen2 RFID protocol, extending the flexibility and reducing the self-developed firmware efforts.

A CMOS Humidity Sensor for Passive RFID Sensing Applications

PubMed Central

Deng, Fangming; He, Yigang; Zhang, Chaolong; Feng, Wei

2014-01-01

This paper presents a low-cost low-power CMOS humidity sensor for passive RFID sensing applications. The humidity sensing element is implemented in standard CMOS technology without any further post-processing, which results in low fabrication costs. The interface of this humidity sensor employs a PLL-based architecture transferring sensor signal processing from the voltage domain to the frequency domain. Therefore this architecture allows the use of a fully digital circuit, which can operate on ultra-low supply voltage and thus achieves low-power consumption. The proposed humidity sensor has been fabricated in the TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS process. The measurements show this humidity sensor exhibits excellent linearity and stability within the relative humidity range. The sensor interface circuit consumes only 1.05 μW at 0.5 V supply voltage and reduces it at least by an order of magnitude compared to previous designs. PMID:24841250

A CMOS humidity sensor for passive RFID sensing applications.

PubMed

Deng, Fangming; He, Yigang; Zhang, Chaolong; Feng, Wei

2014-05-16

This paper presents a low-cost low-power CMOS humidity sensor for passive RFID sensing applications. The humidity sensing element is implemented in standard CMOS technology without any further post-processing, which results in low fabrication costs. The interface of this humidity sensor employs a PLL-based architecture transferring sensor signal processing from the voltage domain to the frequency domain. Therefore this architecture allows the use of a fully digital circuit, which can operate on ultra-low supply voltage and thus achieves low-power consumption. The proposed humidity sensor has been fabricated in the TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS process. The measurements show this humidity sensor exhibits excellent linearity and stability within the relative humidity range. The sensor interface circuit consumes only 1.05 µW at 0.5 V supply voltage and reduces it at least by an order of magnitude compared to previous designs.

Software Compensates Electronic-Nose Readings for Humidity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Hanying

2007-01-01

A computer program corrects for the effects of humidity on the readouts of an array of chemical sensors (an "electronic nose"). To enable the use of this program, the array must incorporate an independent humidity sensor in addition to sensors designed to detect analytes other than water vapor. The basic principle of the program was described in "Compensating for Effects of Humidity on Electronic Noses" (NPO-30615), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 6 (June 2004), page 63. To recapitulate: The output of the humidity sensor is used to generate values that are subtracted from the outputs of the other sensors to correct for contributions of humidity to those readings. Hence, in principle, what remains after corrections are the contributions of the analytes only. The outputs of the non-humidity sensors are then deconvolved to obtain the concentrations of the analytes. In addition, the humidity reading is retained as an analyte reading in its own right. This subtraction of the humidity background increases the ability of the software to identify such events as spills in which contaminants may be present in small concentrations and accompanied by large changes in humidity.

Bimodal wireless sensing with dual-channel wide bandgap heterostructure varactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deen, David A.; Osinsky, Andrei; Miller, Ross

2014-03-01

A capacitive wireless sensing scheme is developed that utilizes an AlN/GaN-based dual-channel varactor. The dual-channel heterostructure affords two capacitance plateaus within the capacitance-voltage (CV) characteristic, owing to the two parallel two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) located at respective AlN/GaN interfaces. The capacitance plateaus are leveraged for the definition of two resonant states of the sensor when implemented in an inductively-coupled resonant LRC network for wireless readout. The physics-based CV model is compared with published experimental results, which serve as a basis for the sensor embodiment. The bimodal resonant sensor is befitting for a broad application space ranging from gas, electrostatic, and piezoelectric sensors to biological and chemical detection.

Double-driven shield capacitive type proximity sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vranish, John M. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A capacity type proximity sensor comprised of a capacitance type sensor, a capacitance type reference, and two independent and mutually opposing driven shields respectively adjacent to the sensor and reference and which are coupled in an electrical bridge circuit configuration and driven by a single frequency crystal controlled oscillator is presented. The bridge circuit additionally includes a pair of fixed electrical impedance elements which form adjacent arms of the bridge and which comprise either a pair of precision resistances or capacitors. Detection of bridge unbalance provides an indication of the mutual proximity between an object and the sensor. Drift compensation is also utilized to improve performance and thus increase sensor range and sensitivity.

Perspectives on MEMS in bioengineering: a novel capacitive position microsensor.

PubMed

Pedrocchi, A; Hoen, S; Ferrigno, G; Pedotti, A

2000-01-01

We describe a novel capacitive position sensor using micromachining to achieve high sensitivity and large range of motion. These sensors require a new theoretical framework to describe and optimize their performance. Employing a complete description of the electrical fields, the sensor should deviate from the standard geometries used for capacitive sensors. By this optimization, the sensor gains a twofold increase in sensitivity. Results on a PC board 10x model imply that the micromachined sensor should achieve a sensitivity of less than 10 nm over 500-micron range of travel. Some bioengineering applications are addressed, including positioning of micromirrors for laser surgery and dose control for implantable drug delivery systems.

Humidity detection using chitosan film based sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, T. I.; Nainggolan, I.; Dalimunthe, D.; Balyan, M.; Cuana, R.; Khanifah, S.

2018-02-01

A humidity sensor made of the natural polymer chitosan has been successfully fabricated in the film form by a solution casting method. Humidity testing was performed by placing a chitosan film sensor in a cooling machine room, model KT-2000 Ahu. The testing results showed that the output voltage values of chitosan film sensor increased with the increase in humidity percentage. For the increase in humidity percentage from 30 to 90% showed that the output voltage of chitosan film sensor increased from 32.19 to 138.75 mV. It was also found that the sensor evidenced good repeatability and stability during the testing. Therefore, chitosan has a great potential to be used as new sensing material for the humidity detection of which was cheaper and environmentally friendly.

Portable Dew Point Mass Spectrometry System for Real-Time Gas and Moisture Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arkin, C.; Gillespie, Stacey; Ratzel, Christopher

2010-01-01

A portable instrument incorporates both mass spectrometry and dew point measurement to provide real-time, quantitative gas measurements of helium, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide, along with real-time, quantitative moisture analysis. The Portable Dew Point Mass Spectrometry (PDP-MS) system comprises a single quadrupole mass spectrometer and a high vacuum system consisting of a turbopump and a diaphragm-backing pump. A capacitive membrane dew point sensor was placed upstream of the MS, but still within the pressure-flow control pneumatic region. Pressure-flow control was achieved with an upstream precision metering valve, a capacitance diaphragm gauge, and a downstream mass flow controller. User configurable LabVIEW software was developed to provide real-time concentration data for the MS, dew point monitor, and sample delivery system pressure control, pressure and flow monitoring, and recording. The system has been designed to include in situ, NIST-traceable calibration. Certain sample tubing retains sufficient water that even if the sample is dry, the sample tube will desorb water to an amount resulting in moisture concentration errors up to 500 ppm for as long as 10 minutes. It was determined that Bev-A-Line IV was the best sample line to use. As a result of this issue, it is prudent to add a high-level humidity sensor to PDP-MS so such events can be prevented in the future.

Capacitive Pressure Sensor with High Sensitivity and Fast Response to Dynamic Interaction Based on Graphene and Porous Nylon Networks.

PubMed

He, Zhongfu; Chen, Wenjun; Liang, Binghao; Liu, Changyong; Yang, Leilei; Lu, Dongwei; Mo, Zichao; Zhu, Hai; Tang, Zikang; Gui, Xuchun

2018-04-18

Flexible pressure sensors are of great importance to be applied in artificial intelligence and wearable electronics. However, assembling a simple structure, high-performance capacitive pressure sensor, especially for monitoring the flow of liquids, is still a big challenge. Here, on the basis of a sandwich-like structure, we propose a facile capacitive pressure sensor optimized by a flexible, low-cost nylon netting, showing many merits including a high response sensitivity (0.33 kPa -1 ) in a low-pressure regime (<1 kPa), an ultralow detection limit as 3.3 Pa, excellent working stability after more than 1000 cycles, and synchronous monitoring for human pulses and clicks. More important, this sensor exhibits an ultrafast response speed (<20 ms), which enables its detection for the fast variations of a small applied pressure from the morphological changing processes of a droplet falling onto the sensor. Furthermore, a capacitive pressure sensor array is fabricated for demonstrating the ability to spatial pressure distribution. Our developed pressure sensors show great prospects in practical applications such as health monitoring, flexible tactile devices, and motion detection.

Uniformly Porous Nanocrystalline CaMgFe1.33Ti3O12 Ceramic Derived Electro-Ceramic Nanocomposite for Impedance Type Humidity Sensor

PubMed Central

Tripathy, Ashis; Pramanik, Sumit; Manna, Ayan; Shasmin, Hanie Nadia; Radzi, Zamri; Abu Osman, Noor Azuan

2016-01-01

Since humidity sensors have been widely used in many sectors, a suitable humidity sensing material with improved sensitivity, faster response and recovery times, better stability and low hysteresis is necessary to be developed. Here, we fabricate a uniformly porous humidity sensor using Ca, Ti substituted Mg ferrites with chemical formula of CaMgFe1.33Ti3O12 as humidity sensing materials by solid-sate step-sintering technique. This synthesis technique is useful to control the grain size with increased porosity to enhance the hydrophilic characteristics of the CaMgFe1.33Ti3O12 nanoceramic based sintered electro-ceramic nanocomposites. The highest porosity, lowest density and excellent surface-hydrophilicity properties were obtained at 1050 °C sintered ceramic. The performance of this impedance type humidity sensor was evaluated by electrical characterizations using alternating current (AC) in the 33%–95% relative humidity (RH) range at 25 °C. Compared with existing conventional resistive humidity sensors, the present sintered electro-ceramic nanocomposite based humidity sensor showed faster response time (20 s) and recovery time (40 s). This newly developed sensor showed extremely high sensitivity (%S) and small hysteresis of <3.4%. Long-term stability of the sensor had been determined by testing for 30 consecutive days. Therefore, the high performance sensing behavior of the present electro-ceramic nanocomposites would be suitable for a potential use in advanced humidity sensors. PMID:27916913

3-Axis Fully-Integrated Capacitive Tactile Sensor with Flip-Bonded CMOS on LTCC Interposer.

PubMed

Asano, Sho; Muroyama, Masanori; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Nonomura, Yutaka; Tanaka, Shuji

2017-10-25

This paper reports a 3-axis fully integrated differential capacitive tactile sensor surface-mountable on a bus line. The sensor integrates a flip-bonded complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) with capacitive sensing circuits on a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) interposer with Au through vias by Au-Au thermo-compression bonding. The CMOS circuit and bonding pads on the sensor backside were electrically connected through Au bumps and the LTCC interposer, and the differential capacitive gap was formed by an Au sealing frame. A diaphragm for sensing 3-axis force was formed in the CMOS substrate. The dimensions of the completed sensor are 2.5 mm in width, 2.5 mm in length, and 0.66 mm in thickness. The fabricated sensor output coded 3-axis capacitive sensing data according to applied 3-axis force by three-dimensional (3D)-printed pins. The measured sensitivity was as high as over 34 Count/mN for normal force and 14 to 15 Count/mN for shear force with small noise, which corresponds to less than 1 mN. The hysteresis and the average cross-sensitivity were also found to be less than 2% full scale and 11%, respectively.

3-Axis Fully-Integrated Capacitive Tactile Sensor with Flip-Bonded CMOS on LTCC Interposer †

PubMed Central

Asano, Sho; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Shuji

2017-01-01

This paper reports a 3-axis fully integrated differential capacitive tactile sensor surface-mountable on a bus line. The sensor integrates a flip-bonded complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) with capacitive sensing circuits on a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) interposer with Au through vias by Au-Au thermo-compression bonding. The CMOS circuit and bonding pads on the sensor backside were electrically connected through Au bumps and the LTCC interposer, and the differential capacitive gap was formed by an Au sealing frame. A diaphragm for sensing 3-axis force was formed in the CMOS substrate. The dimensions of the completed sensor are 2.5 mm in width, 2.5 mm in length, and 0.66 mm in thickness. The fabricated sensor output coded 3-axis capacitive sensing data according to applied 3-axis force by three-dimensional (3D)-printed pins. The measured sensitivity was as high as over 34 Count/mN for normal force and 14 to 15 Count/mN for shear force with small noise, which corresponds to less than 1 mN. The hysteresis and the average cross-sensitivity were also found to be less than 2% full scale and 11%, respectively. PMID:29068429

Aptamer-functionalized capacitance sensors for real-time monitoring of bacterial growth and antibiotic susceptibility.

PubMed

Jo, Namgyeong; Kim, Bongjun; Lee, Sun-Mi; Oh, Jeseung; Park, In Ho; Jin Lim, Kook; Shin, Jeon-Soo; Yoo, Kyung-Hwa

2018-04-15

To prevent spread of infection and antibiotic resistance, fast and accurate diagnosis of bacterial infection and subsequent administration of antimicrobial agents are important. However, conventional methods for bacterial detection and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) require more than two days, leading to delays that have contributed to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Here, we report an aptamer-functionalized capacitance sensor array that can monitor bacterial growth and antibiotic susceptibility in real-time. While E. coli and S. aureus were cultured, the capacitance increased over time, and apparent bacterial growth curves were observed even when 10 CFU/mL bacteria was inoculated. Furthermore, because of the selectivity of aptamers, bacteria could be identified within 1h using the capacitance sensor array functionalized with aptamers. In addition to bacterial growth, antibiotic susceptibility could be monitored in real-time. When bacteria were treated with antibiotics above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the capacitance decreased because the bacterial growth was inhibited. These results demonstrate that the aptamer-functionalized capacitance sensor array might be applied for rapid ASTs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cell-based capacitance sensor for analysis of EGFR expression on cell membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Dong-Myeong; Shin, Yong-Cheol; Ha, Ji Hye; Lee, Jong-Ho; Han, Dong-Wook; Kim, Jong-Man; Kim, Hyung Kook; Hwang, Yoon-Hwae

2013-02-01

Cancer cells have many kinds of cancer biomarkers. Among them, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors can show a possibility for a cancer marker because the over-expression of EGF receptor is related with fibrous, colorectal, cervical and gastric tumorigenesis. We fabricated the capacitance sensor with a gap area of 50 μm × 200 μm by using photolithography and lift-off method. Using the capacitance sensor, we investigated the time dependent capacitance changes of different kinds of fibrous cells, such as HT1080 fibrosarcoma, L-929 fibroblast cell line and nHDF dermal fibroblast primary cell. We found that when we put the EGF, the capacitance decreased due to the immobilization of EGF to EGF receptor on the cell membrane. The quantitative determination of EGF receptor level for various fibrous cells was carried out and the results showed good correlation with conventional method. Based on our results, we suggest that the capacitance sensor can measure the expression level of the EGF receptor on cell membrane and be a good candidate as a cancer diagnosis.

Online Soft Sensor of Humidity in PEM Fuel Cell Based on Dynamic Partial Least Squares

PubMed Central

Long, Rong; Chen, Qihong; Zhang, Liyan; Ma, Longhua; Quan, Shuhai

2013-01-01

Online monitoring humidity in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an important issue in maintaining proper membrane humidity. The cost and size of existing sensors for monitoring humidity are prohibitive for online measurements. Online prediction of humidity using readily available measured data would be beneficial to water management. In this paper, a novel soft sensor method based on dynamic partial least squares (DPLS) regression is proposed and applied to humidity prediction in PEM fuel cell. In order to obtain data of humidity and test the feasibility of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test system is constructed. The time lag of the DPLS-based soft sensor is selected as 30 by comparing the root-mean-square error in different time lag. The performance of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor is demonstrated by experimental results. PMID:24453923

A Wearable Capacitive Sensor for Monitoring Human Respiratory Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundu, Subrata Kumar; Kumagai, Shinya; Sasaki, Minoru

2013-04-01

Realizing an untethered, low-cost, and comfortably wearable respiratory rate sensor for long-term breathing monitoring application still remains a challenge. In this paper, a conductive-textile-based wearable respiratory rate sensing technique based on the capacitive sensing approach is proposed. The sensing unit consists of two conductive textile electrodes that can be easily fabricated, laminated, and integrated in garments. Respiration cycle is detected by measuring the capacitance of two electrodes placed on the inner anterior and posterior sides of a T-shirt at either the abdomen or chest position. A convenient wearable respiratory sensor setup with a capacitance-to-voltage converter has been devised. Respiratory rate as well as breathing mode can be accurately identified using the designed sensor. The sensor output provides significant information on respiratory flow. The effectiveness of the proposed system for different breathing patterns has been evaluated by experiments.

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications †

PubMed Central

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-01-01

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human–robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as “sensor platform LSI”) as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated. PMID:29061954

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications.

PubMed

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Nonomura, Yutaka; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-08-28

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human-robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as "sensor platform LSI") as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated.

Evaluation of excitation strategy with multi-plane electrical capacitance tomography sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Mingxu; Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Zhang, Jiaolong; Yang, Wuqiang

2016-11-01

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is an imaging technique for measuring the permittivity change of materials. Using a multi-plane ECT sensor, three-dimensional (3D) distribution of permittivity may be represented. In this paper, three excitation strategies, including single-electrode excitation, dual-electrode excitation in the same plane, and dual-electrode excitation in different planes are investigated by numerical simulation and experiment for two three-plane ECT sensors with 12 electrodes in total. In one sensor, the electrodes on the middle plane are in line with the others. In the other sensor, they are rotated 45° with reference to the other two planes. A linear back projection algorithm is used to reconstruct the images and a correlation coefficient is used to evaluate the image quality. The capacitance data and sensitivity distribution with each measurement strategy and sensor model are analyzed. Based on simulation and experimental results using noise-free and noisy capacitance data, the performance of the three strategies is evaluated.

Integration of piezo-capacitive and piezo-electric nanoweb based pressure sensors for imaging of static and dynamic pressure distribution.

PubMed

Jeong, Y J; Oh, T I; Woo, E J; Kim, K J

2017-07-01

Recently, highly flexible and soft pressure distribution imaging sensor is in great demand for tactile sensing, gait analysis, ubiquitous life-care based on activity recognition, and therapeutics. In this study, we integrate the piezo-capacitive and piezo-electric nanowebs with the conductive fabric sheets for detecting static and dynamic pressure distributions on a large sensing area. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and electric source imaging are applied for reconstructing pressure distribution images from measured current-voltage data on the boundary of the hybrid fabric sensor. We evaluated the piezo-capacitive nanoweb sensor, piezo-electric nanoweb sensor, and hybrid fabric sensor. The results show the feasibility of static and dynamic pressure distribution imaging from the boundary measurements of the fabric sensors.

Sensor fabrication method for in situ temperature and humidity monitoring of light emitting diodes.

PubMed

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Su, Ay; Liu, Yin-Chieh; Chan, Pin-Cheng; Lin, Chia-Hung

2010-01-01

In this work micro temperature and humidity sensors are fabricated to measure the junction temperature and humidity of light emitting diodes (LED). The junction temperature is frequently measured using thermal resistance measurement technology. The weakness of this method is that the timing of data capture is not regulated by any standard. This investigation develops a device that can stably and continually measure temperature and humidity. The device is light-weight and can monitor junction temperature and humidity in real time. Using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), this study minimizes the size of the micro temperature and humidity sensors, which are constructed on a stainless steel foil substrate (40 μm-thick SS-304). The micro temperature and humidity sensors can be fixed between the LED chip and frame. The sensitivities of the micro temperature and humidity sensors are 0.06±0.005 (Ω/°C) and 0.033 pF/%RH, respectively.

Development of Electrical Capacitance Sensors for Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Testing at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Maolong; Ryals, Matthew; Ali, Amir

2016-08-01

A variety of instruments are being developed and qualified to support the Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) program and future transient irradiations at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The University of New Mexico (UNM) is working with INL to develop capacitance-based void sensors for determining the timing of critical boiling phenomena in static capsule fuel testing and the volume-averaged void fraction in flow-boiling in-pile water loop fuel testing. The static capsule sensor developed at INL is a plate-type configuration, while UNM is utilizing a ring-type capacitance sensor. Each sensor design has been theoretically and experimentallymore » investigated at INL and UNM. Experiments are being performed at INL in an autoclave to investigate the performance of these sensors under representative Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) conditions in a static capsule. Experiments have been performed at UNM using air-water two-phase flow to determine the sensitivity and time response of the capacitance sensor under a flow boiling configuration. Initial measurements from the capacitance sensor have demonstrated the validity of the concept to enable real-time measurement of void fraction. The next steps include designing the cabling interface with the flow loop at UNM for Reactivity Initiated Accident (RIA) ATF testing at TREAT and further characterization of the measurement response for each sensor under varying conditions by experiments and modeling.« less

Nanostructured conjugated polymers in chemical sensors: synthesis, properties and applications.

PubMed

Correa, D S; Medeiros, E S; Oliveira, J E; Paterno, L G; Mattoso, Luiz C

2014-09-01

Conjugated polymers are organic materials endowed with a π-electron conjugation along the polymer backbone that present appealing electrical and optical properties for technological applications. By using conjugated polymeric materials in the nanoscale, such properties can be further enhanced. In addition, the use of nanostructured materials makes possible miniaturize devices at the micro/nano scale. The applications of conjugated nanostructured polymers include sensors, actuators, flexible displays, discrete electronic devices, and smart fabric, to name a few. In particular, the use of conjugated polymers in chemical and biological sensors is made feasible owning to their sensitivity to the physicochemical conditions of its surrounding environment, such as chemical composition, pH, dielectric constant, humidity or even temperature. Subtle changes in these conditions bring about variations on the electrical (resistivity and capacitance), optical (absorptivity, luminescence, etc.), and mechanical properties of the conjugated polymer, which can be precisely measured by different experimental methods and ultimately associated with a specific analyte and its concentration. The present review article highlights the main features of conjugated polymers that make them suitable for chemical sensors. An especial emphasis is given to nanostructured sensors systems, which present high sensitivity and selectivity, and find application in beverage and food quality control, pharmaceutical industries, medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and homeland security, and other applications as discussed throughout this review.

Structure and Fabrication of a Microscale Flow-Rate/Skin Friction Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandrasekharan, Vijay (Inventor); Sells, Jeremy (Inventor); Sheplak, Mark (Inventor); Arnold, David P. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A floating element shear sensor and method for fabricating the same are provided. According to an embodiment, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based capacitive floating element shear stress sensor is provided that can achieve time-resolved turbulence measurement. In one embodiment, a differential capacitive transduction scheme is used for shear stress measurement. The floating element structure for the differential capacitive transduction scheme incorporates inter digitated comb fingers forming differential capacitors, which provide electrical output proportional to the floating element deflection.

A low-power integrated humidity CMOS sensor by printing-on-chip technology.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Hung; Chuang, Wen-Yu; Cowan, Melissa A; Wu, Wen-Jung; Lin, Chih-Ting

2014-05-23

A low-power, wide-dynamic-range integrated humidity sensing chip is implemented using a printable polymer sensing material with an on-chip pulse-width-modulation interface circuit. By using the inkjet printing technique, poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate that has humidity sensing features can be printed onto the top metal layer of a 0.35 μm CMOS IC. The developed printing-on-chip humidity sensor achieves a heterogeneous three dimensional sensor system-on-chip architecture. The humidity sensing of the implemented printing-on-chip sensor system is experimentally tested. The sensor shows a sensitivity of 0.98% to humidity in the atmosphere. The maximum dynamic range of the readout circuit is 9.8 MΩ, which can be further tuned by the frequency of input signal to fit the requirement of the resistance of printed sensor. The power consumption keeps only 154 μW. This printing-on-chip sensor provides a practical solution to fulfill an ultra-small integrated sensor for the applications in miniaturized sensing systems.

A Low-Power Integrated Humidity CMOS Sensor by Printing-on-Chip Technology

PubMed Central

Lee, Chang-Hung; Chuang, Wen-Yu; Cowan, Melissa A.; Wu, Wen-Jung; Lin, Chih-Ting

2014-01-01

A low-power, wide-dynamic-range integrated humidity sensing chip is implemented using a printable polymer sensing material with an on-chip pulse-width-modulation interface circuit. By using the inkjet printing technique, poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate that has humidity sensing features can be printed onto the top metal layer of a 0.35 μm CMOS IC. The developed printing-on-chip humidity sensor achieves a heterogeneous three dimensional sensor system-on-chip architecture. The humidity sensing of the implemented printing-on-chip sensor system is experimentally tested. The sensor shows a sensitivity of 0.98% to humidity in the atmosphere. The maximum dynamic range of the readout circuit is 9.8 MΩ, which can be further tuned by the frequency of input signal to fit the requirement of the resistance of printed sensor. The power consumption keeps only 154 μW. This printing-on-chip sensor provides a practical solution to fulfill an ultra-small integrated sensor for the applications in miniaturized sensing systems. PMID:24859027

Description and testing of three moisture sensors for measuring surface wetness on carbonate building stones

USGS Publications Warehouse

See, R.B.; Reddy, M.M.; Martin, R.G.

1987-01-01

Three sensors were tested on building stones exposed to conditions that produce deposition of moisture. A relative humidity probe, a gypsum collected circuit grid, and a limestone block resistor were tested as sensors for determining surface wetness. Sensors were tested under laboratory conditions of constant relative humidity and temperature and also under on-site conditions of variable relative humidity and temperature for 8 weeks at Newcomb, New York. Laboratory tests indicated that relative humidity alone did not cause sensors to become saturated. However, relative humidity did control the rate at which sensors dried after being saturated with distilled water. On-site testing of the relative humidity probe and the gypsum coated circuit grid indicated that they respond to a diurnal wetting and drying cycle; the limestone block resistor only responded to rainfall. (Author 's abstract)

System-in Package of Integrated Humidity Sensor Using CMOS-MEMS Technology.

PubMed

Lee, Sung Pil

2015-10-01

Temperature/humidity microchips with micropump were fabricated using a CMOS-MEMS process and combined with ZigBee modules to implement a sensor system in package (SIP) for a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) and/or a wireless communication system. The current of a diode temperature sensor to temperature and a normalized current of FET humidity sensor to relative humidity showed linear characteristics, respectively, and the use of the micropump has enabled a faster response. A wireless reception module using the same protocol as that in transmission systems processed the received data within 10 m and showed temperature and humidity values in the display.

Humidity of anaesthetic gases with respect to low flow anaesthesia.

PubMed

Kleemann, P P

1994-08-01

It has been demonstrated in an experimental study in swine using the scanning electron microscope that a rebreathing technique utilising minimal fresh gas flowrates significantly improves climatization of anaesthetic gases. Consequently, effects of various anaesthetic techniques on airway climate must be assessed, which covers the need for suitable measuring devices. Basic principles and methods of humidity measurement in flowing anaesthetic gases include gravimetric hygrometry, dew point hygrometry, wet-dry bulb psychrometry, mass spectrometry, spectroscopic hygrometry and electrical hygrometry. A custom-made apparatus for continuous measurement of humidity and temperature in the inspired and expired gas mixtures of a breathing circuit (separated by a valve system, integrated between the endotracheal tube and the Y-piece) is described. Comparative evaluation of this apparatus and the psychrometer was carried out. It could be demonstrated that the apparatus, measuring with capacitive humidity sensors, is more suitable for prolonged use under clinical conditions than the psychrometer. In the second part of the study, climatization of anaesthetic gases under clinical conditions was investigated using fresh gas flowrates of 0.6, 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 l/min. In the inspiratory limb of the circuit an absolute humidity of 21.3 mg H2O/l and a temperature of 31.5 degrees C were obtained after 120 minutes of minimal flow. Humidity and temperature of inspired air obtained with fresh gas flowrates of 6.0 and 3.0 l/min were found to be inadequate for prolonged anaesthesia. Reducing the fresh gas flow to 1.5 l/min increases heat and moisture content in the respired gases, but conditions are still inadequate for prolonged anaesthesia. Sufficient moisture (> or 20 mg H2O/l) and temperature are obtained under minimal flow conditions after one hour.

Capacitance Based Moisture Sensing for Microgravity Plant Modules: Sensor Design and Considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaber, Chad L.; Nurge, Mark; Monje, Oscar

2011-01-01

Life support systems for growing plants in microgravity should strive for providing optimal growing conditions and increased automation. Accurately tracking soil moisture content can forward both of these aims, so an attempt was made to instrument a microgravity growth module currently in development, the VEGGIE rooting pillow, in order to monitor moisture levels. Two electrode systems for a capacitance-based moisture sensor were tested. Trials with both types of electrodes showed a linear correlation between observed capacitance and water content over certain ranges of moisture within the pillows. Overall, both types of the electrodes and the capacitance-based moisture sensor are promising candidates for tracking water levels for microgravity plant growth systems.

Capacitively-coupled inductive sensor

DOEpatents

Ekdahl, Carl A.

1984-01-01

A capacitively coupled inductive shunt current sensor which utilizes capacitive coupling between flanges having an annular inductive channel formed therein. A voltage dividing capacitor is connected between the coupling capacitor and ground to provide immediate capacitive division of the output signal so as to provide a high frequency response of the current pulse to be detected. The present invention can be used in any desired outer conductor such as the outer conductor of a coaxial transmission line, the outer conductor of an electron beam transmission line, etc.

Carbon Nanotube Tape Vibrating Gyroscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Dennis Stephen (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A vibrating gyroscope includes a piezoelectric strip having length and width dimensions. The piezoelectric strip includes a piezoelectric material and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) substantially aligned and polled along the strip's length dimension. A spindle having an axis of rotation is coupled to the piezoelectric strip. The axis of rotation is parallel to the strip's width dimension. A first capacitance sensor is mechanically coupled to the spindle for rotation therewith. The first capacitance sensor is positioned at one of the strip's opposing ends and is spaced apart from one of the strip's opposing faces. A second capacitance sensor is mechanically coupled to the spindle for rotation therewith. The second capacitance sensor is positioned at another of the strip's opposing ends and is spaced apart from another of the strip's opposing faces. A voltage source applies an AC voltage to the piezoelectric strip.

Noncontact Measurement of Humidity and Temperature Using Airborne Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kon, Akihiko; Mizutani, Koichi; Wakatsuki, Naoto

2010-04-01

We describe a noncontact method for measuring humidity and dry-bulb temperature. Conventional humidity sensors are single-point measurement devices, so that a noncontact method for measuring the relative humidity is required. Ultrasonic temperature sensors are noncontact measurement sensors. Because water vapor in the air increases sound velocity, conventional ultrasonic temperature sensors measure virtual temperature, which is higher than dry-bulb temperature. We performed experiments using an ultrasonic delay line, an atmospheric pressure sensor, and either a thermometer or a relative humidity sensor to confirm the validity of our measurement method at relative humidities of 30, 50, 75, and 100% and at temperatures of 283.15, 293.15, 308.15, and 323.15 K. The results show that the proposed method measures relative humidity with an error rate of less than 16.4% and dry-bulb temperature with an error of less than 0.7 K. Adaptations of the measurement method for use in air-conditioning control systems are discussed.

Capacitance-digital and impedance converter as electrical tomography measurement system for biological tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikhsanti, Mila Izzatul; Bouzida, Rana; Wijaya, Sastra Kusuma; Rohmadi, Muttakin, Imamul; Taruno, Warsito P.

2017-02-01

This research aims to explore the feasibility of capacitance-digital converter and impedance converter for measurement module in electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system. ECT sensor used was a cylindrical sensor having 8 electrodes. Absolute capacitance measurement system based on Sigma Delta Capacitance-to-Digital-Converter AD7746 has been shown to produce measurement with high resolution. Whereas, capacitance measurement with wide range of frequency is possible using Impedance Converter AD5933. Comparison of measurement accuracy by both AD7746 and AD5933 with reference of LCR meter was evaluated. Biological matters represented in water and oil were treated as object reconstructed into image using linear back projection (LBP) algorithm.

3D printed stretchable capacitive sensors for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Kai; Wei, Hong; Liu, Wenguang; Meng, Hong; Zhang, Peixin; Yan, Chaoyi

2018-05-01

Developments of innovative strategies for the fabrication of stretchable sensors are of crucial importance for their applications in wearable electronic systems. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of stretchable capacitive sensors using a novel 3D printing method for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing applications. Unlike conventional lithographic or templated methods, the programmable 3D printing technique can fabricate complex device structures in a cost-effective and facile manner. We designed and fabricated stretchable capacitive sensors with interdigital and double-vortex designs and demonstrated their successful applications as tactile and electrochemical sensors. Especially, our stretchable sensors exhibited a detection limit as low as 1 × 10-6 M for NaCl aqueous solution, which could have significant potential applications when integrated in electronics skins.

3D printed stretchable capacitive sensors for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing.

PubMed

Li, Kai; Wei, Hong; Liu, Wenguang; Meng, Hong; Zhang, Peixin; Yan, Chaoyi

2018-05-04

Developments of innovative strategies for the fabrication of stretchable sensors are of crucial importance for their applications in wearable electronic systems. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of stretchable capacitive sensors using a novel 3D printing method for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing applications. Unlike conventional lithographic or templated methods, the programmable 3D printing technique can fabricate complex device structures in a cost-effective and facile manner. We designed and fabricated stretchable capacitive sensors with interdigital and double-vortex designs and demonstrated their successful applications as tactile and electrochemical sensors. Especially, our stretchable sensors exhibited a detection limit as low as 1 × 10 -6 M for NaCl aqueous solution, which could have significant potential applications when integrated in electronics skins.

In-place recalibration technique applied to a capacitance-type system for measuring rotor blade tip clearance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barranger, J. P.

1978-01-01

The rotor blade tip clearance measurement system consists of a capacitance sensing probe with self contained tuning elements, a connecting coaxial cable, and remotely located electronics. Tests show that the accuracy of the system suffers from a strong dependence on probe tip temperature and humidity. A novel inplace recalibration technique was presented which partly overcomes this problem through a simple modification of the electronics that permits a scale factor correction. This technique, when applied to a commercial system significantly reduced errors under varying conditions of humidity and temperature. Equations were also found that characterize the important cable and probe design quantities.

Description and testing of three moisture sensors for measuring surface wetness on carbonate building stones

USGS Publications Warehouse

See, R.B.; Reddy, M.M.; Martin, R.G.

1988-01-01

Three moisture sensors were tested as a means for determining the surface wetness on carbonate building stones exposed to conditions that produce deposition of moisture. A relative-humidity probe, a gypsum-coated circuit grid, and a limestone-block resistor were tested as sensors for determining surface wetness. Sensors were tested under laboratory conditions of constant relative humidity and temperature and also under on-site conditions of variable relative humidity and temperature for eight weeks at Newcomb, NY. Laboratory tests indicated that relative humidity alone did not cause sensors to become saturated with water. However, the rates of drying indicated by the sensors after an initial saturation were inversely related to the relative humidity. On-site testing of the relative-humidity probe and the gypsum-coated ciruit grid indicated that they respond to a diurnal wetting and drying cycle; the limestone-block resistor responded only to rainfall.

Charge storage in β-FeSi2 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theis, Jens; Bywalez, Robert; Küpper, Sebastian; Lorke, Axel; Wiggers, Hartmut

2015-02-01

We report on the observation of a surprisingly high specific capacitance of β-FeSi2 nanoparticle layers. Lateral, interdigitated capacitor structures were fabricated on thermally grown silicon dioxide and covered with β-FeSi2 particles by drop or spin casting. The β-FeSi2-nanoparticles, with crystallite sizes in the range of 10-30 nm, were fabricated by gas phase synthesis in a hot wall reactor. Compared to the bare electrodes, the nanoparticle-coated samples exhibit a 3-4 orders of magnitude increased capacitance. Time-resolved current voltage measurements show that for short times (seconds to minutes), the material is capable of storing up to 1 As/g at voltages of around 1 V. The devices are robust and exhibit long-term stability under ambient conditions. The specific capacitance is highest for a saturated relative humidity, while for a relative humidity below 40% the capacitance is almost indistinguishable from a nanoparticle-free reference sample. The devices work without the need of a fluid phase, the charge storing material is abundant and cost effective, and the sample design is easy to fabricate.

The influence of hard-baking temperature applied for SU8 sensor layer on the sensitivity of capacitive chemical sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klanjšek Gunde, Marta; Hauptman, Nina; Maček, Marijan; Kunaver, Matjaž

2009-06-01

SU8, the near-UV photosensitive epoxy-based polymer was used as a sensor layer in the capacitive chemical sensor, ready for integration with a generic double-metal CMOS technology. It was observed that the response of the sensor slowly increases with the temperature applied in hard-baking process as long as it remains below 300°C. At this temperature the response of the sensor abruptly increases and becomes almost threefold. It was shown that fully crosslinked structure of the sensor layer becomes opened and disordered when the sensor is hard-baked at temperatures between 300°C and 320°C, that is, still well below the degradation temperature of the polymer. These changes in chemical structure were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The temperature-dependent changes of the sensor layer structure enable one to prepare a combination of capacitive chemical sensors with good discrimination between some volatile organic compounds.

Design of interdigital spiral and concentric capacitive sensors for materials evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tianming; Bowler, Nicola

2013-01-01

This paper describes the design of two circular coplanar interdigital sensors with i) a spiral interdigital configuration and ii) a concentric interdigital configuration for the nondestructive evaluation of multilayered dielectric structures. A numerical model accounting for sensor geometry, test-piece geometry and real permittivity, and metal electrode thickness has been developed to calculate the capacitance of the sensors when in contact with a planar test-piece comprising up to four layers. Compared with a disk-and-ring coplanar capacitive sensor developed previously, the interdigital configurations are predicted to have higher signal-to-noise ratio and better accuracy in materials characterization. The disk-and-ring configuration, on the other hand, possesses advantages such as deeper penetration depth and better immunity to lift-off variations.

Characterisation of capacitively coupled HV/HR-CMOS sensor chips for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremastiotis, I.

2017-12-01

The capacitive coupling between an active sensor and a readout ASIC has been considered in the framework of the CLIC vertex detector study. The CLICpix Capacitively Coupled Pixel Detector (C3PD) is a High-Voltage CMOS sensor chip produced in a commercial 180 nm HV-CMOS process for this purpose. The sensor was designed to be connected to the CLICpix2 readout chip. It therefore matches the dimensions of the readout chip, featuring a matrix of 128×128 square pixels with 25μm pitch. The sensor chip has been produced with the standard value for the substrate resistivity (~20 Ωcm) and it has been characterised in standalone testing mode, before receiving and testing capacitively coupled assemblies. The standalone measurement results show a rise time of ~20 ns for a power consumption of 5μW/pixel. Production of the C3PD HV-CMOS sensor chip with higher substrate resistivity wafers (~20, 80, 200 and 1000 Ωcm) is foreseen. The expected benefits of the higher substrate resistivity will be studied using future assemblies with the readout chip.

Capacitively-coupled inductive sensors for measurements of pulsed currents and pulsed magnetic fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ekdahl, C.A.

In experiments involving pulsed high magnetic fields the appearance of the full induced voltage at the output terminals of large-area inductive sensors such as diamagnetic loops and Rogowski belts imposes severe requirements on the insulation near the output. Capacitive detection of the inductive-sensor output voltage provides an ideal geometry for high-voltage insulation, and also accomplishes the necessary voltage division. An inductive-shunt current monitor was designed to utilize the capacitive-detection principle. The contruction of this device and its performance are described in this paper.

Measurement of Temperature and Relative Humidity with Polymer Optical Fiber Sensors Based on the Induced Stress-Optic Effect

PubMed Central

Pontes, Maria José

2018-01-01

This paper presents a system capable of measuring temperature and relative humidity with polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors. The sensors are based on variations of the Young’s and shear moduli of the POF with variations in temperature and relative humidity. The system comprises two POFs, each with a predefined torsion stress that resulted in a variation in the fiber refractive index due to the stress-optic effect. Because there is a correlation between stress and material properties, the variation in temperature and humidity causes a variation in the fiber’s stress, which leads to variations in the fiber refractive index. Only two photodiodes comprise the sensor interrogation, resulting in a simple and low-cost system capable of measuring humidity in the range of 5–97% and temperature in the range of 21–46 °C. The root mean squared errors (RMSEs) between the proposed sensors and the reference were 1.12 °C and 1.36% for the measurements of temperature and relative humidity, respectively. In addition, fiber etching resulted in a sensor with a 2 s response time for a relative humidity variation of 10%, which is one of the lowest recorded response times for intrinsic POF humidity sensors. PMID:29558387

Measurement of Temperature and Relative Humidity with Polymer Optical Fiber Sensors Based on the Induced Stress-Optic Effect.

PubMed

Leal-Junior, Arnaldo; Frizera-Neto, Anselmo; Marques, Carlos; Pontes, Maria José

2018-03-20

This paper presents a system capable of measuring temperature and relative humidity with polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors. The sensors are based on variations of the Young's and shear moduli of the POF with variations in temperature and relative humidity. The system comprises two POFs, each with a predefined torsion stress that resulted in a variation in the fiber refractive index due to the stress-optic effect. Because there is a correlation between stress and material properties, the variation in temperature and humidity causes a variation in the fiber's stress, which leads to variations in the fiber refractive index. Only two photodiodes comprise the sensor interrogation, resulting in a simple and low-cost system capable of measuring humidity in the range of 5-97% and temperature in the range of 21-46 °C. The root mean squared errors (RMSEs) between the proposed sensors and the reference were 1.12 °C and 1.36% for the measurements of temperature and relative humidity, respectively. In addition, fiber etching resulted in a sensor with a 2 s response time for a relative humidity variation of 10%, which is one of the lowest recorded response times for intrinsic POF humidity sensors.

Capacitance Variation Induced by Microfluidic Two-Phase Flow across Insulated Interdigital Electrodes in Lab-On-Chip Devices

PubMed Central

Dong, Tao; Barbosa, Cátia

2015-01-01

Microfluidic two-phase flow detection has attracted plenty of interest in various areas of biology, medicine and chemistry. This work presents a capacitive sensor using insulated interdigital electrodes (IDEs) to detect the presence of droplets in a microchannel. This droplet sensor is composed of a glass substrate, patterned gold electrodes and an insulation layer. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) cover bonded to the multilayered structure forms a microchannel. Capacitance variation induced by the droplet passage was thoroughly investigated with both simulation and experimental work. Olive oil and deionized water were employed as the working fluids in the experiments to demonstrate the droplet sensor. The results show a good sensitivity of the droplet with the appropriate measurement connection. This capacitive droplet sensor is promising to be integrated into a lab-on-chip device for in situ monitoring/counting of droplets or bubbles. PMID:25629705

Multi-Channel Capacitive Sensor Arrays

PubMed Central

Wang, Bingnan; Long, Jiang; Teo, Koon Hoo

2016-01-01

In this paper, multi-channel capacitive sensor arrays based on microstrip band-stop filters are studied. The sensor arrays can be used to detect the proximity of objects at different positions and directions. Each capacitive sensing structure in the array is connected to an inductive element to form resonance at different frequencies. The resonances are designed to be isolated in the frequency spectrum, such that the change in one channel does not affect resonances at other channels. The inductive element associated with each capacitive sensor can be surface-mounted inductors, integrated microstrip inductors or metamaterial-inspired structures. We show that by using metamaterial split-ring structures coupled to a microstrip line, the quality factor of each resonance can be greatly improved compared to conventional surface-mounted or microstrip meander inductors. With such a microstrip-coupled split-ring design, more sensing elements can be integrated in the same frequency spectrum, and the sensitivity can be greatly improved. PMID:26821023

Capacitance probe for detection of anomalies in non-metallic plastic pipe

DOEpatents

Mathur, Mahendra P.; Spenik, James L.; Condon, Christopher M.; Anderson, Rodney; Driscoll, Daniel J.; Fincham, Jr., William L.; Monazam, Esmail R.

2010-11-23

The disclosure relates to analysis of materials using a capacitive sensor to detect anomalies through comparison of measured capacitances. The capacitive sensor is used in conjunction with a capacitance measurement device, a location device, and a processor in order to generate a capacitance versus location output which may be inspected for the detection and localization of anomalies within the material under test. The components may be carried as payload on an inspection vehicle which may traverse through a pipe interior, allowing evaluation of nonmetallic or plastic pipes when the piping exterior is not accessible. In an embodiment, supporting components are solid-state devices powered by a low voltage on-board power supply, providing for use in environments where voltage levels may be restricted.

Design and Application of a Collocated Capacitance Sensor for Magnetic Bearing Spindle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Dongwon; Liu, Seon-Jung; Kim, Jongwon

1996-01-01

This paper presents a collocated capacitance sensor for magnetic bearings. The main feature of the sensor is that it is made of a specific compact printed circuit board (PCB). The signal processing unit has been also developed. The results of the experimental performance evaluation on the sensitivity, resolution and frequency response of the sensor are presented. Finally, an application example of the sensor to the active control of a magnetic bearing is described.

A Fully Integrated Humidity Sensor System-on-Chip Fabricated by Micro-Stamping Technology

PubMed Central

Huang, Che-Wei; Huang, Yu-Jie; Lu, Shey-Shi; Lin, Chih-Ting

2012-01-01

A fully integrated humidity sensor chip was designed, implemented, and tested. Utilizing the micro-stamping technology, the pseudo-3D sensor system-on-chip (SSoC) architecture can be implemented by stacking sensing materials directly on the top of a CMOS-fabricated chip. The fabricated sensor system-on-chip (2.28 mm × 2.48 mm) integrated a humidity sensor, an interface circuit, a digital controller, and an On-Off Keying (OOK) wireless transceiver. With low power consumption, i.e., 750 μW without RF operation, the sensitivity of developed sensor chip was experimentally verified in the relative humidity (RH) range from 32% to 60%. The response time of the chip was also experimentally verified to be within 5 seconds from RH 36% to RH 64%. As a consequence, the implemented humidity SSoC paves the way toward the an ultra-small sensor system for various applications.

Detailed studies of full-size ATLAS12 sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hommels, L. B. A.; Allport, P. P.; Baca, M.; Broughton, J.; Chisholm, A.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Pyatt, S.; Thomas, J. P.; Wilson, J. A.; Kierstead, J.; Kuczewski, P.; Lynn, D.; Arratia, M.; Klein, C. T.; Ullan, M.; Fleta, C.; Fernandez-Tejero, J.; Bloch, I.; Gregor, I. M.; Lohwasser, K.; Poley, L.; Tackmann, K.; Trofimov, A.; Yildirim, E.; Hauser, M.; Jakobs, K.; Kuehn, S.; Mahboubi, K.; Mori, R.; Parzefall, U.; Clark, A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; Ashby, J.; Blue, A.; Bates, R.; Buttar, C.; Doherty, F.; McMullen, T.; McEwan, F.; O`Shea, V.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Unno, Y.; Takashima, R.; Chilingarov, A.; Fox, H.; Affolder, A. A.; Casse, G.; Dervan, P.; Forshaw, D.; Greenall, A.; Wonsak, S.; Wormald, M.; Cindro, V.; Kramberger, G.; Mandić, I.; Mikuž, M.; Gorelov, I.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Palni, P.; Seidel, S.; Taylor, A.; Toms, K.; Wang, R.; Hessey, N. P.; Valencic, N.; Hanagaki, K.; Dolezal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Bohm, J.; Stastny, J.; Mikestikova, M.; Bevan, A.; Beck, G.; Milke, C.; Domingo, M.; Fadeyev, V.; Galloway, Z.; Hibbard-Lubow, D.; Liang, Z.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Seiden, A.; To, K.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Parker, K.; Jinnouchi, O.; Hara, K.; Sato, K.; Sato, K.; Hagihara, M.; Iwabuchi, S.; Bernabeu, J.; Civera, J. V.; Garcia, C.; Lacasta, C.; Marti i Garcia, S.; Rodriguez, D.; Santoyo, D.; Solaz, C.; Soldevila, U.

2016-09-01

The "ATLAS ITk Strip Sensor Collaboration" R&D group has developed a second iteration of single-sided n+-in-p type micro-strip sensors for use in the tracker upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC. The full size sensors measure approximately 97 × 97mm2 and are designed for tolerance against the 1.1 ×1015neq /cm2 fluence expected at the HL-LHC. Each sensor has 4 columns of 1280 individual 23.9 mm long channels, arranged at 74.5 μm pitch. Four batches comprising 120 sensors produced by Hamamatsu Photonics were evaluated for their mechanical, and electrical bulk and strip characteristics. Optical microscopy measurements were performed to obtain the sensor surface profile. Leakage current and bulk capacitance properties were measured for each individual sensor. For sample strips across the sensor batches, the inter-strip capacitance and resistance as well as properties of the punch-through protection structure were measured. A multi-channel probecard was used to measure leakage current, coupling capacitance and bias resistance for each individual channel of 100 sensors in three batches. The compiled results for 120 unirradiated sensors are presented in this paper, including summary results for almost 500,000 strips probed. Results on the reverse bias voltage dependence of various parameters and frequency dependence of tested capacitances are included for validation of the experimental methods used. Comparing results with specified values, almost all sensors fall well within specification.

A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arefin, Md Shamsul; Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Neild, Adrian; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet

2014-06-01

This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0-5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

Simultaneous Moisture Content and Mass Flow Measurements in Wood Chip Flows Using Coupled Dielectric and Impact Sensors.

PubMed

Pan, Pengmin; McDonald, Timothy; Fulton, John; Via, Brian; Hung, John

2016-12-23

An 8-electrode capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor was built and used to measure moisture content (MC) and mass flow of pine chip flows. The device was capable of directly measuring total water quantity in a sample but was sensitive to both dry matter and moisture, and therefore required a second measurement of mass flow to calculate MC. Two means of calculating the mass flow were used: the first being an impact sensor to measure total mass flow, and the second a volumetric approach based on measuring total area occupied by wood in images generated using the capacitance sensor's tomographic mode. Tests were made on 109 groups of wood chips ranging in moisture content from 14% to 120% (dry basis) and wet weight of 280 to 1100 g. Sixty groups were randomly selected as a calibration set, and the remaining were used for validation of the sensor's performance. For the combined capacitance/force transducer system, root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) for wet mass flow and moisture content were 13.42% and 16.61%, respectively. RMSEP using the combined volumetric mass flow/capacitance sensor for dry mass flow and moisture content were 22.89% and 24.16%, respectively. Either of the approaches was concluded to be feasible for prediction of moisture content in pine chip flows, but combining the impact and capacitance sensors was easier to implement. In situations where flows could not be impeded, however, the tomographic approach would likely be more useful.

Applications of pressure-sensitive dielectric elastomer sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böse, Holger; Ocak, Deniz; Ehrlich, Johannes

2016-04-01

Dielectric elastomer sensors for the measurement of compression loads with high sensitivity are described. The basic design of the sensors exhibits two profiled surfaces between which an elastomer film is confined. All components of the sensor were prepared with silicone whose stiffness can be varied in a wide range. Depending on details of the sensor design, various effects contribute to the enhancement of the capacitance. The intermediate elastomer film is stretched upon compression and electrode layers on the elastomer profiles and in the elastomer film approach each other. Different designs of the pressure sensor give rise to very different sensor characteristics in terms of the dependence of electric capacitance on compression force. Due to their inherent flexibility, the pressure sensors can be used on compliant substrates such as seats or beds or on the human body. This gives rise to numerous possible applications. The contribution describes also some examples of possible sensor applications. A glove was equipped with various sensors positioned at the finger tips. When grabbing an object with the glove, the sensors can detect the gripping forces of the individual fingers with high sensitivity. In a demonstrator of the glove equipped with seven sensors, the capacitances representing the gripping forces are recorded on a display. In another application example, a lower limb prosthesis was equipped with a pressure sensor to detect the load on the remaining part of the leg and the load is displayed in terms of the measured capacitance. The benefit of such sensors is to detect an eventual overload in order to prevent possible pressure sores. A third example introduces a seat load sensor system based on four extended pressure sensor mats. The sensor system detects the load distribution of a person on the seat. The examples emphasize the high performance of the new pressure sensor technology.

Humidity sensor failure: a problem that should not be neglected

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Tang, N.

2014-11-01

The problem of abnormally dry bias induced by radiosonde humidity sensor failure in the low and mid-troposphere is studied based on the global operational radiosonde relative humidity observations from December 2008 to November 2009. The concurrent humidity retrievals from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultation mission are also used to assess the quality of the radiosonde humidity observations. It is found that extremely dry relative humidity are common in the low and mid-troposphere, with an annual globally averaged occurrence of 4.2%. These low-humidity observations usually exist between 20 and 40° latitude in both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, and from heights of 700 to 450 hPa. Winter and spring are the favored seasons for their occurrence, with a maximum fraction of 9.53 % in the Northern Hemisphere and 16.82% in the Southern Hemisphere. The phenomenon does not result from natural atmospheric variability, but rather humidity sensor failure. If the performance of humidity sensors is not good, low-humidity observations occur easily, particularly when the radiosonde ascends through stratiform clouds with high moisture content. The humidity sensor cannot adapt to the huge change of the atmospheric environment inside and outside stratiform clouds, resulting in sensor failure and no response to atmospheric change. These extremely dry relative humidity observations are erroneous. However, they have been archived as formal data and applied in many research studies. This may seriously undermine the reliability of numerical weather prediction and the analysis of weather and climate if quality control is not applied before using these data.

The effect of Co-doping on the humidity sensing properties of ordered mesoporous TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhong; Haidry, Azhar Ali; Gao, Bin; Wang, Tao; Yao, ZhengJun

2017-08-01

Monitoring of humidity is of utmost importance as it is essential part of almost every process in our life. Many commercial humidity sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors are available in the market, but there is still need to synthesize low-cost, fast and highly sensitive humidity sensors with no interference from background environment. The aim of this work was to fabricate the ordered mesoporous un-doped and Co-doped TiO2 (0.1-5 mol% Co) and to analyze its humidity sensing properties at room temperatures. The ordered mesoporous powders with high specific surface area (SSA) were prepared by multicomponent self-assembly procedure and then spray-coated onto the sensor substrates with interdigitated gold electrodes. The sensors exhibited excellent stability and reproducible resistance change under various relative humidity percentages (9-90% RH) with negligible effect of background environment. For instance, the response to 90% RH at room temperature was about five orders of magnitude (∼1.39 × 105) and the response time (Tres) was ∼24 s. The reaction/recovery times of the sensors were compared with commercial humidity sensor to show that the reaction times in this work are not given by the surface reaction of water vapor on the sensor surfaces, rather these are mainly influenced by the experimental setup. The sensor response increased up to 3 mol% Co-contents and then decreased for 5 mol% Co-contents. Based on the experimental results, the surface reaction of humidity is discussed related to specific surface area, average grain size and cobalt contents to understand the humidity sensing mechanism.

Humidity Sensing Properties of Paper Substrates and Their Passivation with ZnO Nanoparticles for Sensor Applications

PubMed Central

Niarchos, Georgios; Dubourg, Georges; Afroudakis, Georgios; Georgopoulos, Markos; Tsouti, Vasiliki; Makarona, Eleni; Crnojevic-Bengin, Vesna; Tsamis, Christos

2017-01-01

In this paper, we investigated the effect of humidity on paper substrates and propose a simple and low-cost method for their passivation using ZnO nanoparticles. To this end, we built paper-based microdevices based on an interdigitated electrode (IDE) configuration by means of a mask-less laser patterning method on simple commercial printing papers. Initial resistive measurements indicate that a paper substrate with a porous surface can be used as a cost-effective, sensitive and disposable humidity sensor in the 20% to 70% relative humidity (RH) range. Successive spin-coated layers of ZnO nanoparticles then, control the effect of humidity. Using this approach, the sensors become passive to relative humidity changes, paving the way to the development of ZnO-based gas sensors on paper substrates insensitive to humidity. PMID:28273847

Transparent Fingerprint Sensor System for Large Flat Panel Display.

PubMed

Seo, Wonkuk; Pi, Jae-Eun; Cho, Sung Haeung; Kang, Seung-Youl; Ahn, Seong-Deok; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Jeon, Ho-Sik; Kim, Jong-Uk; Lee, Myunghee

2018-01-19

In this paper, we introduce a transparent fingerprint sensing system using a thin film transistor (TFT) sensor panel, based on a self-capacitive sensing scheme. An armorphousindium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFT sensor array and associated custom Read-Out IC (ROIC) are implemented for the system. The sensor panel has a 200 × 200 pixel array and each pixel size is as small as 50 μm × 50 μm. The ROIC uses only eight analog front-end (AFE) amplifier stages along with a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). To get the fingerprint image data from the sensor array, the ROIC senses a capacitance, which is formed by a cover glass material between a human finger and an electrode of each pixel of the sensor array. Three methods are reviewed for estimating the self-capacitance. The measurement result demonstrates that the transparent fingerprint sensor system has an ability to differentiate a human finger's ridges and valleys through the fingerprint sensor array.

A High Temperature Capacitive Pressure Sensor Based on Alumina Ceramic for in Situ Measurement at 600 °C

PubMed Central

Tan, Qiulin; Li, Chen; Xiong, Jijun; Jia, Pinggang; Zhang, Wendong; Liu, Jun; Xue, Chenyang; Hong, Yingping; Ren, Zhong; Luo, Tao

2014-01-01

In response to the growing demand for in situ measurement of pressure in high-temperature environments, a high temperature capacitive pressure sensor is presented in this paper. A high-temperature ceramic material-alumina is used for the fabrication of the sensor, and the prototype sensor consists of an inductance, a variable capacitance, and a sealed cavity integrated in the alumina ceramic substrate using a thick-film integrated technology. The experimental results show that the proposed sensor has stability at 850 °C for more than 20 min. The characterization in high-temperature and pressure environments successfully demonstrated sensing capabilities for pressure from 1 to 5 bar up to 600 °C, limited by the sensor test setup. At 600 °C, the sensor achieves a linear characteristic response, and the repeatability error, hysteresis error and zero-point drift of the sensor are 8.3%, 5.05% and 1%, respectively. PMID:24487624

Transparent Fingerprint Sensor System for Large Flat Panel Display

PubMed Central

Seo, Wonkuk; Pi, Jae-Eun; Cho, Sung Haeung; Kang, Seung-Youl; Ahn, Seong-Deok; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Jeon, Ho-Sik; Kim, Jong-Uk

2018-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a transparent fingerprint sensing system using a thin film transistor (TFT) sensor panel, based on a self-capacitive sensing scheme. An armorphousindium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFT sensor array and associated custom Read-Out IC (ROIC) are implemented for the system. The sensor panel has a 200 × 200 pixel array and each pixel size is as small as 50 μm × 50 μm. The ROIC uses only eight analog front-end (AFE) amplifier stages along with a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). To get the fingerprint image data from the sensor array, the ROIC senses a capacitance, which is formed by a cover glass material between a human finger and an electrode of each pixel of the sensor array. Three methods are reviewed for estimating the self-capacitance. The measurement result demonstrates that the transparent fingerprint sensor system has an ability to differentiate a human finger’s ridges and valleys through the fingerprint sensor array. PMID:29351218

Repeatability and Reversibility of the Humidity Sensor Based on Photonic Crystal Fiber Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindal, S. S.; Taher, H. J.

2018-05-01

The RH sensor operation based on water vapor adsorption and desorption at the silica-air interface within the PCF. Sensor fabrication is simple; it includes splicing and cleaving the PCF with SMF only. PCF (LMA-10) with a certain length spliced to SMF (Corning-28). The PCFI spectrum exhibits good sensitivity to the variations of humidity. The PCFI response is observed for range of relative humidity values from (27% RH to 85% RH), the interference peaks position is found to be shifted to longer wavelength as the humidity increases. In this work, a 6cm length of PCFs is used, and it shows a sensitivity of (2.41pm / %RH), good repeatability, and reversible in nature. This humidity sensor has distinguished features as that the sensor does not require the use of a hygroscopic material, robust, compact size, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and it has potential applications for high humidity environments.

Effect of Humid Aging on the Oxygen Adsorption in SnO₂ Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Suematsu, Koichi; Ma, Nan; Watanabe, Ken; Yuasa, Masayoshi; Kida, Tetsuya; Shimanoe, Kengo

2018-01-16

To investigate the effect of aging at 580 °C in wet air (humid aging) on the oxygen adsorption on the surface of SnO₂ particles, the electric properties and the sensor response to hydrogen in dry and humid atmospheres for SnO₂ resistive-type gas sensors were evaluated. The electric resistance in dry and wet atmospheres at 350 °C was strongly increased by humid aging. From the results of oxygen partial pressure dependence of the electric resistance, the oxygen adsorption equilibrium constants ( K ₁; for O - adsorption, K ₂; for O 2- adsorption) were estimated on the basis of the theoretical model of oxygen adsorption. The K ₁ and K ₂ in dry and wet atmospheres at 350 °C were increased by humid aging at 580 °C, indicating an increase in the adsorption amount of both O - and O 2- . These results suggest that hydroxyl poisoning on the oxygen adsorption is suppressed by humid aging. The sensor response to hydrogen in dry and wet atmosphere at 350 °C was clearly improved by humid aging. Such an improvement of the sensor response seems to be caused by increasing the oxygen adsorption amount. Thus, the humid aging offers an effective way to improve the sensor response of SnO₂ resistive-type gas sensors in dry and wet atmospheres.

Optimization of the coplanar interdigital capacitive sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yunzhi; Zhan, Zheng; Bowler, Nicola

2017-02-01

Interdigital capacitive sensors are applied in nondestructive testing and material property characterization of low-conductivity materials. The sensor performance is typically described based on the penetration depth of the electric field into the sample material, the sensor signal strength and its sensitivity. These factors all depend on the geometry and material properties of the sensor and sample. In this paper, a detailed analysis is provided, through finite element simulations, of the ways in which the sensor's geometrical parameters affect its performance. The geometrical parameters include the number of digits forming the interdigital electrodes and the ratio of digit width to their separation. In addition, the influence of the presence or absence of a metal backplane on the sample is analyzed. Further, the effects of sensor substrate thickness and material on signal strength are studied. The results of the analysis show that it is necessary to take into account a trade-off between the desired sensitivity and penetration depth when designing the sensor. Parametric equations are presented to assist the sensor designer or nondestructive evaluation specialist in optimizing the design of a capacitive sensor.

High Temperature Capacitive Pressure Sensor Employing a SiC Based Ring Oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meredith, Roger D.; Neudeck, Philip G.; Ponchak, George E.; Beheim, Glenn M.; Scardelletti, Maximilian; Jordan, Jennifer L.; Chen, Liang-Yu; Spry, David J.; Krawowski, Michael J.; Hunter, Gary W.

2011-01-01

In an effort to develop harsh environment electronic and sensor technologies for aircraft engine safety and monitoring, we have used capacitive-based pressure sensors to shift the frequency of a SiC-electronics-based oscillator to produce a pressure-indicating signal that can be readily transmitted, e.g. wirelessly, to a receiver located in a more benign environment. Our efforts target 500 C, a temperature well above normal operating conditions of commercial circuits but within areas of interest in aerospace engines, deep mining applications and for future missions to the Venus atmosphere. This paper reports for the first time a ring oscillator circuit integrated with a capacitive pressure sensor, both operating at 500 C. This demonstration represents a significant step towards a wireless pressure sensor that can operate at 500 C and confirms the viability of 500 C electronic sensor systems.

All-optical graphene oxide humidity sensors.

PubMed

Lim, Weng Hong; Yap, Yuen Kiat; Chong, Wu Yi; Ahmad, Harith

2014-12-17

The optical characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) were explored to design and fabricate a GO-based optical humidity sensor. GO film was coated onto a SU8 polymer channel waveguide using the drop-casting technique. The proposed sensor shows a high TE-mode absorption at 1550 nm. Due to the dependence of the dielectric properties of the GO film on water content, this high TE-mode absorption decreases when the ambient relative humidity increases. The proposed sensor shows a rapid response (<1 s) to periodically interrupted humid air flow. The transmission of the proposed sensor shows a linear response of 0.553 dB/% RH in the range of 60% to 100% RH.

Simple fabricating PCB-based inter digital capacitor for glucose biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamaluddin, Anif; Taufik, Usman; Iriani, Yofentina; Budiawanti, Sri; Suyitno

2017-01-01

This paper presents the simple fabrication of interdigital capacitor (IDC) using print circuit board (PCB) for glucose biosensor. PCB type FR04 laminated with Cu as electrode was used as sensor base. The IDC pattern of sensor was designed by computer aided design program and printed with a laser printer on plastic polymers. Then, the IDC pattern was transferred into PCB by a laminating machine. The etching process of PCB was done by immersing in ferric chloride liquid to form Cu pattern. There were five patterns of sensors including 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 patterns. The capacitance value of PCB was measured with RCL meter when IDC biosensor was put in air, aquades, and glucose liquid with various moles of glucose (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1M). In air medium, the increase of pattern number of IDC sensor (from 5 to 25) caused the sensor capacitance rose from 22 pf to 46 pf. In addition, the capacitance of sensor was dramatically increased until 0.36 µf while IDC sensor with 25 patterns was put in aquades medium. In liquid glucose medium, the capacitance of IDC biosensor with 25 patterns increased until 0.58 µf on 0.1 M glucose liquid.

Capacitive Sensing of Intercalated H2O Molecules Using Graphene.

PubMed

Olson, Eric J; Ma, Rui; Sun, Tao; Ebrish, Mona A; Haratipour, Nazila; Min, Kyoungmin; Aluru, Narayana R; Koester, Steven J

2015-11-25

Understanding the interactions of ambient molecules with graphene and adjacent dielectrics is of fundamental importance for a range of graphene-based devices, particularly sensors, where such interactions could influence the operation of the device. It is well-known that water can be trapped underneath graphene and its host substrate; however, the electrical effect of water beneath graphene and the dynamics of how the interfacial water changes with different ambient conditions has not been quantified. Here, using a metal-oxide-graphene variable-capacitor (varactor) structure, we show that graphene can be used to capacitively sense the intercalation of water between graphene and HfO2 and that this process is reversible on a fast time scale. Atomic force microscopy is used to confirm the intercalation and quantify the displacement of graphene as a function of humidity. Density functional theory simulations are used to quantify the displacement of graphene induced by intercalated water and also explain the observed Dirac point shifts as being due to the combined effect of water and oxygen on the carrier concentration in the graphene. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that a likely mechanism for the intercalation involves adsorption and lateral diffusion of water molecules beneath the graphene.

Dual Segment Glocal Model Based Capacitive Level Sensor (CLS) for Adhesive Material and Level Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, F. A.; Yousaf, A.; Reindl, L. M.

2018-04-01

This paper presents a multi segment capacitive level monitoring sensor based on distributed E-fields approach Glocal. This approach has an advantage to analyze build-up problem by the local E-fields as well the fluid level monitoring by the global E-fields. The multi segment capacitive approach presented within this work addresses the main problem of unwanted parasitic capacitance generated from Copper (Cu) strips by applying active shielding concept. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used for isolation and parafilm is used for creating artificial build-up on a CLS.

Direct Printing of Stretchable Elastomers for Highly Sensitive Capillary Pressure Sensors.

PubMed

Liu, Wenguang; Yan, Chaoyi

2018-03-28

We demonstrate the successful fabrication of highly sensitive capillary pressure sensors using an innovative 3D printing method. Unlike conventional capacitive pressure sensors where the capacitance changes were due to the pressure-induced interspace variations between the parallel plate electrodes, in our capillary sensors the capacitance was determined by the extrusion and extraction of liquid medium and consequent changes of dielectric constants. Significant pressure sensitivity advances up to 547.9 KPa -1 were achieved. Moreover, we suggest that our innovative capillary pressure sensors can adopt a wide range of liquid mediums, such as ethanol, deionized water, and their mixtures. The devices also showed stable performances upon repeated pressing cycles. The direct and versatile printing method combined with the significant performance advances are expected to find important applications in future stretchable and wearable electronics.

Humidity effects on surface dielectric barrier discharge for gaseous naphthalene decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelaziz, Ayman A.; Ishijima, Tatsuo; Seto, Takafumi

2018-04-01

Experiments are performed using dry and humid air to clarify the effects of water vapour on the characteristics of surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) and investigate its impact on the performance of the SDBD for decomposition of gaseous naphthalene in air stream. The current characteristics, including the discharge and the capacitive currents, are deeply analyzed and the discharge mechanism is explored. The results confirmed that the humidity affected the microdischarge distribution without affecting the discharge mode. Interestingly, it is found that the water vapour had a significant influence on the capacitance of the reactor due to its deposition on the discharge electrode and the dielectric, which, in turn, affects the power loss in the dielectric and the total power consumed in the reactor. Thus, the factor of the humidity effect on the power loss in the dielectric should be considered in addition to its effect on the attachment coefficient. Additionally, there was an optimum level of the humidity for the decomposition of naphthalene in the SDBD, and its value depended on the gas composition, where the maximum naphthalene decomposition efficiency in O2/H2O is achieved at the humidity level ˜10%, which was lower than that obtained in air/H2O (˜28%). The results also revealed that the role of the humidity in the decomposition efficiency was not significant in the humidified O2 at high power level. This was attributed to the significant increase in oxygen-derived species (such as O atoms and O3) at high power, which was enough to overcome the negative effects of the humidity.

Effect of environmental and material factors on the response of nanocomposite foam impact sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Evan; Merrell, Jake; Rosquist, Parker; Martineau, Adin; Bowden, Anton; Seeley, Matthew; Fullwood, David

2018-05-01

Nanocomposite foam (NCF) is a multifunctional material that can be used to measure impact. Interactions between the flexible polymer matrix and conductive particles dispersed throughout it produce a voltage signal under dynamic strain, which correlates to the magnitude of impact. Though promising in applications requiring both impact sensing and energy absorption, NCF’s voltage response has been observed to suffer from significant signal drift. This paper investigates several causes of variance in the response of NCF sensors to consistent impacts. These effects can be classified into three general types: recoverable transient effects (such as those relating to viscoelasticity or capacitive charging), environmental drift (due to humidity and temperature), and permanent signal decay from material degradation. The motivation for the study arises from various potential repeat-impact applications where periodic recalibration of the sensor would be difficult (such as a gait-tracking insole in use for a marathon event). A cyclic drop testing machine was used to apply consistent impacts to NCF, and drift resulting from each factor (in ranges typical of an insole environment) was experimentally isolated. Models representing each factor’s contribution to signal drift are presented. Of the factors investigated, humidity and temperature caused the most significant drift, with permanent material degradation accounting for only minor decay in voltage response. Transient effects were also observed, with a characteristic ‘warm-up’ (or ‘charging’) time required for the NCF to achieve steady-state; this phenomenon, and the related ‘recovery’ time for the material to return to its original state, were determined. The resultant data can be leveraged to implement a correction algorithm or other drift-compensating method to retain an NCF sensor’s accuracy in both long and short data collection scenarios.

Micromachined low frequency rocking accelerometer with capacitive pickoff

DOEpatents

Lee, Abraham P.; Simon, Jonathon N.; McConaghy, Charles F.

2001-01-01

A micro electro mechanical sensor that uses capacitive readout electronics. The sensor involves a micromachined low frequency rocking accelerometer with capacitive pickoff fabricated by deep reactive ion etching. The accelerometer includes a central silicon proof mass, is suspended by a thin polysilicon tether, and has a moving electrode (capacitor plate or interdigitated fingers) located at each end the proof mass. During movement (acceleration), the tethered mass moves relative to the surrounding packaging, for example, and this defection is measured capacitively by a plate capacitor or interdigitated finger capacitor, having the cooperating fixed electrode (capacitor plate or interdigitated fingers) positioned on the packaging, for example. The micromachined rocking accelerometer has a low frequency (<500 Hz), high sensitivity (.mu.G), with minimal power usage. The capacitors are connected to a power supply (battery) and to sensor interface electronics, which may include an analog to digital (A/D) converter, logic, RF communication link, antenna, etc. The sensor (accelerometer) may be, for example, packaged along with the interface electronics and a communication system in a 2".times.2".times.2" cube. The proof mass may be asymmetric or symmetric. Additional actuating capacitive plates may be used for feedback control which gives a greater dynamic range.

A Micromachined Capacitive Pressure Sensor Using a Cavity-Less Structure with Bulk-Metal/Elastomer Layers and Its Wireless Telemetry Application

PubMed Central

Takahata, Kenichi; Gianchandani, Yogesh B.

2008-01-01

This paper reports a micromachined capacitive pressure sensor intended for applications that require mechanical robustness. The device is constructed with two micromachined metal plates and an intermediate polymer layer that is soft enough to deform in a target pressure range. The plates are formed of micromachined stainless steel fabricated by batch-compatible micro-electro-discharge machining. A polyurethane room-temperature-vulcanizing liquid rubber of 38-μm thickness is used as the deformable material. This structure eliminates both the vacuum cavity and the associated lead transfer challenges common to micromachined capacitive pressure sensors. For frequency-based interrogation of the capacitance, passive inductor-capacitor tanks are fabricated by combining the capacitive sensor with an inductive coil. The coil has 40 turns of a 127-μm-diameter copper wire. Wireless sensing is demonstrated in liquid by monitoring the variation in the resonant frequency of the tank via an external coil that is magnetically coupled with the tank. The sensitivity at room temperature is measured to be 23-33 ppm/KPa over a dynamic range of 340 KPa, which is shown to match a theoretical estimation. Temperature dependence of the tank is experimentally evaluated. PMID:27879824

A capacitive sensor for 2,4-D determination in water based on 2,4-D imprinted polypyrrole coated pencil electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prusty, Arun Kumar; Bhand, Sunil

2017-03-01

A capacitive sensor for 2,4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid(2,4-D) determination in drinking water has been developed using molecularly imprinted polypyrrole on pencil graphite electrode (PGE). Molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) coated PGE was prepared by electropolymerization of pyrrole via chronopotentiometry in the presence of 2,4-D as the template molecule. The prepared electrodes were characterized by field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The capacitance change of MIP electrode was measured in the presence of 2,4-D using EIS. The developed capacitive sensor exhibited a linear range 0.06-1.25 µg l-1 2,4-D with limit of detection of 0.02 µg l-1 and good selectivity towards 2,4-D in water with recovery from 92 to 110%. The results suggest the viable applicability of the MIP/PGE based sensor for the determination of the 2,4-D in water samples.

Encapsulation for smart textile electronics - humidity and temperature sensor.

PubMed

Larsson, Andreas; Tran, Thanh-Nam; Aasmundtveit, Knut E; Seeberg, Trine M

2015-01-01

A combined humidity and temperature sensor was packaged by vacuum casting onto three different types of textiles; cotton, nylon and a waterproof fabric. This was done in order to integrate the sensor in a jacket in a soft and reliable way without changing the sensor performance. A membrane was custom made and integrated into the device to protect the sensor from the environment. The packaged sensors performance was characterized in a climate chamber were the relative humidity and temperature ranged from 25 % to 95 % and -10 °C to 75 °C respectively. The packaged sensors showed insignificant to limited performance degradation.

75 FR 34726 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of Petition for Waiver of LG...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

... relative humidity sensors and adaptive control anti-sweat heaters. The rationale for granting these waivers is equally applicable to LG, which has products containing similar relative humidity sensors and anti... humidity sensors and adaptive control anti-sweat heaters. Therefore, it is ordered that: The application...

TiO2-TiO2 composite resistive humidity sensor: ethanol crosssensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghalamboran, Milad; Saedi, Yasin

2016-03-01

The fabrication method and characterization results of a TiO2-TiO2 composite bead used for humidity sensing along with its negative cross-sensitivity to ethanol vapor are reported. The bead shaped resistive sample sensors are fabricated by the drop-casting of a TiO2 slurry on two Pt wire segments. The dried bead is pre-fired at 750°C and subsequently impregnated with a Ti-based sol. The sample is ready for characterization after a thermal annealing at 600°C in air. Structurally, the bead is a composite of the micron-sized TiO2 crystallites embedded in a matrix of nanometric TiO2 particle aggregates. The performance of the beads as resistive humidity sensors is recorded at room temperature in standard humidity level chambers. Results evince the wide dynamic range of the sensors fabricated in the low relative humidity range. While the sensor conductance is not sensitive to ethanol vapor in dry air, in humid air, sensor's responses are negatively affected by the contaminant.

Determination of airway humidification in high-frequency oscillatory ventilation using an artificial neonatal lung model. Comparison of a heated humidifier and a heat and moisture exchanger.

PubMed

Schiffmann, H; Singer, S; Singer, D; von Richthofen, E; Rathgeber, J; Züchner, K

1999-09-01

Thus far only few data are available on airway humidification during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). Therefore, we studied the performance and efficiency of a heated humidifier (HH) and a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) in HFOV using an artificial lung model. Experiments were performed with a pediatric high-frequency oscillatory ventilator. The artificial lung contained a sponge saturated with water to simulate evaporation and was placed in an incubator heated to 37 degrees C to prevent condensation. The airway humidity was measured using a capacitive humidity sensor. The water loss of the lung model was determined gravimetrically. The water loss of the lung model varied between 2.14 and 3.1 g/h during active humidification; it was 2.85 g/h with passive humidification and 7.56 g/h without humidification. The humidity at the tube connector varied between 34. 2 and 42.5 mg/l, depending on the temperature of the HH and the ventilator setting during active humidification, and between 37 and 39.9 mg/l with passive humidification. In general, HH and HME are suitable devices for airway humidification in HFOV. The performance of the ventilator was not significantly influenced by the mode of humidification. However, the adequacy of humidification and safety of the HME remains to be demonstrated in clinical practice.

Static and cyclic performance evaluation of sensors for human interface pressure measurement.

PubMed

Dabling, Jeffrey G; Filatov, Anton; Wheeler, Jason W

2012-01-01

Researchers and clinicians often desire to monitor pressure distributions on soft tissues at interfaces to mechanical devices such as prosthetics, orthotics or shoes. The most common type of sensor used for this type of applications is a Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR) as these are convenient to use and inexpensive. Several other types of sensors exist that may have superior sensing performance but are less ubiquitous or more expensive, such as optical or capacitive sensors. We tested five sensors (two FSRs, one optical, one capacitive and one fluid pressure) in a static drift and cyclic loading configuration. The results show that relative to the important performance characteristics for soft tissue pressure monitoring (i.e. hysteresis, drift), many of the sensors tested have significant limitations. The FSRs exhibited hysteresis, drift and loss of sensitivity under cyclic loading. The capacitive sensor had substantial drift. The optical sensor had some hysteresis and temperature-related drift. The fluid pressure sensor performed well in these tests but is not as flat as the other sensors and is not commercially available. Researchers and clinicians should carefully consider the convenience and performance trade-offs when choosing a sensor for soft-tissue pressure monitoring.

Comparison of measurement methods for capacitive tactile sensors and their implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarapata, Grzegorz; Sienkiewicz, Rafał

2015-09-01

This paper presents a review of ideas and implementations of measurement methods utilized for capacity measurements in tactile sensors. The paper describes technical method, charge amplification method, generation and as well integration method. Three selected methods were implemented in dedicated measurement system and utilised for capacitance measurements of ourselves made tactile sensors. The tactile sensors tested in this work were fully fabricated with the inkjet printing technology. The tests result were presented and summarised. The charge amplification method (CDC) was selected as the best method for the measurement of the tactile sensors.

Improved Capacitive Liquid Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldman, Francis A.

1992-01-01

Improved capacitive sensor used to detect presence and/or measure thickness of layer of liquid. Electrical impedance or admittance of sensor measured at prescribed frequency, and thickness of liquid inferred from predetermined theoretical or experimental relationship between impedance and thickness. Sensor is basically a three-terminal device. Features interdigitated driving and sensing electrodes and peripheral coplanar ground electrode that reduces parasitic effects. Patent-pending because first to utilize ground plane as "shunting" electrode. System less expensive than infrared, microwave, or refractive-index systems. Sensor successfully evaluated in commercial production plants to characterize emulsions, slurries, and solutions.

Fabrication of a printed capacitive air-gap touch sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Hwiwon; Lee, Sangyoon

2018-05-01

Unlike lithography-based processes, printed electronics does not require etching, which makes it difficult to fabricate electronic devices with an air gap. In this study, we propose a method to fabricate capacitive air-gap touch sensors via printing and coating. First, the bottom electrode was fabricated on a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate using roll-to-roll gravure printing with silver ink. Then poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was spin coated to form a sacrificial layer. The top electrode was fabricated on the sacrificial layer by spin coating with a stretchable silver ink. The sensor samples were then put in a tetrabutylammonium (TBAF) bath to generate the air gap by removing the sacrificial layer. The capacitance of the samples was measured for verification, and the results show that the capacitance increases in proportion to the applied force from 0 to 2.5 N.

Zinc oxide nanowire-poly(methyl methacrylate) dielectric layers for polymer capacitive pressure sensors.

PubMed

Chen, Yan-Sheng; Hsieh, Gen-Wen; Chen, Shih-Ping; Tseng, Pin-Yen; Wang, Cheng-Wei

2015-01-14

Polymer capacitive pressure sensors based on a dielectric composite layer of zinc oxide nanowire and poly(methyl methacrylate) show pressure sensitivity in the range of 2.63 × 10(-3) to 9.95 × 10(-3) cm(2) gf(-1). This represents an increase of capacitance change by as much as a factor of 23 over pristine polymer devices. An ultralight load of only 10 mg (corresponding to an applied pressure of ∼0.01 gf cm(-2)) can be clearly recognized, demonstrating remarkable characteristics of these nanowire-polymer capacitive pressure sensors. In addition, optical transmittance of the dielectric composite layer is approximately 90% in the visible wavelength region. Their low processing temperature, transparency, and flexible dielectric film makes them a highly promising means for flexible touching and pressure-sensing applications.

High performance humidity sensor and photodetector based on SnSe nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawbake, Amit S.; Jadkar, Sandesh R.; Late, Dattatray J.

2016-10-01

Tin selenide (SnSe) nanorods were synthesized using a one-step solvothermal route and their humidity sensing and photodetection performance at room temperature were investigated. The results depict that SnSe nanorod-based humidity and photosensors have good long-term stability, are highly sensitive and have fast response and recovery times. In the case of the humidity sensor it was observed that the resistance of the films decreased with increasing relative humidity (RH). The humidity sensing behaviors were investigated in the range 11-97% RH at room temperature. A response time of ˜68 s and recovery time of ˜149 s were observed for the humidity sensor. The photosensing behavior showed typical response /recovery times of ˜3 s with highly reproducible behavior.

Thin-film-based optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer used for humidity sensing.

PubMed

Peng, Jiankun; Qu, Yapeng; Wang, Weijia; Sun, Tengpeng; Yang, Minghong

2018-04-20

A thin-film-based optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer that consists of ZrO 2 and SiO 2 porous thin films is designed and fabricated by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Since the SiO 2 porous thin film has the capability of water adsorption, the proposed Fabry-Perot interferometer is appropriate to detect humidity. Experimental results show that the prepared sensor has a humidity detection range from 0.06% RH to 70% RH. A cycling test shows that the humidity sensor has a responding or recover time of 4 s and good repeatability among different humidity environments. Especially, the proposed humidity sensor is insensitive to temperature variation and suitable for the detection of low relative humidity.

All-Optical Graphene Oxide Humidity Sensors

PubMed Central

Lim, Weng Hong; Yap, Yuen Kiat; Chong, Wu Yi; Ahmad, Harith

2014-01-01

The optical characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) were explored to design and fabricate a GO-based optical humidity sensor. GO film was coated onto a SU8 polymer channel waveguide using the drop-casting technique. The proposed sensor shows a high TE-mode absorption at 1550 nm. Due to the dependence of the dielectric properties of the GO film on water content, this high TE-mode absorption decreases when the ambient relative humidity increases. The proposed sensor shows a rapid response (<1 s) to periodically interrupted humid air flow. The transmission of the proposed sensor shows a linear response of 0.553 dB/% RH in the range of 60% to 100% RH. PMID:25526358

Development of a Waterproof Crack-Based Stretchable Strain Sensor Based on PDMS Shielding.

PubMed

Hong, Seong Kyung; Yang, Seongjin; Cho, Seong J; Jeon, Hyungkook; Lim, Geunbae

2018-04-12

This paper details the design of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-shielded waterproof crack-based stretchable strain sensor, in which the electrical characteristics and sensing performance are not influenced by changes in humidity. This results in a higher number of potential applications for the sensor. A previously developed omni-purpose stretchable strain (OPSS) sensor was used as the basis for this work, which utilizes a metal cracking structure and provides a wide sensing range and high sensitivity. Changes in the conductivity of the OPSS sensor, based on humidity conditions, were investigated along with the potential possibility of using the design as a humidity sensor. However, to prevent conductivity variation, which can decrease the reliability and sensing ability of the OPSS sensor, PDMS was utilized as a shielding layer over the OPSS sensor. The PDMS-shielded OPSS sensor showed approximately the same electrical characteristics as previous designs, including in a high humidity environment, while maintaining its strain sensing capabilities. The developed sensor shows promise for use under high humidity conditions and in underwater applications. Therefore, considering its unique features and reliable sensing performance, the developed PDMS-shielded waterproof OPSS sensor has potential utility in a wide range of applications, such as motion monitoring, medical robotics and wearable healthcare devices.

A Novel Method for Proximity Detection of Moving Targets Using a Large-Scale Planar Capacitive Sensor System

PubMed Central

Ye, Yong; Deng, Jiahao; Shen, Sanmin; Hou, Zhuo; Liu, Yuting

2016-01-01

A novel method for proximity detection of moving targets (with high dielectric constants) using a large-scale (the size of each sensor is 31 cm × 19 cm) planar capacitive sensor system (PCSS) is proposed. The capacitive variation with distance is derived, and a pair of electrodes in a planar capacitive sensor unit (PCSU) with a spiral shape is found to have better performance on sensitivity distribution homogeneity and dynamic range than three other shapes (comb shape, rectangular shape, and circular shape). A driving excitation circuit with a Clapp oscillator is proposed, and a capacitance measuring circuit with sensitivity of 0.21 Vp−p/pF is designed. The results of static experiments and dynamic experiments demonstrate that the voltage curves of static experiments are similar to those of dynamic experiments; therefore, the static data can be used to simulate the dynamic curves. The dynamic range of proximity detection for three projectiles is up to 60 cm, and the results of the following static experiments show that the PCSU with four neighboring units has the highest sensitivity (the sensitivities of other units are at least 4% lower); when the attack angle decreases, the intensity of sensor signal increases. This proposed method leads to the design of a feasible moving target detector with simple structure and low cost, which can be applied in the interception system. PMID:27196905

Using Whole-House Field Tests to Empirically Derive Moisture Buffering Model Inputs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, J.; Winkler, J.; Christensen, D.

2014-08-01

Building energy simulations can be used to predict a building's interior conditions, along with the energy use associated with keeping these conditions comfortable. These models simulate the loads on the building (e.g., internal gains, envelope heat transfer), determine the operation of the space conditioning equipment, and then calculate the building's temperature and humidity throughout the year. The indoor temperature and humidity are affected not only by the loads and the space conditioning equipment, but also by the capacitance of the building materials, which buffer changes in temperature and humidity. This research developed an empirical method to extract whole-house model inputsmore » for use with a more accurate moisture capacitance model (the effective moisture penetration depth model). The experimental approach was to subject the materials in the house to a square-wave relative humidity profile, measure all of the moisture transfer terms (e.g., infiltration, air conditioner condensate) and calculate the only unmeasured term: the moisture absorption into the materials. After validating the method with laboratory measurements, we performed the tests in a field house. A least-squares fit of an analytical solution to the measured moisture absorption curves was used to determine the three independent model parameters representing the moisture buffering potential of this house and its furnishings. Follow on tests with realistic latent and sensible loads showed good agreement with the derived parameters, especially compared to the commonly-used effective capacitance approach. These results show that the EMPD model, once the inputs are known, is an accurate moisture buffering model.« less

Holographic humidity response of slanted gratings in moisture-absorbing acrylamide photopolymer.

PubMed

Yu, Dan; Liu, Hongpeng; Mao, Dongyao; Geng, Yaohui; Wang, Weibo; Sun, Liping; Lv, Jiang

2015-08-01

Holographic humidity response is characterized in detail using transmission and reflection geometry in moisture-absorbing acrylamide photopolymer. The diffraction spectrum and its temporal evolution at various relative humidity are measured and analyzed. The quantitative relations between relative humidity and holographic properties of slanted gratings are determined. The responsibility of holographic gratings for various relative humidity is observed by the spectrum response of gratings. The extracted humidity constants reflect the applicability of reflection and transmission gratings at different humidity regions. The humidity reversibility experiment is achieved for confirming repeatability of the sensor. These experiments provide a probability for improving the applicability of a holographic humidity sensor. Finally, the extended diffusion model is derived by introducing the expansion coefficient to describe the dynamic swelling process. This work can accelerate development of the holographic sensor and provide a novel strategy for exploring the swelling mechanism of photopolymer.

Smart measurement system for resistive (bridge) or capacitive sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guijie; Meijer, Gerard C. M.

1998-07-01

A low-cost smart measurement system for resistive (bridge) and capacitive sensors is presented and demonstrated. The measurement system consists of three main parts: the sensor element, a universal transducer interface (UTI) and a microcontroller. The UTI is a sensor-signal-to-time converter, based on a period-modulated oscillator, which is equipped with front-ends for many types of resistive (bridge) and capacitive sensors, and which generates a microcontroller-compatible output signal. The microcontroller performs data acquisition of the output signals from the interface UTI, controls the working status of the UTI for a specified application and communicates with a personal computer. Continuous auto-calibration of the offset and the gain of the complete system is applied to eliminate many nonidealities. Experimental results show that the accuracy and resolution are 14 bits and 16 bits, respectively, for a measurement time of about 100 ms.

MEMS capacitive pressure sensor monolithically integrated with CMOS readout circuit by using post CMOS processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Munseon; Yun, Kwang-Seok

2017-12-01

In this paper, we presents a MEMS pressure sensor integrated with a readout circuit on a chip for an on-chip signal processing. The capacitive pressure sensor is formed on a CMOS chip by using a post-CMOS MEMS processes. The proposed device consists of a sensing capacitor that is square in shape, a reference capacitor and a readout circuitry based on a switched-capacitor scheme to detect capacitance change at various environmental pressures. The readout circuit was implemented by using a commercial 0.35 μm CMOS process with 2 polysilicon and 4 metal layers. Then, the pressure sensor was formed by wet etching of metal 2 layer through via hole structures. Experimental results show that the MEMS pressure sensor has a sensitivity of 11 mV/100 kPa at the pressure range of 100-400 kPa.

Radial displacement sensor for non-contact bearings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCormick, John A. (Inventor); Sixsmith, Herbert (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A radial position sensor includes four capacitive electrodes oriented about a shaft, arranged in two diametrically opposite pairs. Sensor circuitry generates an output signal in proportion to the capacitance between the electrodes and the shaft; the capacitance between an electrode and the shaft increases as the shaft approaches the electrode and decreases as the shaft recedes from the electrode. The sensor circuitry applies an alternating voltage to one electrode of a pair and a 180 degree out of phase alternating voltage to the other electrode of the pair. The electrical responses of the two electrodes to their respective input signals are summed to form a radial deviation signal which is relatively free from the alternating voltage and accurately represents the position of the shaft relative to the electrodes of the pair.

Humidity-Responsive Gold Aerogel for Real-Time Monitoring of Human Breath.

PubMed

Ali, Israt; Chen, Liming; Huang, Youju; Song, Liping; Lu, Xuefei; Liu, Baoqing; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Jiawei; Hou, Linxi; Chen, Tao

2018-04-24

Humidity sensors have received considerable attention in recent years because of their significance and wide applications in agriculture, industries, goods stores, and medical fields. However, the conventional humidity sensors usually possessed a complex sensing mechanism and low sensitivity and required a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. The exploration for an ideal sensing material to amplify the sensitivity of humidity sensors is still a big challenge. Herein, we developed a simple, low-cost, and scalable fabrication strategy to construct a highly sensitive humidity sensor based on polymer/gold nanoparticle (AuNP) hybrid materials. The hybrid polymer/AuNP aerogel was prepared by a simple freeze-drying method. By taking advantage of the conductivity of AuNPs and high surface area of the highly porous structure, the hybrid poly- N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm)/AuNP aerogel showed high sensitivity to water molecules. Interestingly, the hybrid PNIPAm/AuNP aerogel-based humidity sensor can be used to detect human breath in different states, such as normal breath, fast breath, and deep breath, or in different individuals such as persons with illness, persons who are smoking, and persons who are normal, which is promising in practical flexible wearable devices for human health monitoring. In addition, the humidity sensor can be used in whistle tune recognition.

Study on the Correlation between Humidity and Material Strains in Separable Micro Humidity Sensor Design.

PubMed

Chang, Chih-Yuan

2017-05-08

Incidents of injuries caused by tiles falling from building exterior walls are frequently reported in Taiwan. Humidity is an influential factor in tile deterioration but it is more difficult to measure the humidity inside a building structure than the humidity in an indoor environment. Therefore, a separable microsensor was developed in this study to measure the humidity of the cement mortar layer with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm inside the external wall of a building. 3D printing technology is used to produce an encapsulation box that can protect the sensor from damage caused by the concrete and cement mortar. The sensor is proven in this study to be capable of measuring temperature and humidity simultaneously and the measurement results are then used to analyze the influence of humidity on external wall tile deterioration.

AC-conductance and capacitance measurements for ethanol vapor detection using carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite based devices.

PubMed

Greenshields, Márcia W C C; Meruvia, Michelle S; Hümmelgen, Ivo A; Coville, Neil J; Mhlanga, Sabelo D; Ceragioli, Helder J; Quispe, Jose C Rojas; Baranauskas, Vitor

2011-03-01

We report the preparation of inexpensive ethanol sensor devices using multiwalled carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite films deposited onto interdigitated electrodes patterned on phenolite substrates. We investigate the frequency dependent response of the device conductance and capacitance showing that higher sensitivity is obtained at higher frequency if the conductance is used as sensing parameter. In the case of capacitance measurements, higher sensitivity is obtained at low frequency. Ethanol detection at a concentration of 300 ppm in air is demonstrated. More than 80% of the sensor conductance and capacitance variation response occurs in less than 20 s.

Pick-and-place process for sensitivity improvement of the capacitive type CMOS MEMS 2-axis tilt sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chun-I.; Tsai, Ming-Han; Liu, Yu-Chia; Sun, Chih-Ming; Fang, Weileun

2013-09-01

This study exploits the foundry available complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and the packaging house available pick-and-place technology to implement a capacitive type micromachined 2-axis tilt sensor. The suspended micro mechanical structures such as the spring, stage and sensing electrodes are fabricated using the CMOS microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes. A bulk block is assembled onto the suspended stage by pick-and-place technology to increase the proof-mass of the tilt sensor. The low temperature UV-glue dispensing and curing processes are employed to bond the block onto the stage. Thus, the sensitivity of the CMOS MEMS capacitive type 2-axis tilt sensor is significantly improved. In application, this study successfully demonstrates the bonding of a bulk solder ball of 100 µm in diameter with a 2-axis tilt sensor fabricated using the standard TSMC 0.35 µm 2P4M CMOS process. Measurements show the sensitivities of the 2-axis tilt sensor are increased for 2.06-fold (x-axis) and 1.78-fold (y-axis) after adding the solder ball. Note that the sensitivity can be further improved by reducing the parasitic capacitance and the mismatch of sensing electrodes caused by the solder ball.

Recent Developments in Fiber Optics Humidity Sensors.

PubMed

Ascorbe, Joaquin; Corres, Jesus M; Arregui, Francisco J; Matias, Ignacio R

2017-04-19

A wide range of applications such as health, human comfort, agriculture, food processing and storage, and electronic manufacturing, among others, require fast and accurate measurement of humidity. Sensors based on optical fibers present several advantages over electronic sensors and great research efforts have been made in recent years in this field. The present paper reports the current trends of optical fiber humidity sensors. The evolution of optical structures developed towards humidity sensing, as well as the novel materials used for this purpose, will be analyzed. Well-known optical structures, such as long-period fiber gratings or fiber Bragg gratings, are still being studied towards an enhancement of their sensitivity. Sensors based on lossy mode resonances constitute a platform that combines high sensitivity with low complexity, both in terms of their fabrication process and the equipment required. Novel structures, such as resonators, are being studied in order to improve the resolution of humidity sensors. Moreover, recent research on polymer optical fibers suggests that the sensitivity of this kind of sensor has not yet reached its limit. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in terms of sensitivity and resolution.

Recent Developments in Fiber Optics Humidity Sensors

PubMed Central

Ascorbe, Joaquin; Corres, Jesus M.; Arregui, Francisco J.; Matias, Ignacio R.

2017-01-01

A wide range of applications such as health, human comfort, agriculture, food processing and storage, and electronic manufacturing, among others, require fast and accurate measurement of humidity. Sensors based on optical fibers present several advantages over electronic sensors and great research efforts have been made in recent years in this field. The present paper reports the current trends of optical fiber humidity sensors. The evolution of optical structures developed towards humidity sensing, as well as the novel materials used for this purpose, will be analyzed. Well-known optical structures, such as long-period fiber gratings or fiber Bragg gratings, are still being studied towards an enhancement of their sensitivity. Sensors based on lossy mode resonances constitute a platform that combines high sensitivity with low complexity, both in terms of their fabrication process and the equipment required. Novel structures, such as resonators, are being studied in order to improve the resolution of humidity sensors. Moreover, recent research on polymer optical fibers suggests that the sensitivity of this kind of sensor has not yet reached its limit. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in terms of sensitivity and resolution. PMID:28422074

Wireless Capacitive Pressure Sensor Operating up to 400 Celcius from 0 to 100 psi Utilizing Power Scavenging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Ponchak, George E.; Harsh, Kevin; Mackey, Jonathan A.; Meredith, Roger D.; Zorman, Christian A.; Beheim, Glenn M.; Dynys, Frederick W.; Hunter, Gary W.

2014-01-01

In this paper, a wireless capacitive pressure sensor developed for the health monitoring of aircraft engines has been demonstrated. The sensing system is composed of a Clapp-type oscillator that operates at 131 MHz. The Clapp oscillator is fabricated on a alumina substrate and consists of a Cree SiC (silicon carbide) MESFET (Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors), this film inductor, Compex chip capacitors and Sporian Microsystem capacitive pressure sensor. The resonant tank circuit within the oscillator is made up of the pressure sensor and a spiral thin film inductor, which is used to magnetically couple the wireless pressure sensor signal to a coil antenna placed over 1 meter away. 75% of the power used to bias the sensing system is generated from thermoelectric power modules. The wireless pressure sensor is operational at room temperature through 400 C from 0 to 100 psi and exhibits a frequency shift of over 600 kHz.

A two-ply polymer-based flexible tactile sensor sheet using electric capacitance.

PubMed

Guo, Shijie; Shiraoka, Takahisa; Inada, Seisho; Mukai, Toshiharu

2014-01-29

Traditional capacitive tactile sensor sheets usually have a three-layered structure, with a dielectric layer sandwiched by two electrode layers. Each electrode layer has a number of parallel ribbon-like electrodes. The electrodes on the two electrode layers are oriented orthogonally and each crossing point of the two perpendicular electrode arrays makes up a capacitive sensor cell on the sheet. It is well known that compatibility between measuring precision and resolution is difficult, since decreasing the width of the electrodes is required to obtain a high resolution, however, this may lead to reduction of the area of the sensor cells, and as a result, lead to a low Signal/Noise (S/N) ratio. To overcome this problem, a new multilayered structure and related calculation procedure are proposed. This new structure stacks two or more sensor sheets with shifts in position. Both a high precision and a high resolution can be obtained by combining the signals of the stacked sensor sheets. Trial production was made and the effect was confirmed.

Humidity sensor based on intracavity sensing of fiber ring laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jia; Xu, Wei; Xu, Degang; Wang, Yuye; Zhang, Chao; Yan, Chao; Yan, Dexian; He, Yixin; Tang, Longhuang; Zhang, Weihong; Yao, Jianquan

2017-10-01

A humidity sensor based on the intracavity sensing of a fiber ring laser is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the fiber ring laser, a humidity-sensitive fiber-optic multimode interferometer (MMI), fabricated by the single-mode-no-core-single-mode (SNCS) fiber coated with Agarose, works as the wavelength-selective filter for intracavity wavelength-modulated humidity sensing. The experiment shows that the lasing wavelength of the fiber laser has a good linear response to ambient humidity from 35%RH to 95%RH. The humidity sensitivity of -68 pm/%RH is obtained with a narrow 3 dB bandwidth less than 0.09 nm and a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)  ˜60 dB. The time response of the sensor has been measured to be as fast as 93 ms. The proposed sensor possesses a good stability and low temperature cross-sensitivity.

High Accuracy Acoustic Relative Humidity Measurement in Duct Flow with Air

PubMed Central

van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0–12 m/s with an error of ±0.13 m/s, temperature 0–100 °C with an error of ±0.07 °C and relative humidity 0–100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments. PMID:22163610

High accuracy acoustic relative humidity measurement in duct flow with air.

PubMed

van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0-12 m/s with an error of ± 0.13 m/s, temperature 0-100 °C with an error of ± 0.07 °C and relative humidity 0-100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

Phase discriminating capacitive array sensor system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vranish, John M. (Inventor); Rahim, Wadi (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A phase discriminating capacitive sensor array system which provides multiple sensor elements which are maintained at a phase and amplitude based on a frequency reference provided by a single frequency stabilized oscillator. Sensor signals provided by the multiple sensor elements are controlled by multiple phase control units, which correspond to the multiple sensor elements, to adjust the sensor signals from the multiple sensor elements based on the frequency reference. The adjustment made to the sensor signals is indicated by output signals which indicate the proximity of the object. The output signals may also indicate the closing speed of the object based on the rate of change of the adjustment made, and the edges of the object based on a sudden decrease in the adjustment made.

Capacitive touch sensing : signal and image processing algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baharav, Zachi; Kakarala, Ramakrishna

2011-03-01

Capacitive touch sensors have been in use for many years, and recently gained center stage with the ubiquitous use in smart-phones. In this work we will analyze the most common method of projected capacitive sensing, that of absolute capacitive sensing, together with the most common sensing pattern, that of diamond-shaped sensors. After a brief introduction to the problem, and the reasons behind its popularity, we will formulate the problem as a reconstruction from projections. We derive analytic solutions for two simple cases: circular finger on a wire grid, and square finger on a square grid. The solutions give insight into the ambiguities of finding finger location from sensor readings. The main contribution of our paper is the discussion of interpolation algorithms including simple linear interpolation , curve fitting (parabolic and Gaussian), filtering, general look-up-table, and combinations thereof. We conclude with observations on the limits of the present algorithmic methods, and point to possible future research.

Design and standalone characterisation of a capacitively coupled HV-CMOS sensor chip for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremastiotis, I.; Ballabriga, R.; Campbell, M.; Dannheim, D.; Fiergolski, A.; Hynds, D.; Kulis, S.; Peric, I.

2017-09-01

The concept of capacitive coupling between sensors and readout chips is under study for the vertex detector at the proposed high-energy CLIC electron positron collider. The CLICpix Capacitively Coupled Pixel Detector (C3PD) is an active High-Voltage CMOS sensor, designed to be capacitively coupled to the CLICpix2 readout chip. The chip is implemented in a commercial 180 nm HV-CMOS process and contains a matrix of 128×128 square pixels with 25μm pitch. First prototypes have been produced with a standard resistivity of ~20 Ωcm for the substrate and tested in standalone mode. The results show a rise time of ~20 ns, charge gain of 190 mV/ke- and ~40 e- RMS noise for a power consumption of 4.8μW/pixel. The main design aspects, as well as standalone measurement results, are presented.

Humidity Sensors Principle, Mechanism, and Fabrication Technologies: A Comprehensive Review

PubMed Central

Farahani, Hamid; Wagiran, Rahman; Hamidon, Mohd Nizar

2014-01-01

Humidity measurement is one of the most significant issues in various areas of applications such as instrumentation, automated systems, agriculture, climatology and GIS. Numerous sorts of humidity sensors fabricated and developed for industrial and laboratory applications are reviewed and presented in this article. The survey frequently concentrates on the RH sensors based upon their organic and inorganic functional materials, e.g., porous ceramics (semiconductors), polymers, ceramic/polymer and electrolytes, as well as conduction mechanism and fabrication technologies. A significant aim of this review is to provide a distinct categorization pursuant to state of the art humidity sensor types, principles of work, sensing substances, transduction mechanisms, and production technologies. Furthermore, performance characteristics of the different humidity sensors such as electrical and statistical data will be detailed and gives an added value to the report. By comparison of overall prospects of the sensors it was revealed that there are still drawbacks as to efficiency of sensing elements and conduction values. The flexibility offered by thick film and thin film processes either in the preparation of materials or in the choice of shape and size of the sensor structure provides advantages over other technologies. These ceramic sensors show faster response than other types. PMID:24784036

Gravimetric humidity sensor based on ZnO nanorods covered piezoresistive Si microcantilever

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jiushuai; Bertke, Maik; Li, Xiaojing; Gad, Alaaeldin; Zhou, Hao; Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo; Peiner, Erwin

2017-06-01

A ZnO nanorods film covered silicon resonant cantilever sensor is developed for atmosphere humidity detection by monitoring the resonant frequency shifts induced by the additional weight of adsorbed water molecules. Two different crystalline seed-layer deposition methods were applied to grow different nanorods films. The morphology of the ZnO films were characterized and the sensor sensitivities were measured under different relative humidity (RH) levels. The experiments results showed that this novel humidity sensor with ZnO nanorods has a sensitivity of 101.5 +/- 12.0 ppm/RH% (amount of adsorbed water of 36.9 +/- 4.4 ng/RH%), indicating its potential for portable sensing applications.

Capacitively coupled RF voltage probe having optimized flux linkage

DOEpatents

Moore, James A.; Sparks, Dennis O.

1999-02-02

An RF sensor having a novel current sensing probe and a voltage sensing probe to measure voltage and current. The current sensor is disposed in a transmission line to link all of the flux generated by the flowing current in order to obtain an accurate measurement. The voltage sensor is a flat plate which operates as a capacitive plate to sense voltage on a center conductor of the transmission line, in which the measured voltage is obtained across a resistance leg of a R-C differentiator circuit formed by the characteristic impedance of a connecting transmission line and a capacitance of the plate, which is positioned proximal to the center conductor.

Integrated control and health monitoring capacitive displacement sensor development task. Orbit transfer rocket engine technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collamore, Frank N.

1989-01-01

The development of a miniature multifunction turbomachinery shaft displacement sensor using state-of-the-art non-contract capacitive sensing technology is described. Axial displacement, radial displacement, and speed are sensed using a single probe within the envelope normally required for a single function. A survey of displacement sensing technology is summarized including inductive, capacitive, optical and ultrasonic techniques. The design and operation of an experimental triple function sensor is described. Test results are included showing calibration tests and simultaneous dynamic testing of multiple functions. Recommendations for design changes are made to improve low temperature performance, reliability, and for design of a flight type signal conditioning unit.

A Capacitance-To-Digital Converter for MEMS Sensors for Smart Applications.

PubMed

Pérez Sanjurjo, Javier; Prefasi, Enrique; Buffa, Cesare; Gaggl, Richard

2017-06-07

The use of MEMS sensors has been increasing in recent years. To cover all the applications, many different readout circuits are needed. To reduce the cost and time to market, a generic capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) seems to be the logical next step. This work presents a configurable CDC designed for capacitive MEMS sensors. The sensor is built with a bridge of MEMS, where some of them function with pressure. Then, the capacitive to digital conversion is realized using two steps. First, a switched-capacitor (SC) preamplifier is used to make the capacitive to voltage (C-V) conversion. Second, a self-oscillated noise-shaping integrating dual-slope (DS) converter is used to digitize this magnitude. The proposed converter uses time instead of amplitude resolution to generate a multibit digital output stream. In addition it performs noise shaping of the quantization error to reduce measurement time. This article shows the effectiveness of this method by measurements performed on a prototype, designed and fabricated using standard 0.13 µm CMOS technology. Experimental measurements show that the CDC achieves a resolution of 17 bits, with an effective area of 0.317 mm², which means a pressure resolution of 1 Pa, while consuming 146 µA from a 1.5 V power supply.

A Capacitance-To-Digital Converter for MEMS Sensors for Smart Applications

PubMed Central

Pérez Sanjurjo, Javier; Prefasi, Enrique; Buffa, Cesare; Gaggl, Richard

2017-01-01

The use of MEMS sensors has been increasing in recent years. To cover all the applications, many different readout circuits are needed. To reduce the cost and time to market, a generic capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) seems to be the logical next step. This work presents a configurable CDC designed for capacitive MEMS sensors. The sensor is built with a bridge of MEMS, where some of them function with pressure. Then, the capacitive to digital conversion is realized using two steps. First, a switched-capacitor (SC) preamplifier is used to make the capacitive to voltage (C-V) conversion. Second, a self-oscillated noise-shaping integrating dual-slope (DS) converter is used to digitize this magnitude. The proposed converter uses time instead of amplitude resolution to generate a multibit digital output stream. In addition it performs noise shaping of the quantization error to reduce measurement time. This article shows the effectiveness of this method by measurements performed on a prototype, designed and fabricated using standard 0.13 µm CMOS technology. Experimental measurements show that the CDC achieves a resolution of 17 bits, with an effective area of 0.317 mm2, which means a pressure resolution of 1 Pa, while consuming 146 µA from a 1.5 V power supply. PMID:28590425

Study on the Correlation between Humidity and Material Strains in Separable Micro Humidity Sensor Design

PubMed Central

Chang, Chih-Yuan

2017-01-01

Incidents of injuries caused by tiles falling from building exterior walls are frequently reported in Taiwan. Humidity is an influential factor in tile deterioration but it is more difficult to measure the humidity inside a building structure than the humidity in an indoor environment. Therefore, a separable microsensor was developed in this study to measure the humidity of the cement mortar layer with a thickness of 1.5–2 cm inside the external wall of a building. 3D printing technology is used to produce an encapsulation box that can protect the sensor from damage caused by the concrete and cement mortar. The sensor is proven in this study to be capable of measuring temperature and humidity simultaneously and the measurement results are then used to analyze the influence of humidity on external wall tile deterioration. PMID:28481300

Developing a polymeric sensor to monitor intracellular conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudarri, Timothy C.; Leo, Donald J.; Wood, Brett C.; Shires, Peter K.

2004-07-01

Ionic electroactive polymers have been developed as mechanical sensors or actuators, taking advantage of the electromechanical coupling of the materials. This research attempts to take advantage of the chemomechanical and chemoelectrical coupling by characterizing the transient response as the polymer undergoes an ion exchange, thus using the polymer for ionic sensing. Nafion is a biocompatible material, and an implantable polymeric ion sensor which has applications in the biomedical field for bone healing research. An ion sensor and a strain gauge could determine the effects of motion allowed at the fracture site, thus improving rehabilitation procedures for bone fractures. The charge sensitivity of the material and the capacitance of the material were analyzed to determine the transient response. Both measures indicate a change when immersed in ionic salt solutions. It is demonstrated that measuring the capacitance is the best indicator of an ion exchange. Relative to a flat response in deionized water (+/-2%), the capacitance of the polymer exhibits an exponential decay of ~25% of its peak when placed in a salt solution. A linear correlation between the time constant of the decay and the ionic size of the exchanging ion was developed that could reasonably predict a diffusing ion. Tests using an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) indicate that 90% of the exchange occurs in the first 20 minutes, shown by both capacitance decay and an atomic level scan. The diffusion rate time constant was found to within 0.3% of the capacitance time constant, confirming the ability of capacitance to measure ion exchange.

Phase-Discriminating Capacitive Sensor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vranish, John M.; Rahim, Wadi

1993-01-01

Crosstalk eliminated by maintaining voltages on all electrodes at same amplitude, phase, and frequency. Each output feedback-derived control voltage, change of which indicates proximity-induced change in capacitance of associated sensing electrode. Sensors placed close together, enabling imaging of sort. Images and/or output voltages used to guide robots in proximity to various objects.

Evaluation of electrical capacitance tomography sensor based on the coupling of fluid field and electrostatic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Yang, Wuqiang

2016-07-01

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is based on capacitance measurements from electrode pairs mounted outside of a pipe or vessel. The structure of ECT sensors is vital to image quality. In this paper, issues with the number of electrodes and the electrode covering ratio for complex liquid-solids flows in a rotating device are investigated based on a new coupling simulation model. The number of electrodes is increased from 4 to 32 while the electrode covering ratio is changed from 0.1 to 0.9. Using the coupling simulation method, real permittivity distributions and the corresponding capacitance data at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 s with a rotation speed of 96 rotations per minute (rpm) are collected. Linear back projection (LBP) and Landweber iteration algorithms are used for image reconstruction. The quality of reconstructed images is evaluated by correlation coefficient compared with the real permittivity distributions obtained from the coupling simulation. The sensitivity for each sensor is analyzed and compared with the correlation coefficient. The capacitance data with a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of 45, 50, 55 and 60 dB are generated to evaluate the effect of data noise on the performance of ECT sensors. Furthermore, the SNRs of experimental data are analyzed for a stationary pipe with permittivity distribution. Based on the coupling simulation, 16-electrode ECT sensors are recommended to achieve good image quality.

Investigation of column flotation process on sulphide ore using 2-electrode capacitance sensor: The effect of air flow rate and solid percentage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haryono, Didied; Harjanto, Sri; Wijaya, Rifky; Oediyani, Soesaptri; Nugraha, Harisma; Huda, Mahfudz Al; Taruno, Warsito Purwo

2018-04-01

Investigation of column flotation process on sulphide ore using 2-electrode capacitance sensor is presented in this paper. The effect of air flow rate and solid percentage on column flotation process has been experimentally investigated. The purpose of this paper is to understand the capacitance signal characteristic affected by the air flow rate and the solid percentage which can be used to determine the metallurgical performance. Experiments were performed using a laboratory column flotation cell which has a diameter of 5 cm and the total height of 140 cm. The sintered ceramic sparger and wash water were installed at the bottom and above of the column. Two-electrode concave type capacitance sensor was also installed at a distance of 50 cm from the sparger. The sensor was attached to the outer wall of the column, connected to data acquisition system, manufactured by CTECH Labs Edwar Technology and personal computer for further data processing. Feed consisting ZnS and SiO2 with the ratio of 3:2 was mixed with some reagents to make 1 litre of slurry. The slurry was fed into the aerated column at 100 cm above the sparger with a constant rate and the capacitance signals were captured during the process. In this paper, 7.5 and 10% of solid and 2-4 L/min of air flow rate with 0.5 L/min intervals were used as independent variables. The results show that the capacitance signal characteristics between the 7.5 and 10% of solid are different at any given air flow rate in which the 10% solid produced signals higher than those of 7.5%. Metallurgical performance and capacitance signal exhibit a good correlation.

Incorporating a hybrid urease-carbon nanotubes sensitive nanofilm on capacitive field-effect sensors for urea detection.

PubMed

Siqueira, José R; Molinnus, Denise; Beging, Stefan; Schöning, Michael J

2014-06-03

The ideal combination among biomolecules and nanomaterials is the key for reaching biosensing units with high sensitivity. The challenge, however, is to find out a stable and sensitive film architecture that can be incorporated on the sensor's surface. In this paper, we report on the benefits of incorporating a layer-by-layer (LbL) nanofilm of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensors for detecting urea. Three sensor arrangements were studied in order to investigate the adequate film architecture, involving the LbL film with the enzyme urease: (i) urease immobilized directly onto a bare EIS [EIS-urease] sensor; (ii) urease atop the LbL film over the EIS [EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease] sensor; and (iii) urease sandwiched between the LbL film and another CNT layer [EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease-CNT]. The surface morphology of all three urea-based EIS biosensors was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the biosensing abilities were studied by means of capacitance-voltage (C/V) and dynamic constant-capacitance (ConCap) measureaments at urea concentrations ranging from 0.1 mM to 100 mM. The EIS-urease and EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease sensors showed similar sensitivity (~18 mV/decade) and a nonregular signal behavior as the urea concentration increased. On the other hand, the EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease-CNT sensor exhibited a superior output signal performance and higher sensitivity of about 33 mV/decade. The presence of the additional CNT layer was decisive to achieve a urea based EIS sensor with enhanced properties. Such sensitive architecture demonstrates that the incorporation of an adequate hybrid enzyme-nanofilm as sensing unit opens new prospects for biosensing applications using the field-effect sensor platform.

Design of Moisture Content Detection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. C.; Wang, L.

In this paper, a method for measuring the moisture content of grain was presented based on single chip microcomputer and capacitive sensor. The working principle of measuring moisture content is introduced and a concentric cylinder type of capacitive sensor is designed, the signal processing circuits of system are described in details. System is tested in practice and discussions are made on the various factors affecting the capacitive measuring of grain moisture based on the practical experiments, experiment results showed that the system has high measuring accuracy and good controlling capacity.

Fabrication and Characterization of a CMOS-MEMS Humidity Sensor.

PubMed

Dennis, John-Ojur; Ahmed, Abdelaziz-Yousif; Khir, Mohd-Haris

2015-07-10

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Microelectromechanical System (CMOS-MEMS) device with embedded microheater operated at relatively elevated temperatures (40 °C to 80 °C) for the purpose of relative humidity measurement. The sensing principle is based on the change in amplitude of the device due to adsorption or desorption of humidity on the active material layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles deposited on the moving plate, which results in changes in the mass of the device. The sensor has been designed and fabricated through a standard 0.35 µm CMOS process technology and post-CMOS micromachining technique has been successfully implemented to release the MEMS structures. The sensor is operated in the dynamic mode using electrothermal actuation and the output signal measured using a piezoresistive (PZR) sensor connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The output voltage of the humidity sensor increases from 0.585 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity increases from 35% RH to 95% RH. The output voltage is found to be linear from 0.585 mV to 3.250 mV as the humidity increased from 35% RH to 60% RH, with sensitivity of 0.107 mV/% RH; and again linear from 3.250 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity level increases from 60% RH to 95% RH, with higher sensitivity of 0.781 mV/% RH. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the humidity sensor increases linearly from 0.102 mV/% RH to 0.501 mV/% RH with increase in the temperature from 40 °C to 80 °C and a maximum hysteresis of 0.87% RH is found at a relative humidity of 80%. The sensitivity is also frequency dependent, increasing from 0.500 mV/% RH at 2 Hz to reach a maximum value of 1.634 mV/% RH at a frequency of 12 Hz, then decreasing to 1.110 mV/% RH at a frequency of 20 Hz. Finally, the CMOS-MEMS humidity sensor showed comparable response, recovery, and repeatability of measurements in three cycles as compared to a standard sensor that directly measures humidity in % RH.

Fabrication and Characterization of a CMOS-MEMS Humidity Sensor

PubMed Central

Dennis, John-Ojur; Ahmed, Abdelaziz-Yousif; Khir, Mohd-Haris

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Microelectromechanical System (CMOS-MEMS) device with embedded microheater operated at relatively elevated temperatures (40 °C to 80 °C) for the purpose of relative humidity measurement. The sensing principle is based on the change in amplitude of the device due to adsorption or desorption of humidity on the active material layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles deposited on the moving plate, which results in changes in the mass of the device. The sensor has been designed and fabricated through a standard 0.35 µm CMOS process technology and post-CMOS micromachining technique has been successfully implemented to release the MEMS structures. The sensor is operated in the dynamic mode using electrothermal actuation and the output signal measured using a piezoresistive (PZR) sensor connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The output voltage of the humidity sensor increases from 0.585 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity increases from 35% RH to 95% RH. The output voltage is found to be linear from 0.585 mV to 3.250 mV as the humidity increased from 35% RH to 60% RH, with sensitivity of 0.107 mV/% RH; and again linear from 3.250 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity level increases from 60% RH to 95% RH, with higher sensitivity of 0.781 mV/% RH. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the humidity sensor increases linearly from 0.102 mV/% RH to 0.501 mV/% RH with increase in the temperature from 40 °C to 80 °C and a maximum hysteresis of 0.87% RH is found at a relative humidity of 80%. The sensitivity is also frequency dependent, increasing from 0.500 mV/% RH at 2 Hz to reach a maximum value of 1.634 mV/% RH at a frequency of 12 Hz, then decreasing to 1.110 mV/% RH at a frequency of 20 Hz. Finally, the CMOS-MEMS humidity sensor showed comparable response, recovery, and repeatability of measurements in three cycles as compared to a standard sensor that directly measures humidity in % RH. PMID:26184204

Gating capacitive field-effect sensors by the charge of nanoparticle/molecule hybrids.

PubMed

Poghossian, Arshak; Bäcker, Matthias; Mayer, Dirk; Schöning, Michael J

2015-01-21

The semiconductor field-effect platform is a powerful tool for chemical and biological sensing with direct electrical readout. In this work, the field-effect capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) structure - the simplest field-effect (bio-)chemical sensor - modified with citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been applied for a label-free electrostatic detection of charged molecules by their intrinsic molecular charge. The EIS sensor detects the charge changes in AuNP/molecule inorganic/organic hybrids induced by the molecular adsorption or binding events. The feasibility of the proposed detection scheme has been exemplarily demonstrated by realizing capacitive EIS sensors consisting of an Al-p-Si-SiO2-silane-AuNP structure for the label-free detection of positively charged cytochrome c and poly-d-lysine molecules as well as for monitoring the layer-by-layer formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate), representing typical model examples of detecting small proteins and macromolecules and the consecutive adsorption of positively/negatively charged polyelectrolytes, respectively. For comparison, EIS sensors without AuNPs have been investigated, too. The adsorption of molecules on the surface of AuNPs has been verified via the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method. In addition, a theoretical model of the functioning of the capacitive field-effect EIS sensor functionalized with AuNP/charged-molecule hybrids has been discussed.

A novel method for in-situ monitoring of local voltage, temperature and humidity distributions in fuel cells using flexible multi-functional micro sensors.

PubMed

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Fan, Wei-Yuan; Chang, Chih-Ping

2011-01-01

In this investigation, micro voltage, temperature and humidity sensors were fabricated and integrated for the first time on a stainless steel foil using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). These flexible multi-functional micro sensors have the advantages of high temperature resistance, flexibility, smallness, high sensitivity and precision of location. They were embedded in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and used to simultaneously measure variations in the inner voltage, temperature and humidity. The accuracy and reproducibility of the calibrated results obtained using the proposed micro sensors is excellent. The experimental results indicate that, at high current density and 100%RH or 75%RH, the relative humidity midstream and downstream saturates due to severe flooding. The performance of the PEM fuel cell can be stabilized using home-made flexible multi-functional micro sensors by the in-situ monitoring of local voltage, temperature and humidity distributions within it.

A Novel Method for In-Situ Monitoring of Local Voltage, Temperature and Humidity Distributions in Fuel Cells Using Flexible Multi-Functional Micro Sensors

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Fan, Wei-Yuan; Chang, Chih-Ping

2011-01-01

In this investigation, micro voltage, temperature and humidity sensors were fabricated and integrated for the first time on a stainless steel foil using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). These flexible multi-functional micro sensors have the advantages of high temperature resistance, flexibility, smallness, high sensitivity and precision of location. They were embedded in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and used to simultaneously measure variations in the inner voltage, temperature and humidity. The accuracy and reproducibility of the calibrated results obtained using the proposed micro sensors is excellent. The experimental results indicate that, at high current density and 100%RH or 75%RH, the relative humidity midstream and downstream saturates due to severe flooding. The performance of the PEM fuel cell can be stabilized using home-made flexible multi-functional micro sensors by the in-situ monitoring of local voltage, temperature and humidity distributions within it. PMID:22319361

Fiber optic humidity sensor based on the graphene oxide/PVA composite film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Youqing; Shen, Changyu; Lou, Weimin; Shentu, Fengying

2016-08-01

Fiber optic humidity sensor based on an in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) coated with graphene oxide (GO)/PVA composite film was investigated. The MZI is constructed of two waist-enlarged tapers. The length between two waist-enlarged tapers is 20 mm. By comparing the experiment results of MZI coated with different GO/PVA composite films, composite film formed by the ratio of 0.3 g PVA mixed with 10 ml GO dispersion shows a better performance of relative humidity sensing. By using the molecular structure model of the composited GO/PVA, the operation mechanism between GO/PVA composite film and water molecules was illustrated. The sensitivity of 0.193 dB/%RH with a linear correlation coefficient of 99.1% and good stability under the relative humidity range of 25-80% was obtained. Temperature effect on the proposed fiber optic humidity sensor was also considered and analyzed. According to the repetitive experimental results, the proposed humidity sensor shows a good repeatability.

Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2007-01-01

Two simple position or displacement sensors based on inductance-capacitance resonant circuits have been conceived. These sensors are both powered and interrogated without use of wires and without making contact with other objects. Instead, excitation and interrogation are accomplished by means of a magnetic-field-response recorder. Both of the present position or displacement sensors consist essentially of variable rectangular parallel-plate capacitors electrically connected in series with fixed inductors. Simple inductance-capacitance circuits of the type used in these sensors are inherently robust; their basic mode of operation does not depend on maintenance of specific environmental conditions. Hence, these sensors can be used under such harsh conditions as cryogenic temperatures, high pressures, and radioactivity.

A Self-Powered and Autonomous Fringing Field Capacitive Sensor Integrated into a Micro Sprinkler Spinner to Measure Soil Water Content.

PubMed

da Costa, Eduardo Ferreira; de Oliveira, Nestor E; Morais, Flávio J O; Carvalhaes-Dias, Pedro; Duarte, Luis Fernando C; Cabot, Andreu; Siqueira Dias, J A

2017-03-12

We present here the design and fabrication of a self-powered and autonomous fringing field capacitive sensor to measure soil water content. The sensor is manufactured using a conventional printed circuit board and includes a porous ceramic. To read the sensor, we use a circuit that includes a 10 kHz triangle wave generator, an AC amplifier, a precision rectifier and a microcontroller. In terms of performance, the sensor's capacitance (measured in a laboratory prototype) increases up to 5% when the volumetric water content of the porous ceramic changed from 3% to 36%, resulting in a sensitivity of S = 15.5 pF per unity change. Repeatability tests for capacitance measurement showed that the θ v sensor's root mean square error is 0.13%. The average current consumption of the system (sensor and signal conditioning circuit) is less than 1.5 μ A, which demonstrates its suitability for being powered by energy harvesting systems. We developed a complete irrigation control system that integrates the sensor, an energy harvesting module composed of a microgenerator installed on the top of a micro sprinkler spinner, and a DC/DC converter circuit that charges a 1 F supercapacitor. The energy harvesting module operates only when the micro sprinkler spinner is irrigating the soil, and the supercapacitor is fully charged to 5 V in about 3 h during the first irrigation. After the first irrigation, with the supercap fully charged, the system can operate powered only by the supercapacitor for approximately 23 days, without any energy being harvested.

Ceramic MEMS Designed for Wireless Pressure Monitoring in the Industrial Environment

PubMed Central

Pavlin, Marko; Belavic, Darko; Novak, Franc

2012-01-01

This paper presents the design of a wireless pressure-monitoring system for harsh-environment applications. Two types of ceramic pressure sensors made with a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) were considered. The first type is a piezoresistive strain gauge pressure sensor. The second type is a capacitive pressure sensor, which is based on changes of the capacitance values between two electrodes: one electrode is fixed and the other is movable under an applied pressure. The design was primarily focused on low power consumption. Reliable operation in the presence of disturbances, like electromagnetic interference, parasitic capacitances, etc., proved to be contradictory constraints. A piezoresistive ceramic pressure sensor with a high bridge impedance was chosen for use in a wireless pressure-monitoring system and an acceptable solution using energy-harvesting techniques has been achieved. The described solution allows for the integration of a sensor element with an energy harvester that has a printed thick-film battery and complete electronics in a single substrate packaged inside a compact housing. PMID:22368471

Rough-Surface-Enabled Capacitive Pressure Sensors with 3D Touch Capability.

PubMed

Lee, Kilsoo; Lee, Jaehong; Kim, Gwangmook; Kim, Youngjae; Kang, Subin; Cho, Sungjun; Kim, SeulGee; Kim, Jae-Kang; Lee, Wooyoung; Kim, Dae-Eun; Kang, Shinill; Kim, DaeEun; Lee, Taeyoon; Shim, Wooyoung

2017-11-01

Fabrication strategies that pursue "simplicity" for the production process and "functionality" for a device, in general, are mutually exclusive. Therefore, strategies that are less expensive, less equipment-intensive, and consequently, more accessible to researchers for the realization of omnipresent electronics are required. Here, this study presents a conceptually different approach that utilizes the inartificial design of the surface roughness of paper to realize a capacitive pressure sensor with high performance compared with sensors produced using costly microfabrication processes. This study utilizes a writing activity with a pencil and paper, which enables the construction of a fundamental capacitor that can be used as a flexible capacitive pressure sensor with high pressure sensitivity and short response time and that it can be inexpensively fabricated over large areas. Furthermore, the paper-based pressure sensors are integrated into a fully functional 3D touch-pad device, which is a step toward the realization of omnipresent electronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Micro-Resonant Gas Sensor with Nanometer Clearance between the Pole Plates

PubMed Central

Xu, Lizhong

2018-01-01

In micro-resonant gas sensors, the capacitive detection is widely used because of its simple structure. However, its shortcoming is a weak signal output caused by a small capacitance change. Here, we reduced the initial clearance between the pole plates to the nanometer level, and increased the capacitance between the pole plates and its change during resonator vibration. We propose a fabricating process of the micro-resonant gas sensor by which the initial clearance between the pole plates is reduced to the nanometer level and a micro-resonant gas sensor with 200 nm initial clearance is fabricated. With this sensor, the resonant frequency shifts were measured when they were exposed to several different vapors, and high detection accuracies were obtained. The detection accuracy with respect to ethanol vapor was 0.4 ppm per Hz shift, and the detection accuracy with respect to hydrogen and ammonias vapors was 3 ppm and 0.5 ppm per Hz shift, respectively. PMID:29373546

A Micro-Resonant Gas Sensor with Nanometer Clearance between the Pole Plates.

PubMed

Fu, Xiaorui; Xu, Lizhong

2018-01-26

In micro-resonant gas sensors, the capacitive detection is widely used because of its simple structure. However, its shortcoming is a weak signal output caused by a small capacitance change. Here, we reduced the initial clearance between the pole plates to the nanometer level, and increased the capacitance between the pole plates and its change during resonator vibration. We propose a fabricating process of the micro-resonant gas sensor by which the initial clearance between the pole plates is reduced to the nanometer level and a micro-resonant gas sensor with 200 nm initial clearance is fabricated. With this sensor, the resonant frequency shifts were measured when they were exposed to several different vapors, and high detection accuracies were obtained. The detection accuracy with respect to ethanol vapor was 0.4 ppm per Hz shift, and the detection accuracy with respect to hydrogen and ammonias vapors was 3 ppm and 0.5 ppm per Hz shift, respectively.

Ultrahigh Temperature Capacitive Pressure Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harsh, Kevin

2014-01-01

Robust, miniaturized sensing systems are needed to improve performance, increase efficiency, and track system health status and failure modes of advanced propulsion systems. Because microsensors must operate in extremely harsh environments, there are many technical challenges involved in developing reliable systems. In addition to high temperatures and pressures, sensing systems are exposed to oxidation, corrosion, thermal shock, fatigue, fouling, and abrasive wear. In these harsh conditions, sensors must be able to withstand high flow rates, vibration, jet fuel, and exhaust. In order for existing and future aeropropulsion turbine engines to improve safety and reduce cost and emissions while controlling engine instabilities, more accurate and complete sensor information is necessary. High-temperature (300 to 1,350 C) capacitive pressure sensors are of particular interest due to their high measurement bandwidth and inherent suitability for wireless readout schemes. The objective of this project is to develop a capacitive pressure sensor based on silicon carbon nitride (SiCN), a new class of high-temperature ceramic materials, which possesses excellent mechanical and electric properties at temperatures up to 1,600 C.

Investigation of gas-solids flow in a circulating fluidized bed using 3D electrical capacitance tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Mingxu; Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Yang, Wuqiang

2016-09-01

The hydrodynamics of gas-solids flow in the bottom of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) are complicated. Three-dimensional (3D) electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has been used to investigate the hydrodynamics in risers of different shapes. Four different ECT sensors with 12 electrodes each are designed according to the dimension of risers, including two circular ECT sensors, a square ECT sensor and a rectangular ECT sensor. The electrodes are evenly arranged in three planes to obtain capacitance in different heights and to reconstruct the 3D images by linear back projection (LBP) algorithm. Experiments were carried out on the four risers using sands as the solids material. The capacitance and differential pressure are measured under the gas superficial velocity from 0.6 m s-1 to 3.0 m s-1 with a step of 0.2 m s-1. The flow regime is investigated according to the solids concentration and differential pressure. The dynamic property of bubbling flows is analyzed theoretically and the performance of the 3D ECT sensors is evaluated. The experimental results show that 3D ECT can be used in the CFB with different risers to predict the hydrodynamics of gas-solids bubbling flows.

[A Surface Plasmon Micro-Ring Sensor Suitable for Humidity Sensing].

PubMed

Li, Zhi-quan; An, Dong-yang; Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Ling-ling; Sha, Xiao-peng; Guo, Shi-liang; Li, Wen-chao

2015-09-01

Temperature is a very important parameter in scientific research, production and life. Almost all the properties of materials are related to temperature. The precise measurement of the temperature is a very important task, so the temperature sensor is widely used as a core part in the temperature measuring instrument. A novel surface plasmon micro-ring sensor suitable for humidity sensing is presented in this paper. The sensor uses a multi-layered surface plasmon waveguide structure and choosing Polyimide (Polyimide, PI) as the moisture material. We get the transfer function of surface plasmon micro-ring sensor by using transfer matrix method. Refractive indexes of Polyimide and the multilayer waveguide structure change as environment relative humidity changes, thus leading to an obvious peak drift of output spectrum. The paper mainly discusses the influence of the changes of the refractive index of humidity-sensing parts on the output spectrum, and the transmission characteristics of multilayer waveguide structure. Through the finite element method and the theoretical simulation of Matlab, We can draw: When the length between the two coupling points of the U-shaped waveguide is an integer multiple of circumference of the micro-ring, an obvious drift in the horizontal direction appears, the free spectral range (FSR) doubled and the sensitivity is 0.0005 μm/%RH; When the external environment relative humidity RH changes from 10% to 100% RH, scatter is change between including (including 0.005 m to 0.005 m, compared to other humidity sensor, the Sensitivity of sensor improves 10~50 times and the transmission is very stable. Results show that the design of surface plasma micro ring sensors has better sensitivity, stable performance and can be used in the humidity measurement, achieving a high sensitivity in the sense of humidity when the wide range of filter frequency selection is taken into account, and providing a theoretical basis for the preparation of micro-optics.

Wireless sensor for temperature and humidity measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drumea, Andrei; Svasta, Paul

2010-11-01

Temperature and humidity sensors have a broad range of applications, from heating and ventilation of houses to controlled drying of fruits, vegetables or meat in food industry. Modern sensors are integrated devices, usually MEMS, factory-calibrated and with digital output of measured parameters. They can have power down modes for reduced energy consumption. Such an integrated device allows the implementation of a battery powered wireless sensor when coupled with a low power microcontroller and a radio subsystem. A radio sensor can work independently or together with others in a radio network. Presented paper focuses mainly on measurement and construction aspects of sensors for temperature and humidity designed and implemented by authors; network aspects (communication between two or more sensors) are not analyzed.

A magneto-sensitive skin for robots in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chauhan, D. S.; Dehoff, P. H.

1991-01-01

The development of a robot arm proximity sensing skin that can sense intruding objects is described. The purpose of the sensor would be to prevent the robot from colliding with objects in space including human beings. Eventually a tri-mode system in envisioned including proximity, tactile, and thermal. To date the primary emphasis was on the proximity sensor which evolved from one based on magneto-inductive principles to the current design which is based on a capacitive-reflector system. The capacitive sensing element, backed by a reflector driven at the same voltage and in phase with the sensor, is used to reflect field lines away from the grounded robot toward the intruding object. This results in an increased sensing range of up to 12 in. with the reflector on compared with only 1 in. with it off. It is believed that this design advances the state-of-the-art in capacitive sensor performance.

Multifunctional Woven Structure Operating as Triboelectric Energy Harvester, Capacitive Tactile Sensor Array, and Piezoresistive Strain Sensor Array

PubMed Central

Kim, Kihong; Song, Giyoung; Park, Cheolmin; Yun, Kwang-Seok

2017-01-01

This paper presents a power-generating sensor array in a flexible and stretchable form. The proposed device is composed of resistive strain sensors, capacitive tactile sensors, and a triboelectric energy harvester in a single platform. The device is implemented in a woven textile structure by using proposed functional threads. A single functional thread is composed of a flexible hollow tube coated with silver nanowires on the outer surface and a conductive silver thread inside the tube. The total size of the device is 60 × 60 mm2 having a 5 × 5 array of sensor cell. The touch force in the vertical direction can be sensed by measuring the capacitance between the warp and weft functional threads. In addition, because silver nanowire layers provide piezoresistivity, the strain applied in the lateral direction can be detected by measuring the resistance of each thread. Last, with regard to the energy harvester, the maximum power and power density were measured as 201 μW and 0.48 W/m2, respectively, when the device was pushed in the vertical direction. PMID:29120363

An Electromagnetic/Capacitive Composite Sensor for Testing of Thermal Barrier Coatings

PubMed Central

Ren, Yuan; Pan, Mengchun; Chen, Dixiang; Tian, Wugang

2018-01-01

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) can significantly reduce the operating temperature of the aeroengine turbine blade substrate, and their testing technology is very urgently demanded. Due to their complex multi-layer structure, it is hard to evaluate TBCs with a single function sensor. In this paper, an electromagnetic/capacitive composite sensor is proposed for the testing of thermal barrier coatings. The dielectric material is tested with planar capacitor, and the metallic material is tested with electromagnetic coils. Then, the comprehensive test and evaluation of thermal barrier coating system can be realized. The sensor is optimized by means of theoretical and simulation analysis, and the interaction between the planar capacitor and the electromagnetic coil is studied. The experimental system is built based on an impedance analyser and multiplex unit to evaluate the performance of the composite sensor. The transimpedances and capacitances are measured under different coating parameters, such as thickness and permittivity of top coating as well as bond layer conductivity. The experimental results agree with the simulation analysis, and the feasibility of the sensor is proved. PMID:29783746

Toward a New Generation of Photonic Humidity Sensors

PubMed Central

Kolpakov, Stanislav A.; Gordon, Neil T.; Mou, Chengbo; Zhou, Kaiming

2014-01-01

This review offers new perspectives on the subject and highlights an area in need of further research. It includes an analysis of current scientific literature mainly covering the last decade and examines the trends in the development of electronic, acoustic and optical-fiber humidity sensors over this period. The major findings indicate that a new generation of sensor technology based on optical fibers is emerging. The current trends suggest that electronic humidity sensors could soon be replaced by sensors that are based on photonic structures. Recent scientific advances are expected to allow dedicated systems to avoid the relatively high price of interrogation modules that is currently a major disadvantage of fiber-based sensors. PMID:24577524

A Biosensor-CMOS Platform and Integrated Readout Circuit in 0.18-μm CMOS Technology for Cancer Biomarker Detection.

PubMed

Alhoshany, Abdulaziz; Sivashankar, Shilpa; Mashraei, Yousof; Omran, Hesham; Salama, Khaled N

2017-08-23

This paper presents a biosensor-CMOS platform for measuring the capacitive coupling of biorecognition elements. The biosensor is designed, fabricated, and tested for the detection and quantification of a protein that reveals the presence of early-stage cancer. For the first time, the spermidine/spermine N1 acetyltransferase (SSAT) enzyme has been screened and quantified on the surface of a capacitive sensor. The sensor surface is treated to immobilize antibodies, and the baseline capacitance of the biosensor is reduced by connecting an array of capacitors in series for fixed exposure area to the analyte. A large sensing area with small baseline capacitance is implemented to achieve a high sensitivity to SSAT enzyme concentrations. The sensed capacitance value is digitized by using a 12-bit highly digital successive-approximation capacitance-to-digital converter that is implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The readout circuit operates in the near-subthreshold regime and provides power and area efficient operation. The capacitance range is 16.137 pF with a 4.5 fF absolute resolution, which adequately covers the concentrations of 10 mg/L, 5 mg/L, 2.5 mg/L, and 1.25 mg/L of the SSAT enzyme. The concentrations were selected as a pilot study, and the platform was shown to demonstrate high sensitivity for SSAT enzymes on the surface of the capacitive sensor. The tested prototype demonstrated 42.5 μS of measurement time and a total power consumption of 2.1 μW.

A Biosensor-CMOS Platform and Integrated Readout Circuit in 0.18-μm CMOS Technology for Cancer Biomarker Detection

PubMed Central

Alhoshany, Abdulaziz; Sivashankar, Shilpa; Mashraei, Yousof; Omran, Hesham; Salama, Khaled N.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a biosensor-CMOS platform for measuring the capacitive coupling of biorecognition elements. The biosensor is designed, fabricated, and tested for the detection and quantification of a protein that reveals the presence of early-stage cancer. For the first time, the spermidine/spermine N1 acetyltransferase (SSAT) enzyme has been screened and quantified on the surface of a capacitive sensor. The sensor surface is treated to immobilize antibodies, and the baseline capacitance of the biosensor is reduced by connecting an array of capacitors in series for fixed exposure area to the analyte. A large sensing area with small baseline capacitance is implemented to achieve a high sensitivity to SSAT enzyme concentrations. The sensed capacitance value is digitized by using a 12-bit highly digital successive-approximation capacitance-to-digital converter that is implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The readout circuit operates in the near-subthreshold regime and provides power and area efficient operation. The capacitance range is 16.137 pF with a 4.5 fF absolute resolution, which adequately covers the concentrations of 10 mg/L, 5 mg/L, 2.5 mg/L, and 1.25 mg/L of the SSAT enzyme. The concentrations were selected as a pilot study, and the platform was shown to demonstrate high sensitivity for SSAT enzymes on the surface of the capacitive sensor. The tested prototype demonstrated 42.5 μS of measurement time and a total power consumption of 2.1 μW. PMID:28832523

Gaseous slip flow analysis of a micromachined flow sensor for ultra small flow applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jaesung; Wereley, Steven T.

2007-02-01

The velocity slip of a fluid at a wall is one of the most typical phenomena in microscale gas flows. This paper presents a flow analysis considering the velocity slip in a capacitive micro gas flow sensor based on pressure difference measurements along a microchannel. The tangential momentum accommodation coefficient (TMAC) measurements of a particular channel wall in planar microchannels will be presented while the previous micro gas flow studies have been based on the same TMACs on both walls. The sensors consist of a pair of capacitive pressure sensors, inlet/outlet and a microchannel. The main microchannel is 128.0 µm wide, 4.64 µm deep and 5680 µm long, and operated under nearly atmospheric conditions where the outlet Knudsen number is 0.0137. The sensor was fabricated using silicon wet etching, ultrasonic drilling, deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and anodic bonding. The capacitance change of the sensor and the mass flow rate of nitrogen were measured as the inlet-to-outlet pressure ratio was varied from 1.00 to 1.24. The measured maximum mass flow rate was 3.86 × 10-10 kg s-1 (0.019 sccm) at the highest pressure ratio tested. As the pressure difference increased, both the capacitance of the differential pressure sensor and the flow rate through the main microchannel increased. The laminar friction constant f sdot Re, an important consideration in sensor design, varied from the incompressible no-slip case and the mass sensitivity and resolution of this sensor were discussed. Using the current slip flow formulae, a microchannel with much smaller mass flow rates can be designed at the same pressure ratios.

Calibration of micro-capacitance measurement system for thermal barrier coating testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Yuan; Chen, Dixiang; Wan, Chengbiao; Tian, Wugang; Pan, Mengchun

2018-06-01

In order to comprehensively evaluate the thermal barrier coating system of an engine blade, an integrated planar sensor combining electromagnetic coils with planar capacitors is designed, in which the capacitance measurement accuracy of the planar capacitor is a key factor. The micro-capacitance measurement system is built based on an impedance analyzer. Because of the influence of non-ideal factors on the measuring system, there is an obvious difference between the measured value and the actual value. It is necessary to calibrate the measured results and eliminate the difference. In this paper, the measurement model of a planar capacitive sensor is established, and the relationship between the measured value and the actual value of capacitance is deduced. The model parameters are estimated with the least square method, and the calibration accuracy is evaluated with experiments under different dielectric conditions. The capacitance measurement error is reduced from 29% ˜ 46.5% to around 1% after calibration, which verifies the feasibility of the calibration method.

Humidity sensor and ultraviolet photodetector based on carrier trapping effect and negative photoconductivity in graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, ShenDong; Chen, Yan; Zhang, WeiChao; Chen, Zhuo; Wang, ZhenLin

2018-01-01

We report on the experimental realization of a graphene quantum dots (GQD)-based humidity sensor and ultraviolet (UV) photodetector. We demonstrate that the conductance of the GQD increases linearly with increasing relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding environment due to the carrier trapping effect, which forms the basis of a humidity sensor. When the sensor is operated in the dark state, the sensitivity can reach as high as 0.48 nS RH -1. The GQD are also found to exhibit light intensity dependent negative photoconductivity under the UV irradiation, which can be exploited for UV detection. As a result of these carrier trapping and de-trapping processes, the performance of the photodetector can be significantly improved with the increasing RH, and the photoresponsivity can reach a high value of -418.1 μA W-1 in the high humid state of RH=90%.

A novel capacitive absolute positioning sensor based on time grating with nanometer resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Hongji; Liu, Hongzhong; Liu, Xiaokang; Peng, Kai; Yu, Zhicheng

2018-05-01

The present work proposes a novel capacitive absolute positioning sensor based on time grating. The sensor includes a fine incremental-displacement measurement component combined with a coarse absolute-position measurement component to obtain high-resolution absolute positioning measurements. A single row type sensor was proposed to achieve fine displacement measurement, which combines the two electrode rows of a previously proposed double-row type capacitive displacement sensor based on time grating into a single row. To achieve absolute positioning measurement, the coarse measurement component is designed as a single-row type displacement sensor employing a single spatial period over the entire measurement range. In addition, this component employs a rectangular induction electrode and four groups of orthogonal discrete excitation electrodes with half-sinusoidal envelope shapes, which were formed by alternately extending the rectangular electrodes of the fine measurement component. The fine and coarse measurement components are tightly integrated to form a compact absolute positioning sensor. A prototype sensor was manufactured using printed circuit board technology for testing and optimization of the design in conjunction with simulations. Experimental results show that the prototype sensor achieves a ±300 nm measurement accuracy with a 1 nm resolution over a displacement range of 200 mm when employing error compensation. The proposed sensor is an excellent alternative to presently available long-range absolute nanometrology sensors owing to its low cost, simple structure, and ease of manufacturing.

Three dimensional stress vector sensor array and method therefor

DOEpatents

Pfeifer, Kent Bryant; Rudnick, Thomas Jeffery

2005-07-05

A sensor array is configured based upon capacitive sensor techniques to measure stresses at various positions in a sheet simultaneously and allow a stress map to be obtained in near real-time. The device consists of single capacitive elements applied in a one or two dimensional array to measure the distribution of stresses across a mat surface in real-time as a function of position for manufacturing and test applications. In-plane and normal stresses in rolling bodies such as tires may thus be monitored.

Multi-channel fiber optic dew and humidity sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limodehi, Hamid E.; Mozafari, Morteza; Amiri, Hesam; Légaré, François

2018-03-01

In this article, we introduce a multi-channel fiber optic dew and humidity sensor which works using a novel method based on relation between surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and water vapor condensation. The proposed sensor can instantly detect moisture or dew formation through its fiber optic channels, separately situated in different places. It enables to simultaneously measure the ambient Relative Humidity (RH) and dew point temperature of several environments with accuracy of 5%.

Ultrasensitive and label-free detection of pathogenic avian influenza DNA by using CMOS impedimetric sensors.

PubMed

Lai, Wei-An; Lin, Chih-Heng; Yang, Yuh-Shyong; Lu, Michael S-C

2012-05-15

This work presents miniaturized CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensors for non-faradic impedimetric detection of AIV (avian influenza virus) oligonucleotides. The signal-to-noise ratio is significantly improved by monolithic sensor integration to reduce the effect of parasitic capacitances. The use of sub-μm interdigitated microelectrodes is also beneficial for promoting the signal coupling efficiency. Capacitance changes associated with surface modification, functionalization, and DNA hybridization were extracted from the measured frequency responses based on an equivalent-circuit model. Hybridization of the AIV H5 capture and target DNA probes produced a capacitance reduction of -13.2 ± 2.1% for target DNA concentrations from 1 fM to 10 fM, while a capacitance increase was observed when H5 target DNA was replaced with non-complementary H7 target DNA. With the demonstrated superior sensing capabilities, this miniaturized CMOS sensing platform shows great potential for label-free point-of-care biosensing applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual-mode operation of flexible piezoelectric polymer diaphragm for intracranial pressure measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunyan; Wu, Pei-Ming; Shutter, Lori A.; Narayan, Raj K.

2010-02-01

The dual-mode operation of a polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) piezoelectric polymer diaphragm, in a capacitive or resonant mode, is reported as a flexible intracranial pressure (ICP) sensor. The pressure sensor using a capacitive mode exhibits a higher linearity and less power consumption than resonant mode operated pressure sensor. In contrast, the latter provides better sensitivity and easier adaption for wireless application. The metrological properties of the dual-mode ICP sensor being described are satisfactory in vitro. We propose that the piezoelectric polymer diaphragm has a promising future in intracranial pressure monitoring.

A Wirelessly Powered Smart Contact Lens with Reconfigurable Wide Range and Tunable Sensitivity Sensor Readout Circuitry

PubMed Central

Chiou, Jin-Chern; Hsu, Shun-Hsi; Huang, Yu-Chieh; Yeh, Guan-Ting; Liou, Wei-Ting; Kuei, Cheng-Kai

2017-01-01

This study presented a wireless smart contact lens system that was composed of a reconfigurable capacitive sensor interface circuitry and wirelessly powered radio-frequency identification (RFID) addressable system for sensor control and data communication. In order to improve compliance and reduce user discomfort, a capacitive sensor was embedded on a soft contact lens of 200 μm thickness using commercially available bio-compatible lens material and a standard manufacturing process. The results indicated that the reconfigurable sensor interface achieved sensitivity and baseline tuning up to 120 pF while consuming only 110 μW power. The range and sensitivity tuning of the readout circuitry ensured a reliable operation with respect to sensor fabrication variations and independent calibration of the sensor baseline for individuals. The on-chip voltage scaling allowed the further extension of the detection range and prevented the implementation of large on-chip elements. The on-lens system enabled the detection of capacitive variation caused by pressure changes in the range of 2.25 to 30 mmHg and hydration level variation from a distance of 1 cm using incident power from an RFID reader at 26.5 dBm. PMID:28067859

Simultaneous moisture content and mass flow measurements in wood chip flows using coupled dielectric and impact sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Pengmin; McDonald, Timothy; Fulton, John

An 8-electrode capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor was built and used to measure moisture content (MC) and mass flow of pine chip flows. The device was capable of directly measuring total water quantity in a sample but was sensitive to both dry matter and moisture, and therefore required a second measurement of mass flow to calculate MC. Two means of calculating the mass flow were used: the first being an impact sensor to measure total mass flow, and the second a volumetric approach based on measuring total area occupied by wood in images generated using the capacitance sensor’s tomographic mode. Testsmore » were made on 109 groups of wood chips ranging in moisture content from 14% to 120% (dry basis) and wet weight of 280 to 1100 g. Sixty groups were randomly selected as a calibration set, and the remaining were used for validation of the sensor’s performance. For the combined capacitance/force transducer system, root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) for wet mass flow and moisture content were 13.42% and 16.61%, respectively. RMSEP using the combined volumetric mass flow/capacitance sensor for dry mass flow and moisture content were 22.89% and 24.16%, respectively. Either of the approaches was concluded to be feasible for prediction of moisture content in pine chip flows, but combining the impact and capacitance sensors was easier to implement. As a result, in situations where flows could not be impeded, however, the tomographic approach would likely be more useful.« less

Simultaneous moisture content and mass flow measurements in wood chip flows using coupled dielectric and impact sensors

DOE PAGES

Pan, Pengmin; McDonald, Timothy; Fulton, John; ...

2016-12-23

An 8-electrode capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor was built and used to measure moisture content (MC) and mass flow of pine chip flows. The device was capable of directly measuring total water quantity in a sample but was sensitive to both dry matter and moisture, and therefore required a second measurement of mass flow to calculate MC. Two means of calculating the mass flow were used: the first being an impact sensor to measure total mass flow, and the second a volumetric approach based on measuring total area occupied by wood in images generated using the capacitance sensor’s tomographic mode. Testsmore » were made on 109 groups of wood chips ranging in moisture content from 14% to 120% (dry basis) and wet weight of 280 to 1100 g. Sixty groups were randomly selected as a calibration set, and the remaining were used for validation of the sensor’s performance. For the combined capacitance/force transducer system, root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) for wet mass flow and moisture content were 13.42% and 16.61%, respectively. RMSEP using the combined volumetric mass flow/capacitance sensor for dry mass flow and moisture content were 22.89% and 24.16%, respectively. Either of the approaches was concluded to be feasible for prediction of moisture content in pine chip flows, but combining the impact and capacitance sensors was easier to implement. As a result, in situations where flows could not be impeded, however, the tomographic approach would likely be more useful.« less

Simultaneous Moisture Content and Mass Flow Measurements in Wood Chip Flows Using Coupled Dielectric and Impact Sensors

PubMed Central

Pan, Pengmin; McDonald, Timothy; Fulton, John; Via, Brian; Hung, John

2016-01-01

An 8-electrode capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor was built and used to measure moisture content (MC) and mass flow of pine chip flows. The device was capable of directly measuring total water quantity in a sample but was sensitive to both dry matter and moisture, and therefore required a second measurement of mass flow to calculate MC. Two means of calculating the mass flow were used: the first being an impact sensor to measure total mass flow, and the second a volumetric approach based on measuring total area occupied by wood in images generated using the capacitance sensor’s tomographic mode. Tests were made on 109 groups of wood chips ranging in moisture content from 14% to 120% (dry basis) and wet weight of 280 to 1100 g. Sixty groups were randomly selected as a calibration set, and the remaining were used for validation of the sensor’s performance. For the combined capacitance/force transducer system, root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) for wet mass flow and moisture content were 13.42% and 16.61%, respectively. RMSEP using the combined volumetric mass flow/capacitance sensor for dry mass flow and moisture content were 22.89% and 24.16%, respectively. Either of the approaches was concluded to be feasible for prediction of moisture content in pine chip flows, but combining the impact and capacitance sensors was easier to implement. In situations where flows could not be impeded, however, the tomographic approach would likely be more useful. PMID:28025536

Silicon micromachined accelerometer/seismometer and method of making the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Richard D. (Inventor); Pike, W. Thomas (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A silicon-based microaccelerometer for seismic application is provided using a low-resonant frequency (10 Hz), large proof mass (1 gram), and high Q suspension to achieve high sensitivity of less than 1 ng with a bandwidth a 0.05 to 50 Hz. The proof mass is cut away from a planar substrate in the form of a disk using abrasive cutting, which disk closely fits but does not touch a surrounding angular frame. The spring of the microaccelerometer between the angular frame and the proof mass is provided from two continuous, 3 microns thick membranes. The fixed capacitive electrodes are provided on separate, subsequently bonded substrates, and movable capacitive plates are provided on the membranes. By fabricating capacitive plates on the separate substrates, the gap between the fixed and movable capacitive plates in the differential capacitive sensor is closely controlled. The use of continuous membranes for the spring produces a shock resistant, robust sensor.

Development of TGS2611 methane sensor and SHT11 humidity and temperature sensor for measuring greenhouse gas on peatlands in south kalimantan, indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugriwan, I.; Soesanto, O.

2017-05-01

The research was focused on development of data acquisition system to monitor the content of methane, relative humidity and temperature on peatlands in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Methane is one of greenhouse gases that emitted from peatlands; while humidity and temperature are important parameters of microclimate on peatlands. The content of methane, humidity and temperature are three parameters were monitored digitally, real time, continuously and automatically record by data acquisition systems that interfaced to the personal computer. The hardware of data acquisition system consists of power supply unit, TGS2611 methane gas sensor, SHT11 humidity and temperature sensors, voltage follower, ATMega8535 microcontroller, 16 × 2 LCD character and personal computer. ATMega8535 module is a device to manage all part in measuring instrument. The software which is responsible to take sensor data, calculate characteristic equation and send data to 16 × 2 LCD character are Basic Compiler. To interface between measuring instrument and personal computer is maintained by Delphi 7. The result of data acquisition showed on 16 × 2 LCD characters, PC monitor and database with developed by XAMPP. Methane, humidity, and temperature which release from peatlands are trapped by Closed-Chamber Measurement with dimension 60 × 50 × 40 cm3. TGS2611 methane gas sensor and SHT11 humidity and temperature sensor are calibrated to determine transfer function used to data communication between sensors and microcontroller and integrated into ATMega8535 Microcontroller. Calculation of RS and RL of TGS2611 methane gas sensor refer to data sheet and obtained respectively 1360 ohm and 905 ohm. The characteristic equation of TGS2611 satisfies equation VRL = 0.561 ln n - 2.2641 volt, with n is a various concentrations and VRL in volt. The microcontroller maintained the voltage signal than interfaced it to liquid crystal displays and personal computer (laptop) to display result of the measurement. The result of data acquisition saved on excels and database format.

Mapping Capacitive Coupling Among Pixels in a Sensor Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seshadri, Suresh; Cole, David M.; Smith, Roger M.

2010-01-01

An improved method of mapping the capacitive contribution to cross-talk among pixels in an imaging array of sensors (typically, an imaging photodetector array) has been devised for use in calibrating and/or characterizing such an array. The method involves a sequence of resets of subarrays of pixels to specified voltages and measurement of the voltage responses of neighboring non-reset pixels.

Highly Sensitive and Fast Response Colorimetric Humidity Sensors Based on Graphene Oxides Film.

PubMed

Chi, Hong; Liu, Yan Jun; Wang, FuKe; He, Chaobin

2015-09-16

Uniform graphene oxide (GO) film for optical humidity sensing was fabricated by dip-coating technique. The resulting GO thin film shows linear optical shifts in the visible range with increase of humidity in the whole relative humidity range (from dry state to 98%). Moreover, GO films exhibit ultrafast sensing to moisture within 250 ms because of the unique atomic thinness and superpermeability of GO sheets. The humidity sensing mechanism was investigated using XRD and computer simulation. The ultrasensitive humidity colorimetric properties of GOs film may enable many potential applications such as disposable humidity sensors for packaging, health, and environmental monitoring.

Assessing the quality of humidity measurements from global operational radiosonde sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moradi, Isaac; Soden, Brian; Ferraro, Ralph; Arkin, Phillip; Vömel, Holger

2013-07-01

The quality of humidity measurements from global operational radiosonde sensors in upper, middle, and lower troposphere for the period 2000-2011 were investigated using satellite observations from three microwave water vapor channels operating at 183.31±1, 183.31±3, and 183.31±7 GHz. The radiosonde data were partitioned based on sensor type into 19 classes. The satellite brightness temperatures (Tb) were simulated using radiosonde profiles and a radiative transfer model, then the radiosonde simulated Tb's were compared with the observed Tb's from the satellites. The surface affected Tb's were excluded from the comparison due to the lack of reliable surface emissivity data at the microwave frequencies. Daytime and nighttime data were examined separately to see the possible effect of daytime radiation bias on the sonde data. The error characteristics among different radiosondes vary significantly, which largely reflects the differences in sensor type. These differences are more evident in the mid-upper troposphere than in the lower troposphere, mainly because some of the sensors stop responding to tropospheric humidity somewhere in the upper or even in the middle troposphere. In the upper troposphere, most sensors have a dry bias but Russian sensors and a few other sensors including GZZ2, VZB2, and RS80H have a wet bias. In middle troposphere, Russian sensors still have a wet bias but all other sensors have a dry bias. All sensors, including Russian sensors, have a dry bias in lower troposphere. The systematic and random errors generally decrease from upper to lower troposphere. Sensors from China, India, Russia, and the U.S. have a large random error in upper troposphere, which indicates that these sensors are not suitable for upper tropospheric studies as they fail to respond to humidity changes in the upper and even middle troposphere. Overall, Vaisala sensors perform better than other sensors throughout the troposphere exhibiting the smallest systematic and random errors. Because of the large differences between different radiosonde humidity sensors, it is important for long-term trend studies to only use data measured using a single type of sensor at any given station. If multiple sensor types are used then it is necessary to consider the bias between sensor types and its possible dependence on humidity and temperature.

Applying a simple three-dimensional eddy correlation system for latent and sensible heat flux to contrasting forest canopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhofer, Ch.

1992-06-01

A simple eddy correlation system is presented that allows on-line calculation of latent and sensible heat fluxes. The system is composed of a three dimensional propeller anemometer, a thermocouple and a capacitance relative humidity sensor. Results from two contrasting sites demonstrate the capability of the system to measure turbulent fluxes under varying conditions. A dry mixed (dominantly coniferous) forest in hilly terrain in Austria is compared to a well irrigated, heavily transpiring, deciduous pecan orchard in the Southwest of the US. The US site shows insufficient closure of the energy balance that is attributed to non-turbulent fluxes under advective conditions in a stable boundary layer (Blanford et al., 1991) while the Austrian site exhibits almost perfect closure with the use of the very same instruments when the boundary layer is convective and advection is negligible.

Using Pt Dopant and Sol Gel Technology for Sensitivity Enhancement of TiO2/SnO2Humidity Sensors.

PubMed

Chang, Wen-Yang; Ke, Wen-Wang; Hsieh, Yu-Sheng; Kuo, Nai-Hao; Lin, Yu-Cheng

2005-01-01

The sensitivity of the humidity sensor based on hybrid thin films of nanostructure TiO2/SnO2with Pt dopant was successfully increased. The humidity-sensitive materials, TiO2/SnO3, were prepared by sol gel technology. The microstructure of the sensing film after calcination was investigated by the Field Emission gun Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and revealed that the metal oxide hybrid had about 10 nm grain size. For studying the effect of Pt dopant on the humidity-sensitive responses, 1 ml to 10 ml of Pt standard solution was added into the colloidal solution. To compare the humidity sensor of Pt dopant with that of no Pt dopant, operational frequencies and electrode spacing were set under the relative humidity from 30 % to 95 % at the ambient temperature of 22 °C. We demonstrated that adding Pt dopant remarkably enhanced the sensitivity of TiO2/SnO2humidity sensor, and further decreased the TiO2/SnO2 resistance, which was 3.3 times lower than that without Pt dopant at the high humidity.

Transparent, flexible, and stretchable WS2 based humidity sensors for electronic skin.

PubMed

Guo, Huayang; Lan, Changyong; Zhou, Zhifei; Sun, Peihua; Wei, Dapeng; Li, Chun

2017-05-18

Skin-mountable chemical sensors using flexible chemically sensitive nanomaterials are of great interest for electronic skin (e-skin) application. To build these sensors, the emerging atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors could be a good material candidate. Herein, we show that a large-area WS 2 film synthesized by sulfurization of a tungsten film exhibits high humidity sensing performance both in natural flat and high mechanical flexible states (bending curvature down to 5 mm). The conductivity of as-synthesized WS 2 increases sensitively over a wide relative humidity range (up to 90%) with fast response and recovery times in a few seconds. By using graphene as electrodes and thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as substrate, a transparent, flexible, and stretchable humidity sensor was fabricated. This senor can be well laminated onto skin and shows stable water moisture sensing behaviors in the undeformed relaxed state as well as under compressive and tensile loadings. Furthermore, its high sensing performance enables real-time monitoring of human breath, indicating a potential mask-free breath monitoring for healthcare application. We believe that such a skin-activity compatible WS 2 humidity sensor may shed light on developing low power consumption wearable chemical sensors based on 2D semiconductors.

Capacitive pressure-sensitive composites using nickel-silicone rubber: experiments and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yuqin; Liao, Changrong; Liao, Ganliang; Tan, Renbing; Xie, Lei

2017-07-01

Capacitive pressure (i.e., piezo-capacitive) sensors have manifested their superiority as a potential electronic skin. The mechanism of the traditional piezo-capacitive sensors is mainly to change the relative permittivity of the flexible composites by compressing the specially fabricated microstructures in the polymer matrix under pressure. Instead, we study the piezo-capacitive effect for a newly reported isotropic flexible composite consisting of silicone rubber (SR) and uniformly dispersed micron-sized conductive nickel particles experimentally and theoretically. The Young’s modulus of the nickel-SR composites (NSRCs) is designed to meet that of human skin. Experimental results show that the NSRCs exhibit remarkable particle concentration dependent capacitance response under uniaxial pressure, and the NSRCs present a good repeatability. We propose a mathematical model at particle level to provide deep insights into the piezo-capacitive mechanism, by considering the adjacent particles in the axial direction as micro capacitors connected in series and in parallel on the horizontal plane. The piezo-capacitive effect is determined by the relative permittivity induced by the particles rearrangement, longitudinal interparticle gap, and deflection angle of micro particle capacitors under pressure. Specifically, the relative capacitance of NSRC capacitor is deduced to be product of two factors: the degree of particle rearrangement, and the relative capacitance of a micro capacitor with the average longitudinal gap. The proposed model well matches and interprets the experimental results.

Note: Wide band amplifier for quartz tuning fork sensors with digitally controlled stray capacitance compensation.

PubMed

Peng, Ping; Hao, Lifeng; Ding, Ning; Jiao, Weicheng; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Rongguo

2015-11-01

We presented a preamplifier design for quartz tuning fork (QTF) sensors in which the stray capacitance is digitally compensated. In this design, the manually controlled variable capacitor is replaced by a pair of varicap diodes, whose capacitance could be accurately tuned by a bias voltage. A tuning circuit including a single side low power operational amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, and a microprocessor is also described, and the tuning process can be conveniently carried out on a personal computer. For the design, the noise level was investigated experimentally.

Fully Stretchable and Humidity-Resistant Quantum Dot Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Song, Zhilong; Huang, Zhao; Liu, Jingyao; Hu, Zhixiang; Zhang, Jianbing; Zhang, Guangzu; Yi, Fei; Jiang, Shenglin; Lian, Jiabiao; Yan, Jia; Zang, Jianfeng; Liu, Huan

2018-05-25

Stretchable gas sensors that accommodate the shape and motion characteristics of human body are indispensable to a wearable or attachable smart sensing system. However, these gas sensors usually have poor response and recovery kinetics when operated at room temperature, and especially suffer from humidity interference and mechanical robustness issues. Here, we demonstrate the first fully stretchable gas sensors which are operated at room temperature with enhanced stability against humidity. We created a crumpled quantum dot (QD) sensing layer on elastomeric substrate with flexible graphene as electrodes. Through the control over the prestrain of the flexible substrate, we achieved a 5.8 times improvement in NO 2 response at room temperature with desirable stretchability even under 1000 stretch/relax cycles mechanism deformation. The uniformly wavy structural configuration of the crumpled QD gas-sensing layer enabled an improvement in the antihumidity interference. The sensor response shows a minor vibration of 15.9% at room temperature from relative humidity of 0 to 86.7% compared to that of the flat-film sensors with vibration of 84.2%. The successful assembly of QD solids into a crumpled gas-sensing layer enabled a body-attachable, mechanically robust, and humidity-resistant gas sensor, opening up a new pathway to room-temperature operable gas sensors which may be implemented in future smart sensing systems such as stretchable electronic nose and multipurpose electronic skin.

Magnetoelastic sensors in combination with nanometer-scale honeycombed thin film ceramic TiO2 for remote query measurement of humidity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimes, C. A.; Kouzoudis, D.; Dickey, E. C.; Qian, D.; Anderson, M. A.; Shahidain, R.; Lindsey, M.; Green, L.

2000-01-01

Ribbonlike magnetoelastic sensors can be considered the magnetic analog of an acoustic bell; in response to an externally applied magnetic field impulse the sensors emit magnetic flux with a characteristic resonant frequency. The magnetic flux can be detected external to the test area using a pick-up coil, enabling query remote monitoring of the sensor. The characteristic resonant frequency of a magnetoelastic sensor changes in response to mass loads. [L.D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Theory of Elasticity, 3rd ed. (Pergamon, New York, 1986). p. 100].Therefore, remote query chemical sensors can be fabricated by combining the magnetoelastic sensors with a mass changing, chemically responsive layer. In this work magnetoelastic sensors are coated with humidity-sensitive thin films of ceramic, nanodimensionally porous TiO2 to make remote query humidity sensors. c2000 American Institute of Physics.

Novel designs for application specific MEMS pressure sensors.

PubMed

Fragiacomo, Giulio; Reck, Kasper; Lorenzen, Lasse; Thomsen, Erik V

2010-01-01

In the framework of developing innovative microfabricated pressure sensors, we present here three designs based on different readout principles, each one tailored for a specific application. A touch mode capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity (14 pF/bar), low temperature dependence and high capacitive output signal (more than 100 pF) is depicted. An optical pressure sensor intrinsically immune to electromagnetic interference, with large pressure range (0-350 bar) and a sensitivity of 1 pm/bar is presented. Finally, a resonating wireless pressure sensor power source free with a sensitivity of 650 KHz/mmHg is described. These sensors will be related with their applications in harsh environment, distributed systems and medical environment, respectively. For many aspects, commercially available sensors, which in vast majority are piezoresistive, are not suited for the applications proposed.

Modeling and Simulation of the Transient Response of Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensors with and without Protective Housing

PubMed Central

Rocha, Keller Sullivan Oliveira; Martins, José Helvecio; Martins, Marcio Arêdes; Ferreira Tinôco, Ilda de Fátima; Saraz, Jairo Alexander Osorio; Filho, Adílio Flauzino Lacerda; Fernandes, Luiz Henrique Martins

2014-01-01

Based on the necessity for enclosure protection of temperature and relative humidity sensors installed in a hostile environment, a wind tunnel was used to quantify the time that the sensors take to reach equilibrium in the environmental conditions to which they are exposed. Two treatments were used: (1) sensors with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) enclosure protection, and (2) sensors with no enclosure protection. The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate a 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for analyzing the temperature and relative humidity distribution in a wind tunnel using sensors with PVC enclosure protection and sensors with no enclosure protection. A CFD simulation model was developed to describe the temperature distribution and the physics of mass transfer related to the airflow relative humidity. The first results demonstrate the applicability of the simulation. For verification, a sensor device was successfully assembled and tested in an environment that was optimized to ensure fast change conditions. The quantification setup presented in this paper is thus considered to be adequate for testing different materials and morphologies for enclosure protection. The results show that the boundary layer flow regime has a significant impact on the heat flux distribution. The results indicate that the CFD technique is a powerful tool which provides a detailed description of the flow and temperature fields as well as the time that the relative humidity takes to reach equilibrium with the environment in which the sensors are inserted. PMID:24851994

Characterization of pixel sensor designed in 180 nm SOI CMOS technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benka, T.; Havranek, M.; Hejtmanek, M.; Jakovenko, J.; Janoska, Z.; Marcisovska, M.; Marcisovsky, M.; Neue, G.; Tomasek, L.; Vrba, V.

2018-01-01

A new type of X-ray imaging Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS), X-CHIP-02, was developed using a 180 nm deep submicron Silicon On Insulator (SOI) CMOS commercial technology. Two pixel matrices were integrated into the prototype chip, which differ by the pixel pitch of 50 μm and 100 μm. The X-CHIP-02 contains several test structures, which are useful for characterization of individual blocks. The sensitive part of the pixel integrated in the handle wafer is one of the key structures designed for testing. The purpose of this structure is to determine the capacitance of the sensitive part (diode in the MAPS pixel). The measured capacitance is 2.9 fF for 50 μm pixel pitch and 4.8 fF for 100 μm pixel pitch at -100 V (default operational voltage). This structure was used to measure the IV characteristics of the sensitive diode. In this work, we report on a circuit designed for precise determination of sensor capacitance and IV characteristics of both pixel types with respect to X-ray irradiation. The motivation for measurement of the sensor capacitance was its importance for the design of front-end amplifier circuits. The design of pixel elements, as well as circuit simulation and laboratory measurement techniques are described. The experimental results are of great importance for further development of MAPS sensors in this technology.

A novel source-drain follower for monolithic active pixel sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, C.; Aglieri, G.; Hillemanns, H.; Huang, G.; Junique, A.; Keil, M.; Kim, D.; Kofarago, M.; Kugathasan, T.; Mager, M.; Marin Tobon, C. A.; Martinengo, P.; Mugnier, H.; Musa, L.; Lee, S.; Reidt, F.; Riedler, P.; Rousset, J.; Sielewicz, K. M.; Snoeys, W.; Sun, X.; Van Hoorne, J. W.; Yang, P.

2016-09-01

Monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) receive interest in tracking applications in high energy physics as they integrate sensor and readout electronics in one silicon die with potential for lower material budget and cost, and better performance. Source followers (SFs) are widely used for MAPS readout: they increase charge conversion gain 1/Ceff or decrease the effective sensing node capacitance Ceff because the follower action compensates part of the input capacitance. Charge conversion gain is critical for analog power consumption and therefore for material budget in tracking applications, and also has direct system impact. This paper presents a novel source-drain follower (SDF), where both source and drain follow the gate potential improving charge conversion gain. For the inner tracking system (ITS) upgrade of the ALICE experiment at CERN, low material budget is a primary requirement. The SDF circuit was studied as part of the effort to optimize the effective capacitance of the sensing node. The collection electrode, input transistor and routing metal all contribute to Ceff. Reverse sensor bias reduces the collection electrode capacitance. The novel SDF circuit eliminates the contribution of the input transistor to Ceff, reduces the routing contribution if additional shielding is introduced, provides a way to estimate the capacitance of the sensor itself, and has a voltage gain closer to unity than the standard SF. The SDF circuit has a somewhat larger area with a somewhat smaller bandwidth, but this is acceptable in most cases. A test chip, manufactured in a 180 nm CMOS image sensor process, implements small prototype pixel matrices in different flavors to compare the standard SF to the novel SF and to the novel SF with additional shielding. The effective sensing node capacitance was measured using a 55Fe source. Increasing reverse substrate bias from -1 V to -6 V reduces Ceff by 38% and the equivalent noise charge (ENC) by 22% for the standard SF. The SDF provides a further 9% improvement for Ceff and 25% for ENC. The SDF circuit with additional shielding provides 18% improvement for Ceff, and combined with -6 V reverse bias yields almost a factor 2.

Nanowire humidity optical sensor system based on fast Fourier transform technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rota-Rodrigo, S.; Pérez-Herrera, R.; Lopez-Aldaba, A.; López Bautista, M. C.; Esteban, O.; López-Amo, M.

2015-09-01

In this paper, a new sensor system for relative humidity measurements based on its interaction with the evanescent field of a nanowire is presented. The interrogation of the sensing head is carried out by monitoring the fast Fourier transform phase variations of one of the nanowire interference frequencies. This method is independent of the signal amplitude and also avoids the necessity of tracking the wavelength evolution in the spectrum, which can be a handicap when there are multiple interference frequency components with different sensitivities. The sensor is operated within a wide humidity range (20%-70% relative humidity) with a maximum sensitivity achieved of 0.14rad/% relative humidity. Finally, due to the system uses an optical interrogator as unique active element, the system presents a cost-effective feature.

Humidity Sensor Based on Bragg Gratings Developed on the End Facet of an Optical Fiber by Sputtering of One Single Material.

PubMed

Ascorbe, Joaquin; Corres, Jesus M; Arregui, Francisco J; Matias, Ignacio R

2017-04-29

The refractive index of sputtered indium oxide nanocoatings has been altered just by changing the sputtering parameters, such as pressure. These induced changes have been exploited for the generation of a grating on the end facet of an optical fiber towards the development of wavelength-modulated optical fiber humidity sensors. A theoretical analysis has also been performed in order to study the different parameters involved in the fabrication of this optical structure and how they would affect the sensitivity of these devices. Experimental and theoretical results are in good agreement. A sensitivity of 150 pm/%RH was obtained for relative humidity changes from 20% to 60%. This kind of humidity sensors shows a maximum hysteresis of 1.3% relative humidity.

Design of Helical Capacitance Sensor for Holdup Measurement in Two-Phase Stratified Flow: A Sinusoidal Function Approach

PubMed Central

Lim, Lam Ghai; Pao, William K. S.; Hamid, Nor Hisham; Tang, Tong Boon

2016-01-01

A 360° twisted helical capacitance sensor was developed for holdup measurement in horizontal two-phase stratified flow. Instead of suppressing nonlinear response, the sensor was optimized in such a way that a ‘sine-like’ function was displayed on top of the linear function. This concept of design had been implemented and verified in both software and hardware. A good agreement was achieved between the finite element model of proposed design and the approximation model (pure sinusoidal function), with a maximum difference of ±1.2%. In addition, the design parameters of the sensor were analysed and investigated. It was found that the error in symmetry of the sinusoidal function could be minimized by adjusting the pitch of helix. The experiments of air-water and oil-water stratified flows were carried out and validated the sinusoidal relationship with a maximum difference of ±1.2% and ±1.3% for the range of water holdup from 0.15 to 0.85. The proposed design concept therefore may pose a promising alternative for the optimization of capacitance sensor design. PMID:27384567

RF current sensor

DOEpatents

Moore, James A.; Sparks, Dennis O.

1998-11-10

An RF sensor having a novel current sensing probe and a voltage sensing probe to measure voltage and current. The current sensor is disposed in a transmission line to link all of the flux generated by the flowing current in order to obtain an accurate measurement. The voltage sensor is a flat plate which operates as a capacitive plate to sense voltage on a center conductor of the transmission line, in which the measured voltage is obtained across a resistance leg of a R-C differentiator circuit formed by the characteristic impedance of a connecting transmission line and a capacitance of the plate, which is positioned proximal to the center conductor.

Spectral response analysis of PVDF capacitive sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes-Ramírez, B.; García-Segundo, C.; García-Valenzuela, A.

2013-06-01

We investigate the spectral response to ultrasound waves in water of low-noise capacitive sensors based on PVDF polymer piezoelectric films. First, we analyze theoretically the mechanical-to-electrical transduction as a function of the frequency of ultrasonic signals and derive an analytic expression of the sensor's transfer function. Then we present experimental results of the frequency response of a home-made PDVF in water to test signals from 1 to 20 MHz induced by a commercial hydrophone powered by a signal generator and compare with our theoretical model.

Real-time estimation of paracellular permeability of cerebral endothelial cells by capacitance sensor array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyun Jo, Dong; Lee, Rimi; Hyoung Kim, Jin; Oh Jun, Hyoung; Geol Lee, Tae; Hun Kim, Jeong

2015-06-01

Vascular integrity is important in maintaining homeostasis of brain microenvironments. In various brain diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis, increased paracellular permeability due to breakdown of blood-brain barrier is linked with initiation and progression of pathological conditions. We developed a capacitance sensor array to monitor dielectric responses of cerebral endothelial cell monolayer, which could be utilized to evaluate the integrity of brain microvasculature. Our system measured real-time capacitance values which demonstrated frequency- and time-dependent variations. With the measurement of capacitance at the frequency of 100 Hz, we could differentiate the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a representative permeability-inducing factor, on endothelial cells and quantitatively analyse the normalized values. Interestingly, we showed differential capacitance values according to the status of endothelial cell monolayer, confluent or sparse, evidencing that the integrity of monolayer was associated with capacitance values. Another notable feature was that we could evaluate the expression of molecules in samples in our system with the reference of real-time capacitance values. We suggest that this dielectric spectroscopy system could be successfully implanted as a novel in vitro assay in the investigation of the roles of paracellular permeability in various brain diseases.

Redundancy Analysis of Capacitance Data of a Coplanar Electrode Array for Fast and Stable Imaging Processing

PubMed Central

Wen, Yintang; Zhang, Zhenda; Zhang, Yuyan; Sun, Dongtao

2017-01-01

A coplanar electrode array sensor is established for the imaging of composite-material adhesive-layer defect detection. The sensor is based on the capacitive edge effect, which leads to capacitance data being considerably weak and susceptible to environmental noise. The inverse problem of coplanar array electrical capacitance tomography (C-ECT) is ill-conditioning, in which a small error of capacitance data can seriously affect the quality of reconstructed images. In order to achieve a stable image reconstruction process, a redundancy analysis method for capacitance data is proposed. The proposed method is based on contribution rate and anti-interference capability. According to the redundancy analysis, the capacitance data are divided into valid and invalid data. When the image is reconstructed by valid data, the sensitivity matrix needs to be changed accordingly. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the sensitivity map, singular value decomposition (SVD) is used. Finally, the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images are reconstructed by the Tikhonov regularization method. Through comparison of the reconstructed images of raw capacitance data, the stability of the image reconstruction process can be improved, and the quality of reconstructed images is not degraded. As a result, much invalid data are not collected, and the data acquisition time can also be reduced. PMID:29295537

Use of Temperature and Humidity Sensors to Determine Moisture Content of Oolong Tea

PubMed Central

Chen, Andrew; Chen, Hsuan-Yu; Chen, Chiachung

2014-01-01

The measurement of tea moisture content is important for processing and storing tea. The moisture content of tea affects the quality and durability of the product. Some electrical devices have been proposed to measure the moisture content of tea leaves but are not practical. Their performance is influenced by material density and packing. The official oven method is time-consuming. In this study, the moisture content of Oolong tea was measured by the equilibrium relative humidity technique. The equilibrium relative humidity, and temperature, of tea materials were measured by using temperature and relative humidity sensors. Sensors were calibrated, and calibration equations were established to improve accuracy. The moisture content was calculated by using an equilibrium moisture content model. The error of the moisture content determined with this method was within 0.5% w.b. at moisture <15% w.b. Uncertainty analysis revealed that the performance of the humidity sensor had a significant effect on the accuracy of moisture determination. PMID:25153142

An oil fraction neural sensor developed using electrical capacitance tomography sensor data.

PubMed

Zainal-Mokhtar, Khursiah; Mohamad-Saleh, Junita

2013-08-26

This paper presents novel research on the development of a generic intelligent oil fraction sensor based on Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) data. An artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been employed as the intelligent system to sense and estimate oil fractions from the cross-sections of two-component flows comprising oil and gas in a pipeline. Previous works only focused on estimating the oil fraction in the pipeline based on fixed ECT sensor parameters. With fixed ECT design sensors, an oil fraction neural sensor can be trained to deal with ECT data based on the particular sensor parameters, hence the neural sensor is not generic. This work focuses on development of a generic neural oil fraction sensor based on training a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) ANN with various ECT sensor parameters. On average, the proposed oil fraction neural sensor has shown to be able to give a mean absolute error of 3.05% for various ECT sensor sizes.

An Oil Fraction Neural Sensor Developed Using Electrical capacitance Tomography Sensor Data

PubMed Central

Zainal-Mokhtar, Khursiah; Mohamad-Saleh, Junita

2013-01-01

This paper presents novel research on the development of a generic intelligent oil fraction sensor based on Electrical capacitance Tomography (ECT) data. An artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been employed as the intelligent system to sense and estimate oil fractions from the cross-sections of two-component flows comprising oil and gas in a pipeline. Previous works only focused on estimating the oil fraction in the pipeline based on fixed ECT sensor parameters. With fixed ECT design sensors, an oil fraction neural sensor can be trained to deal with ECT data based on the particular sensor parameters, hence the neural sensor is not generic. This work focuses on development of a generic neural oil fraction sensor based on training a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) ANN with various ECT sensor parameters. On average, the proposed oil fraction neural sensor has shown to be able to give a mean absolute error of 3.05% for various ECT sensor sizes. PMID:24064598

High resolution CMOS capacitance-frequency converter for biosensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghoor, I. S.; Land, K.; Joubert, T.-H.

2016-02-01

This paper presents the design of a low-complexity, linear and sub-pF CMOS capacitance-frequency converter for reading out a capacitive bacterial bio/sensors with the endeavour of creating a universal bio/sensor readout module. Therefore the priority design objectives are a high resolution as well as an extensive dynamic range. The circuit is based on a method which outputs a digital frequency signal directly from a differential capacitance by the accumulation of charges produced by repetitive charge integration and charge preservation1. A prototype has been designed for manufacture in the 0.35 μm, 3.3V ams CMOS technology. At a 1MHz clock speed, the most pertinent results obtained for the designed converter are: (i) power consumption of 1.37mW; (ii) a resolution of at least 5 fF for sensitive capacitive transduction; and (iii) an input dynamic range of at least 43.5 dB from a measurable capacitance value range of 5 - 750 fF (iv) and a Pearson's coefficient of linearity of 0.99.

A New Strategy for Humidity Independent Oxide Chemiresistors: Dynamic Self-Refreshing of In2 O3 Sensing Surface Assisted by Layer-by-Layer Coated CeO2 Nanoclusters.

PubMed

Yoon, Ji-Wook; Kim, Jun-Sik; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Hong, Young Jun; Kang, Yun Chan; Lee, Jong-Heun

2016-08-01

The humidity dependence of the gas sensing characteristics of metal oxide semiconductors has been one of the greatest obstacles for gas sensor applications during the last five decades because ambient humidity dynamically changes with the environmental conditions. Herein, a new and novel strategy is reported to eliminate the humidity dependence of the gas sensing characteristics of oxide chemiresistors via dynamic self-refreshing of the sensing surface affected by water vapor chemisorption. The sensor resistance and gas response of pure In2 O3 hollow spheres significantly change and deteriorate in humid atmospheres. In contrast, the humidity dependence becomes negligible when an optimal concentration of CeO2 nanoclusters is uniformly loaded onto In2 O3 hollow spheres via layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. Moreover, In2 O3 sensors LBL-coated with CeO2 nanoclusters show fast response/recovery, low detection limit (500 ppb), and high selectivity to acetone even in highly humid conditions (relative humidity 80%). The mechanism underlying the dynamic refreshing of the In2 O3 sensing surfaces regardless of humidity variation is investigated in relation to the role of CeO2 and the chemical interaction among CeO2 , In2 O3 , and water vapor. This strategy can be widely used to design high performance gas sensors including disease diagnosis via breath analysis and pollutant monitoring. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Low temperature co-fired ceramic packaging of CMOS capacitive sensor chip towards cell viability monitoring.

PubMed

Halonen, Niina; Kilpijärvi, Joni; Sobocinski, Maciej; Datta-Chaudhuri, Timir; Hassinen, Antti; Prakash, Someshekar B; Möller, Peter; Abshire, Pamela; Kellokumpu, Sakari; Lloyd Spetz, Anita

2016-01-01

Cell viability monitoring is an important part of biosafety evaluation for the detection of toxic effects on cells caused by nanomaterials, preferably by label-free, noninvasive, fast, and cost effective methods. These requirements can be met by monitoring cell viability with a capacitance-sensing integrated circuit (IC) microchip. The capacitance provides a measurement of the surface attachment of adherent cells as an indication of their health status. However, the moist, warm, and corrosive biological environment requires reliable packaging of the sensor chip. In this work, a second generation of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology was combined with flip-chip bonding to provide a durable package compatible with cell culture. The LTCC-packaged sensor chip was integrated with a printed circuit board, data acquisition device, and measurement-controlling software. The packaged sensor chip functioned well in the presence of cell medium and cells, with output voltages depending on the medium above the capacitors. Moreover, the manufacturing of microfluidic channels in the LTCC package was demonstrated.

Fabrication and Characterization of CMOS-MEMS Magnetic Microsensors

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Chen-Hsuan; Dai, Ching-Liang; Yang, Ming-Zhi

2013-01-01

This study investigates the design and fabrication of magnetic microsensors using the commercial 0.35 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The magnetic sensor is composed of springs and interdigitated electrodes, and it is actuated by the Lorentz force. The finite element method (FEM) software CoventorWare is adopted to simulate the displacement and capacitance of the magnetic sensor. A post-CMOS process is utilized to release the suspended structure. The post-process uses an anisotropic dry etching to etch the silicon dioxide layer and an isotropic dry etching to remove the silicon substrate. When a magnetic field is applied to the magnetic sensor, it generates a change in capacitance. A sensing circuit is employed to convert the capacitance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experimental results show that the output voltage of the magnetic microsensor varies from 0.05 to 1.94 V in the magnetic field range of 5–200 mT. PMID:24172287

Touch-mode capacitive pressure sensor with graphene-polymer heterostructure membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Christian; Phillips, Rory; Pasternak, Iwona; Sobieski, Jan; Strupinski, Wlodek; Vijayaraghavan, Aravind

2018-01-01

We describe the fabrication and characterisation of a touch-mode capacitive pressure sensor (TMCPS) with a robust design that comprises a graphene-polymer heterostructure film, laminated onto the silicon dioxide surface of a silicon wafer, incorporating a SU-8 spacer grid structure. The spacer grid structure allows the flexible graphene-polymer film to be partially suspended above the substrate, such that a pressure on the membrane results in a reproducible deflection, even after exposing the membrane to pressures over 10 times the operating range. Sensors show reproducible pressure transduction in water submersion at varying depths under static and dynamic loading. The measured capacitance change in response to pressure is in good agreement with an analytical model of clamped plates in touch mode. The device shows a pressure sensitivity of 27.1 +/- 0.5 fF Pa-1 over a pressure range of 0.5 kPa-8.5 kPa. In addition, we demonstrate the operation of this device as a force-touch sensor in air.

Non-contact capacitance based image sensing method and system

DOEpatents

Novak, James L.; Wiczer, James J.

1995-01-01

A system and a method is provided for imaging desired surfaces of a workpiece. A sensor having first and second sensing electrodes which are electrically isolated from the workpiece is positioned above and in proximity to the desired surfaces of the workpiece. An electric field is developed between the first and second sensing electrodes of the sensor in response to input signals being applied thereto and capacitance signals are developed which are indicative of any disturbances in the electric field as a result of the workpiece. An image signal of the workpiece may be developed by processing the capacitance signals. The image signals may provide necessary control information to a machining device for machining the desired surfaces of the workpiece in processes such as deburring or chamfering. Also, the method and system may be used to image dimensions of weld pools on a workpiece and surfaces of glass vials. The sensor may include first and second preview sensors used to determine the feed rate of a workpiece with respect to the machining device.

Non-contact capacitance based image sensing method and system

DOEpatents

Novak, James L.; Wiczer, James J.

1994-01-01

A system and a method for imaging desired surfaces of a workpiece. A sensor having first and second sensing electrodes which are electrically isolated from the workpiece is positioned above and in proximity to the desired surfaces of the workpiece. An electric field is developed between the first and second sensing electrodes of the sensor in response to input signals being applied thereto and capacitance signals are developed which are indicative of any disturbances in the electric field as a result of the workpiece. An image signal of the workpiece may be developed by processing the capacitance signals. The image signals may provide necessary control information to a machining device for machining the desired surfaces of the workpiece in processes such as deburring or chamfering. Also, the method and system may be used to image dimensions of weld pools on a workpiece and surfaces of glass vials. The sensor may include first and second preview sensors used to determine the feed rate of a workpiece with respect to the machining device.

Novel Designs for Application Specific MEMS Pressure Sensors

PubMed Central

Fragiacomo, Giulio; Reck, Kasper; Lorenzen, Lasse; Thomsen, Erik V.

2010-01-01

In the framework of developing innovative microfabricated pressure sensors, we present here three designs based on different readout principles, each one tailored for a specific application. A touch mode capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity (14 pF/bar), low temperature dependence and high capacitive output signal (more than 100 pF) is depicted. An optical pressure sensor intrinsically immune to electromagnetic interference, with large pressure range (0–350 bar) and a sensitivity of 1 pm/bar is presented. Finally, a resonating wireless pressure sensor power source free with a sensitivity of 650 KHz/mmHg is described. These sensors will be related with their applications in harsh environment, distributed systems and medical environment, respectively. For many aspects, commercially available sensors, which in vast majority are piezoresistive, are not suited for the applications proposed. PMID:22163425

Electrical characterization of γ-Al2O3 thin film parallel plate capacitive sensor for trace moisture detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Lokesh; Kumar, Shailesh; Khan, S. A.; Islam, Tariqul

2012-10-01

A moisture sensor was fabricated based on porous thin film of γ-Al2O3 formed between the parallel gold electrodes. The sensor works on capacitive technique. The sensing film was fabricated by dipcoating of aluminium hydroxide sol solution obtained from the sol-gel method. The porous structure of the film of γ-Al2O3 phase was obtained by sintering the film at 450 °C for 1 h. The electrical parameters of the sensor have been determined by Agilent 4294A impedance analyzer. The sensor so obtained is found to be sensitive in moisture range 100-600 ppmV. The response time of the sensor in ppmV range moisture is very low ~ 24 s and recovery time is ~ 37 s.

Differential wide temperature range CMOS interface circuit for capacitive MEMS pressure sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Yucai; Chodavarapu, Vamsy P

2015-02-12

We describe a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) differential interface circuit for capacitive Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) pressure sensors that is functional over a wide temperature range between -55 °C and 225 °C. The circuit is implemented using IBM 0.13 μm CMOS technology with 2.5 V power supply. A constant-gm biasing technique is used to mitigate performance degradation at high temperatures. The circuit offers the flexibility to interface with MEMS sensors with a wide range of the steady-state capacitance values from 0.5 pF to 10 pF. Simulation results show that the circuitry has excellent linearity and stability over the wide temperature range. Experimental results confirm that the temperature effects on the circuitry are small, with an overall linearity error around 2%.

Differential Wide Temperature Range CMOS Interface Circuit for Capacitive MEMS Pressure Sensors

PubMed Central

Wang, Yucai; Chodavarapu, Vamsy P.

2015-01-01

We describe a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) differential interface circuit for capacitive Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) pressure sensors that is functional over a wide temperature range between −55 °C and 225 °C. The circuit is implemented using IBM 0.13 μm CMOS technology with 2.5 V power supply. A constant-gm biasing technique is used to mitigate performance degradation at high temperatures. The circuit offers the flexibility to interface with MEMS sensors with a wide range of the steady-state capacitance values from 0.5 pF to 10 pF. Simulation results show that the circuitry has excellent linearity and stability over the wide temperature range. Experimental results confirm that the temperature effects on the circuitry are small, with an overall linearity error around 2%. PMID:25686312

A New Multifunctional Sensor for Measuring Oil/Water Two-phase State in Pipelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jinwei; Shida, Katsunori

2001-03-01

This paper presents a non-contact U form multi-functional sensor for the oil pipeline flow measurement. Totally four thin and narrow copper plates are twined on both sides of the sensor, from which two variables (capacitance, self inductance) are to be examined as the two functional outputs of the sensor. Thus, the liquid concentration (oil and water), temperature are finally evaluated. The flow velocity inside the pipeline could also be estimated by computing the cross correlation of the capacitance-pair. To restrain the effects of parasitic parameters and improve the dynamic response of the sensor, a proper shielding strategy is considered. A suitable algorithm for data reconstruction is also presented in the system design.

A T-Type Capacitive Sensor Capable of Measuring 5-DOF Error Motions of Precision Spindles

PubMed Central

Xiang, Kui; Qiu, Rongbo; Mei, Deqing; Chen, Zichen

2017-01-01

The precision spindle is a core component of high-precision machine tools, and the accurate measurement of its error motions is important for improving its rotation accuracy as well as the work performance of the machine. This paper presents a T-type capacitive sensor (T-type CS) with an integrated structure. The proposed sensor can measure the 5-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) error motions of a spindle in-situ and simultaneously by integrating electrode groups in the cylindrical bore of the stator and the outer end face of its flange, respectively. Simulation analysis and experimental results show that the sensing electrode groups with differential measurement configuration have near-linear output for the different types of rotor displacements. What’s more, the additional capacitance generated by fringe effects has been reduced about 90% with the sensing electrode groups fabricated based on flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and related processing technologies. The improved signal processing circuit has also been increased one times in the measuring performance and makes the measured differential output capacitance up to 93% of the theoretical values. PMID:28846631

Experimental Study of the Detection Limit in Dual-Gate Biosensors Using Ultrathin Silicon Transistors.

PubMed

Wu, Ting; Alharbi, Abdullah; You, Kai-Dyi; Kisslinger, Kim; Stach, Eric A; Shahrjerdi, Davood

2017-07-25

Dual-gate field-effect biosensors (bioFETs) with asymmetric gate capacitances were shown to surpass the Nernst limit of 59 mV/pH. However, previous studies have conflicting findings on the effect of the capacitive amplification scheme on the sensor detection limit, which is inversely proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here, we present a systematic experimental investigation of the SNR using ultrathin silicon transistors. Our sensors operate at low voltage and feature asymmetric front and back oxide capacitances with asymmetry factors of 1.4 and 2.3. We demonstrate that in the dual-gate configuration, the response of our bioFETs to the pH change increases proportional to the asymmetry factor and indeed exceeds the Nernst limit. Further, our results reveal that the noise amplitude also increases in proportion to the asymmetry factor. We establish that the commensurate increase of the noise amplitude originates from the intrinsic low-frequency characteristic of the sensor noise, dominated by number fluctuation. These findings suggest that this capacitive signal amplification scheme does not improve the intrinsic detection limit of the dual-gate biosensors.

Demonstration of a Packaged Capacitive Pressure Sensor System Suitable for Jet Turbofan Engine Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Jordan, Jennifer L.; Meredith, Roger D.; Harsh, Kevin; Pilant, Evan; Usrey, Michael W.; Beheim, Glenn M.; Hunter, Gary W.; Zorman, Christian A.

2016-01-01

In this paper, the development and characterization of a packaged pressure sensor system suitable for jet engine health monitoring is demonstrated. The sensing system operates from 97 to 117 MHz over a pressure range from 0 to 350 psi and a temperature range from 25 to 500 deg. The sensing system consists of a Clapp-type oscillator that is fabricated on an alumina substrate and is comprised of a Cree SiC MESFET, MIM capacitors, a wire-wound inductor, chip resistors and a SiCN capacitive pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is located in the LC tank circuit of the oscillator so that a change in pressure causes a change in capacitance, thus changing the resonant frequency of the sensing system. The chip resistors, wire-wound inductors and MIM capacitors have all been characterized at temperature and operational frequency, and perform with less than 5% variance in electrical performance. The measured capacitive pressure sensing system agrees very well with simulated results. The packaged pressure sensing system is specifically designed to measure the pressure on a jet turbofan engine. The packaged system can be installed by way of borescope plug adaptor fitted to a borescope port exposed to the gas path of a turbofan engine.

A Self-Powered and Autonomous Fringing Field Capacitive Sensor Integrated into a Micro Sprinkler Spinner to Measure Soil Water Content

PubMed Central

da Costa, Eduardo Ferreira; de Oliveira, Nestor E.; Morais, Flávio J. O.; Carvalhaes-Dias, Pedro; Duarte, Luis Fernando C.; Cabot, Andreu; Siqueira Dias, J. A.

2017-01-01

We present here the design and fabrication of a self-powered and autonomous fringing field capacitive sensor to measure soil water content. The sensor is manufactured using a conventional printed circuit board and includes a porous ceramic. To read the sensor, we use a circuit that includes a 10 kHz triangle wave generator, an AC amplifier, a precision rectifier and a microcontroller. In terms of performance, the sensor’s capacitance (measured in a laboratory prototype) increases up to 5% when the volumetric water content of the porous ceramic changed from 3% to 36%, resulting in a sensitivity of S=15.5 pF per unity change. Repeatability tests for capacitance measurement showed that the θv sensor’s root mean square error is 0.13%. The average current consumption of the system (sensor and signal conditioning circuit) is less than 1.5 μA, which demonstrates its suitability for being powered by energy harvesting systems. We developed a complete irrigation control system that integrates the sensor, an energy harvesting module composed of a microgenerator installed on the top of a micro sprinkler spinner, and a DC/DC converter circuit that charges a 1 F supercapacitor. The energy harvesting module operates only when the micro sprinkler spinner is irrigating the soil, and the supercapacitor is fully charged to 5 V in about 3 h during the first irrigation. After the first irrigation, with the supercap fully charged, the system can operate powered only by the supercapacitor for approximately 23 days, without any energy being harvested. PMID:28287495

Programmable differential capacitance-to-voltage converter for MEMS accelerometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royo, G.; Sánchez-Azqueta, C.; Gimeno, C.; Aldea, C.; Celma, S.

2017-05-01

Capacitive MEMS sensors exhibit an excellent noise performance, high sensitivity and low power consumption. They offer a huge range of applications, being the accelerometer one of its main uses. In this work, we present the design of a capacitance-to-voltage converter in CMOS technology to measure the acceleration from the capacitance variations. It is based on a low-power, fully-differential transimpedance amplifier with low input impedance and a very low input noise.

Fabrication and characterization of polyaniline/PVA humidity microsensors.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang; Lin, Wei-Yi

2011-01-01

This study presents the fabrication and characterization of a humidity microsensor that consists of interdigitated electrodes and a sensitive film. The area of the humidity microsensor is about 2 mm(2). The sensitive film is polyaniline doping polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that is prepared by the sol-gel method, and the film has nanofiber and porous structures that help increase the sensing reaction. The commercial 0.35 μm Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process is used to fabricate the humidity microsensor. The sensor needs a post-CMOS process to etch the sacrificial layer and to coat the sensitive film on the interdigitated electrodes. The sensor produces a change in resistance as the polyaniline/PVA film absorbs or desorbs vapor. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the humidity sensor is about 12.6 kΩ/%RH at 25 °C.

A novel capacitance sensor for fireside corrosion measurement.

PubMed

Ban, Heng; Li, Zuoping

2009-11-01

Fireside corrosion in coal-fired power plants is a leading mechanism for boiler tube failures. Online monitoring of fireside corrosion can provide timely data to plant operators for mitigation implementation. This paper presents a novel sensor concept for measuring metal loss based on electrical capacitance. Laboratory-scale experiments demonstrated the feasibility of design, fabrication, and operation of the sensor. The fabrication of the prototype sensor involved sputtering deposition of a thin metal coating with varying thickness on a ceramic substrate. Corrosion metal loss resulted in a proportional decrease in electrical capacitance of the sensor. Laboratory experiments using a muffle furnace with an oxidation environment demonstrated that low carbon steel coatings on ceramic substrate survived cyclic temperatures over 500 degrees C. Measured corrosion rates of sputtered coating in air had an Arrhenius exponential dependence on temperature, with metal thickness loss ranging from 2.0 nm/h at 200 degrees C to 2.0 microm/h at 400 degrees C. Uncertainty analysis indicated that the overall measurement uncertainty was within 4%. The experimental system showed high signal-to-noise ratio, and the sensor could measure submicrometer metal thickness changes. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sensor concept and measurement system are capable of short term, online monitoring of metal loss, indicating the potential for the sensor to be used for fireside corrosion monitoring and other metal loss measurement.

A novel capacitance sensor for fireside corrosion measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ban, Heng; Li, Zuoping

2009-11-01

Fireside corrosion in coal-fired power plants is a leading mechanism for boiler tube failures. Online monitoring of fireside corrosion can provide timely data to plant operators for mitigation implementation. This paper presents a novel sensor concept for measuring metal loss based on electrical capacitance. Laboratory-scale experiments demonstrated the feasibility of design, fabrication, and operation of the sensor. The fabrication of the prototype sensor involved sputtering deposition of a thin metal coating with varying thickness on a ceramic substrate. Corrosion metal loss resulted in a proportional decrease in electrical capacitance of the sensor. Laboratory experiments using a muffle furnace with an oxidation environment demonstrated that low carbon steel coatings on ceramic substrate survived cyclic temperatures over 500 °C. Measured corrosion rates of sputtered coating in air had an Arrhenius exponential dependence on temperature, with metal thickness loss ranging from 2.0 nm/h at 200 °C to 2.0 μm/h at 400 °C. Uncertainty analysis indicated that the overall measurement uncertainty was within 4%. The experimental system showed high signal-to-noise ratio, and the sensor could measure submicrometer metal thickness changes. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sensor concept and measurement system are capable of short term, online monitoring of metal loss, indicating the potential for the sensor to be used for fireside corrosion monitoring and other metal loss measurement.

Optical fiber sensors for breathing diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Q.; Claus, Richard O.; Mecham, Jeffrey B.; Vercellino, M.; Arregui, Francisco J.; Matias, Ignacio R.

2002-03-01

We report the application of an optical fiber-based humidity sensor to the problem of breathing diagnostics. The sensor is fabricated by molecularly self-assembling selected polymers and functionalized inorganic nanoclusters into multilayered optical thin films on the cleaved and polished flat end of a singlemode optical fiber. Prior work has studied the synthesis process and the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the change in optical reflection from the film that occurs as a function of humidity. We will briefly review that prior work as a way to introduce more recent developments. This paper will then discuss the application of these sensors to the analysis of air flow. We have designed the sensor thin film materials for the detection of relative humidity over a wide range, from approximately 10 to 95%, and for response times as short as several tens of milliseconds. This very fast response time allows the near real-time analysis of air flow and humidity during a single breath, with the advantage of very small size.

Elimination of Drifts in Long-Duration Monitoring for Apnea-Hypopnea of Human Respiration.

PubMed

Jiang, Peng; Zhu, Rong

2016-10-25

This paper reports a methodology to eliminate an uncertain baseline drift in respiratory monitoring using a thermal airflow sensor exposed in a high humidity environment. Human respiratory airflow usually contains a large amount of moisture (relative humidity, RH > 85%). Water vapors in breathing air condense gradually on the surface of the sensor so as to form a thin water film that leads to a significant sensor drift in long-duration respiratory monitoring. The water film is formed by a combination of condensation and evaporation, and therefore the behavior of the humidity drift is complicated. Fortunately, the exhale and inhale responses of the sensor exhibit distinguishing features that are different from the humidity drift. Using a wavelet analysis method, we removed the baseline drift of the sensor and successfully recovered the respiratory waveform. Finally, we extracted apnea-hypopnea events from the respiratory signals monitored in whole-night sleeps of patients and compared them with golden standard polysomnography (PSG) results.

Elimination of Drifts in Long-Duration Monitoring for Apnea-Hypopnea of Human Respiration

PubMed Central

Jiang, Peng; Zhu, Rong

2016-01-01

This paper reports a methodology to eliminate an uncertain baseline drift in respiratory monitoring using a thermal airflow sensor exposed in a high humidity environment. Human respiratory airflow usually contains a large amount of moisture (relative humidity, RH > 85%). Water vapors in breathing air condense gradually on the surface of the sensor so as to form a thin water film that leads to a significant sensor drift in long-duration respiratory monitoring. The water film is formed by a combination of condensation and evaporation, and therefore the behavior of the humidity drift is complicated. Fortunately, the exhale and inhale responses of the sensor exhibit distinguishing features that are different from the humidity drift. Using a wavelet analysis method, we removed the baseline drift of the sensor and successfully recovered the respiratory waveform. Finally, we extracted apnea-hypopnea events from the respiratory signals monitored in whole-night sleeps of patients and compared them with golden standard polysomnography (PSG) results. PMID:27792151

A Sensor Based on LiCl/NaA Zeolite Composites for Effective Humidity Sensing.

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Xiang, Hongyu; Sun, Liang; Xie, Qiuhong; Liu, Man; Chen, Yu; Ruan, Shengping

2018-03-01

LiCl/NaA zeolite composites were successfully prepared by doping 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 5 wt%, and 8 wt% of LiCl into NaA zeolite. The humidity sensing properties of LiCl/NaA composites were investigated among 11% 95% relative humidity (RH). The LiCl/NaA composites exhibited better humidity sensing properties than pure NaA zeolite. The sensor made by 2 wt% Li-doped NaA zeolite possesses the best linearly in the whole RH. These results demonstrate that the LiCl/NaA composites have the potential application in humidity sensing.

Nano-enabled paper humidity sensor for mobile based point-of-care lung function monitoring.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Mitradip; Nemade, Harshal B; Bandyopadhyay, Dipankar

2017-08-15

The frequency of breathing and peak flow rate of exhaled air are necessary parameters to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs) such as asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. We developed a lung function monitoring point-of-care-testing device (LFM-POCT) consisting of mouthpiece, paper-based humidity sensor, micro-heater, and real-time monitoring unit. Fabrication of a mouthpiece of optimal length ensured that the exhaled air was focused on the humidity-sensor. The resistive relative humidity sensor was developed using a filter paper coated with nanoparticles, which could easily follow the frequency and peak flow rate of the human breathing. Adsorption followed by condensation of the water molecules of the humid air on the paper-sensor during the forced exhalation reduced the electrical resistance of the sensor, which was converted to an electrical signal for sensing. A micro-heater composed of a copper-coil embedded in a polymer matrix helped in maintaining an optimal temperature on the sensor surface. Thus, water condensed on the sensor surface only during forcible breathing and the sensor recovered rapidly after the exhalation was complete by rapid desorption of water molecules from the sensor surface. Two types of real-time monitoring units were integrated into the device based on light emitting diodes (LEDs) and smart phones. The LED based unit displayed the diseased, critical, and fit conditions of the lungs by flashing LEDs of different colors. In comparison, for the mobile based monitoring unit, an application was developed employing an open source software, which established a wireless connectivity with the LFM-POCT device to perform the tests. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On Machine Capacitance Dimensional and Surface Profile Measurement System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resnick, Ralph

1993-01-01

A program was awarded under the Air Force Machine Tool Sensor Improvements Program Research and Development Announcement to develop and demonstrate the use of a Capacitance Sensor System including Capacitive Non-Contact Analog Probe and a Capacitive Array Dimensional Measurement System to check the dimensions of complex shapes and contours on a machine tool or in an automated inspection cell. The manufacturing of complex shapes and contours and the subsequent verification of those manufactured shapes is fundamental and widespread throughout industry. The critical profile of a gear tooth; the overall shape of a graphite EDM electrode; the contour of a turbine blade in a jet engine; and countless other components in varied applications possess complex shapes that require detailed and complex inspection procedures. Current inspection methods for complex shapes and contours are expensive, time-consuming, and labor intensive.

Optical fiber sensor for breathing diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claus, Richard O.; Distler, T.; Mecham, J. B.; Davis, B.; Arregui, F. J.; Matias, I. R.

2004-06-01

We report improvements of an optical fiber-based humidity sensor to the problem of breathing diagnostics. The sensor is fabricated by molecularly self-assembling selected polymers and functionalized inorganic nanoclusters into multilayered optical thin films on the cleaved and polished flat end of a singlemode optical fiber. Recent work has studied the synthesis process and the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the change in optical reflection from such a multicomponent film that occurs as a function of humidity and various chemicals. We briefly review that prior work as a way to introduce more recent developments. The paper then discusses the application of these humidity sensors to the analysis of air flow associated with breathing [1]. We have designed the sensor thin film materials to enable the detection of relative humidity over a wide range, from approximately 5 to 95%, and for response times as short as several microseconds. This fast response time allows the near real-time analysis of air flow and water vapor transport during a single breath, with the advantage of very small size. The use of multiple sensors spaced a known distance apart allows the measurement of flow velocity, and recent work indicates a variation in sensor response versus coating thickness.

Optical fiber sensors based on novel polyimide for humidity monitoring of building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Jing; Liu, Qi; Liu, Jinxuan; Zhang, Dingding

2018-03-01

This paper presents novel preparation methods of polyimide and coupling agent, coated on the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for monitoring relative humidity (RH). The sensing mechanism that the volume change of the moisture-sensitive polyimide induces the shift of the Bragg wavelength of FBG is used in the RH sensor. The performance of the polymer-coated RH sensor was evaluated under laboratory conditions of temperature over a range of values (20.0-80.0 °C) and humidity over a range of RH values (25.0-95.0%). The time response and RH sensitivity of the sensor based on novel polyimide and coupling agent was improved, compared to the previous. A new packaged RH sensor was designed, which was used in detecting the moisture diffusion and evolutions inside of sample made of building materials which exposed to a controlled environment in the lab after casting. Relative humidity inside of sample with time was 100% in the first phase of vapor-saturated, slowly reduced in the latter phase. The results indicate the RH sensor developed provides a feasible method to detect the influence of environment on moisture inside the material in the drying process.

Piezoelectric Active Humidity Sensors Based on Lead-Free NaNbO₃ Piezoelectric Nanofibers.

PubMed

Gu, Li; Zhou, Di; Cao, Jun Cheng

2016-06-07

The development of micro-/nano-scaled energy harvesters and the self-powered sensor system has attracted great attention due to the miniaturization and integration of the micro-device. In this work, lead-free NaNbO₃ piezoelectric nanofibers with a monoclinic perovskite structure were synthesized by the far-field electrospinning method. The flexible active humidity sensors were fabricated by transferring the nanofibers from silicon to a soft polymer substrate. The sensors exhibited outstanding piezoelectric energy-harvesting performance with output voltage up to 2 V during the vibration process. The output voltage generated by the NaNbO₃ sensors exhibited a negative correlation with the environmental humidity varying from 5% to 80%, where the peak-to-peak value of the output voltage generated by the sensors decreased from 0.40 to 0.07 V. The sensor also exhibited a short response time, good selectively against ethanol steam, and great temperature stability. The piezoelectric active humidity sensing property could be attributed to the increased leakage current in the NaNbO₃ nanofibers, which was generated due to proton hopping among the H₃O⁺ groups in the absorbed H₂O layers under the driving force of the piezoelectric potential.

Temperature and Humidity Calibration of a Low-Cost Wireless Dust Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring.

PubMed

Hojaiji, Hannaneh; Kalantarian, Haik; Bui, Alex A T; King, Christine E; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2017-03-01

This paper introduces the design, calibration, and validation of a low-cost portable sensor for the real-time measurement of dust particles within the environment. The proposed design consists of low hardware cost and calibration based on temperature and humidity sensing to achieve accurate processing of airborne dust density. Using commercial particulate matter sensors, a highly accurate air quality monitoring sensor was designed and calibrated using real world variations in humidity and temperature for indoor and outdoor applications. Furthermore, to provide a low-cost secure solution for real-time data transfer and monitoring, an onboard Bluetooth module with AES data encryption protocol was implemented. The wireless sensor was tested against a Dylos DC1100 Pro Air Quality Monitor, as well as an Alphasense OPC-N2 optical air quality monitoring sensor for accuracy. The sensor was also tested for reliability by comparing the sensor to an exact copy of itself under indoor and outdoor conditions. It was found that accurate measurements under real-world humid and temperature varying and dynamically changing conditions were achievable using the proposed sensor when compared to the commercially available sensors. In addition to accurate and reliable sensing, this sensor was designed to be wearable and perform real-time data collection and transmission, making it easy to collect and analyze data for air quality monitoring and real-time feedback in remote health monitoring applications. Thus, the proposed device achieves high quality measurements at lower-cost solutions than commercially available wireless sensors for air quality.

Remote query measurement of pressure, fluid-flow velocity, and humidity using magnetoelastic thick-film sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimes, C. A.; Kouzoudis, D.

2000-01-01

Free-standing magnetoelastic thick-film sensors have a characteristic resonant frequency that can be determined by monitoring the magnetic flux emitted from the sensor in response to a time varying magnetic field. This property allows the sensors to be monitored remotely without the use of direct physical connections, such as wires, enabling measurement of environmental parameters from within sealed, opaque containers. In this work, we report on application of magnetoelastic sensors to measurement of atmospheric pressure, fluid-flow velocity, temperature, and mass load. Mass loading effects are demonstrated by fabrication of a remote query humidity sensor, made by coating the magnetoelastic thick film with a thin layer of solgel deposited Al2O3 that reversibly changes mass in response to humidity. c2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Humidity sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide coating films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saidi, S. A.; Mamat, M. H.; Ismail, A. S.; Malek, M. F.; Yusoff, M. M.; Sin, N. D. Md.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Humidity sensor was fabricated using Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) coating films through spin-coating at room temperature. The sensing mechanism was discussed based on their nanostructures, such as surface area and porous nanostructures. Surface area and water adsorption are an important component in the low humidity, while at high humidity, porous nanostructures and capillary condensation become important. The results showed that the sensitivity of the Al-doped ZnO coating improved compared to that of the Al-doped ZnO nanorod arrays, with values of 7.38 at 40% to 90%RH (Relative humidity). All these results indicated that Al-doped ZnO coating had high potential for humidity-sensor applications.

Effects of Humidity and Temperature on Orange Dye-Based Organic Field Effect Transistors Fabricated at Different Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatima, N.; Ahmed, M. M.; Karimov, Kh. S.

2017-11-01

This study reports the fabrication of organic field effect transistors (OFETs) using 3-[ethyl[4-[(4-nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl]amino]propanenitrile, usually known as Orange-Dye 25 (OD) and its composite with sugar. The study investigated the heat- and humidity-dependent electrical characteristics of the fabricated devices. Fabrication was carried out from the aqueous solution of the materials using different gravity conditions, i.e., at positive (normal) gravity (+1 g) and at negative gravity (-1 g). A thin layer (10-15 μm) of OD or OD:sugar was deposited by drop-casting on pre-fabricated drain and source silver (Ag) electrodes having 30 μm separation and 2 mm length followed by aluminum (Al) thermal evaporation to achieve a Schottky barrier. Devices fabricated using OD at -1 g were more sensitive in capacitance-temperature and impedance-humidity relationships than those fabricated at +1 g. Moreover, OFETs fabricated at -1 g using OD:sugar offered capacitance-temperature sensitivity much higher than the devices fabricated at +1 g. It has been observed that, in the drop-casting method, the properties of OFETs are dependent upon gravity as well as the solution composition employed for channel definition.

Graphene-Based Three-Dimensional Capacitive Touch Sensor for Wearable Electronics.

PubMed

Kang, Minpyo; Kim, Jejung; Jang, Bongkyun; Chae, Youngcheol; Kim, Jae-Hyun; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

2017-08-22

The development of input device technology in a conformal and stretchable format is important for the advancement of various wearable electronics. Herein, we report a capacitive touch sensor with good sensing capabilities in both contact and noncontact modes, enabled by the use of graphene and a thin device geometry. This device can be integrated with highly deformable areas of the human body, such as the forearms and palms. This touch sensor detects multiple touch signals in acute recordings and recognizes the distance and shape of the approaching objects before direct contact is made. This technology offers a convenient and immersive human-machine interface and additional potential utility as a multifunctional sensor for emerging wearable electronics and robotics.

Influence of the internal wall thickness of electrical capacitance tomography sensors on image quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Shiguo; Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Wu, Meng; Yang, Wuqiang

2018-03-01

In the design of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensors, the internal wall thickness can vary with specific applications, and it is a key factor that influences the sensitivity distribution and image quality. This paper will discuss the effect of the wall thickness of ECT sensors on image quality. Three flow patterns are simulated for wall thicknesses of 2.5 mm to 15 mm on eight-electrode ECT sensors. The sensitivity distributions and potential distributions are compared for different wall thicknesses. Linear back-projection and Landweber iteration algorithms are used for image reconstruction. Relative image error and correlation coefficients are used for image evaluation using both simulation and experimental data.

Analysis of building envelope insulation performance utilizing integrated temperature and humidity sensors.

PubMed

Hung, San-Shan; Chang, Chih-Yuan; Hsu, Cheng-Jui; Chen, Shih-Wei

2012-01-01

A major cause of high energy consumption for air conditioning in indoor spaces is the thermal storage characteristics of a building's envelope concrete material; therefore, the physiological signals (temperature and humidity) within concrete structures are an important reference for building energy management. The current approach to measuring temperature and humidity within concrete structures (i.e., thermocouples and fiber optics) is limited by problems of wiring requirements, discontinuous monitoring, and high costs. This study uses radio frequency integrated circuits (RFIC) combined with temperature and humidity sensors (T/H sensors) for the design of a smart temperature and humidity information material (STHIM) that automatically, regularly, and continuously converts temperature and humidity signals within concrete and transmits them by radio frequency (RF) to the Building Physiology Information System (BPIS). This provides a new approach to measurement that incorporates direct measurement, wireless communication, and real-time continuous monitoring to assist building designers and users in making energy management decisions and judgments.

Artificial Fruit: Postharvest Online Monitoring of Agricultural Food by Measuring Humidity and Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hübert, T.; Lang, C.

2012-09-01

An online monitoring of environmental and inherent product parameters is required during transportation and storage of fruit and vegetables to avoid quality degradation and spoilage. The control of transpiration losses is suggested as an indicator for fruit freshness by humidity measurements. For that purpose, an electronic sensor is surrounded by a wet porous fiber material which is in contact with the outer atmosphere. Transpiration reduces the water content of the porous material and thus also the internal water activity. The sensor system, known as "artificial fruit," measures the relative humidity and temperature inside the wet material. Humidity and temperature data are collected and transmitted on demand by a miniaturized radio communication unit. The decrease in the measured relative humidity has been calibrated against the mass loss of tomatoes under different external influencing parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air flow. Current battery life allows the sensor system, embedded in a fruit crate, to transmit data on transpiration losses via radio transmission for up to two weeks.

Metal organic frameworks enhanced graphene oxide electrode for humidity sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wen; Meng, Siyu; Wang, Hui; He, Yongning

2018-03-01

Copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC), a typical metal organic framework, is deposited on the graphene oxide (GO) film to prepare a resistance humidity sensor (Cu- BTC/GO) for improving humidity sensing. The characteristics of Cu-BTC, GO and Cu- BTC/GO were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen isotherm adsorption and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The humidity sensing properties of the Cu-BTC/GO were investigated in detail. The obtained Cu-BTC/GO demonstrates good sensitivity and repeatability over 11%-85% relative humidity (RH) measurements. The Cu-BTC/GO coated device shows high normalized response (S) value (6200%), which is much higher than that of pure GO coated device. Sensing mechanism of Cu- BTC/GO is discussed based on different RH and the results indicate that moderate amounts of Cu-BTC deposition can enhance sensing abilities of GO. High specific surface area and interfacial conductivity are crucial factors to fabricate humidity sensors with high performance.

Analysis of Building Envelope Insulation Performance Utilizing Integrated Temperature and Humidity Sensors

PubMed Central

Hung, San-Shan; Chang, Chih-Yuan; Hsu, Cheng-Jui; Chen, Shih-Wei

2012-01-01

A major cause of high energy consumption for air conditioning in indoor spaces is the thermal storage characteristics of a building's envelope concrete material; therefore, the physiological signals (temperature and humidity) within concrete structures are an important reference for building energy management. The current approach to measuring temperature and humidity within concrete structures (i.e., thermocouples and fiber optics) is limited by problems of wiring requirements, discontinuous monitoring, and high costs. This study uses radio frequency integrated circuits (RFIC) combined with temperature and humidity sensors (T/H sensors) for the design of a smart temperature and humidity information material (STHIM) that automatically, regularly, and continuously converts temperature and humidity signals within concrete and transmits them by radio frequency (RF) to the Building Physiology Information System (BPIS). This provides a new approach to measurement that incorporates direct measurement, wireless communication, and real-time continuous monitoring to assist building designers and users in making energy management decisions and judgments. PMID:23012529

A Magnetic Field Response Recorder: A New Tool for Measurement Acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2006-01-01

A magnetic field response recorder was developed to facilitate a measurement acquisition method that uses magnetic fields to power and to interrogate all sensors. Sensors are designed as electrically passive inductive-capacitive or passive inductive-capacitive-resistive circuits that produce magnetic field responses when electrically activated by oscillating magnetic fields. When electrically activated, the sensor's magnetic field response attributes (frequency, amplitude and bandwidth) correspond to the one or more physical states that each sensor measures. The response recorder makes it possible to simultaneously measure two unrelated physical properties using this class of sensors. The recorder is programmable allowing it to analyze one or more response attributes simultaneously. A single sensor design will be used to demonstrate that the acquisition method and the sensor example can be used to for all phases of a component's life from manufacturing to damage that can destroy it.

Capacitive Extensometer Particularly Suited for Measuring in Vivo Bone Strain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perusek, Gail P. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

The present invention provides for in vivo measurements of the principal strain magnitudes and directions, and maximum shear strain that occurs in a material, such as human bone, when it is loaded (or subjected to a load). In one embodiment the invention includes a capacitive delta extensometer arranged with six sensors in a three piece configuration, with each sensor of each pair spaced apart from each other by 120 degrees.

Study on silver doped and undoped ZnO thin films working as capacitive sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiran, S.; Kumar, N. Santhosh; Kumar, S. K. Naveen

2013-06-01

Nanomaterials have been found to exhibit interesting properties like good conductivity, piezoelectricity, high band gap etc. among those metal oxide family, Zinc Oxide has become a material of interest among scientific community. In this paper, we present a method of fabricating capacitive sensors, in which Silver doped ZnO and pure ZnO nanoparticles act as active layer. For the synthesis of the nanoparticle, we followed biosynthesis method and wet chemical method for Ag and Ag doped ZnO nanoparticles respectively. Characterization has been done for both the particles. The XRD pattern taken for the Ag Doped ZnO nanoparticles confirmed the average size of the particles to be 15nm. AFM image of the sample is taken by doping on Silicon wafer. Also we have presented the results of CV characteristics and IV characteristics of the capacitive sensor.

Charge pumping with finger capacitance for body sensor energy harvesting.

PubMed

Zhou, Alyssa Y; Maharbiz, Michel M

2017-07-01

Sensors are becoming ubiquitous and increasingly integrated with and on the human body; powering such "body network" devices remains an outstanding problem. In this paper, we demonstrate a touch interrogation powered energy harvesting system. This system transforms the kinetic energy of a human finger to electric energy, with each tap producing approximately 1 nJ of energy at a storage capacitor. As is well known for touch display devices, the proximity of a finger can alter the effective value of small capacitances; we demonstrate that these capacitance changes can drive a current which is rectified to charge a capacitor. As a demonstration, an untethered circuit charged this way can deliver enough instantaneous power to light a red LED every ~ 10 seconds. This technology illustrates the ability to communicate with and operate low-power sensors with motions already used for interfacing to devices.

Two-Dimensional Micro-/Nanoradian Angle Generator with High Resolution and Repeatability Based on Piezo-Driven Double-Axis Flexure Hinge and Three Capacitive Sensors.

PubMed

Tan, Xinran; Zhu, Fan; Wang, Chao; Yu, Yang; Shi, Jian; Qi, Xue; Yuan, Feng; Tan, Jiubin

2017-11-19

This study presents a two-dimensional micro-/nanoradian angle generator (2D-MNAG) that achieves high angular displacement resolution and repeatability using a piezo-driven flexure hinge for two-dimensional deflections and three capacitive sensors for output angle monitoring and feedback control. The principal error of the capacitive sensor for precision microangle measurement is analyzed and compensated for; so as to achieve a high angle output resolution of 10 nrad (0.002 arcsec) and positioning repeatability of 120 nrad (0.024 arcsec) over a large angular range of ±4363 μrad (±900 arcsec) for the 2D-MNAG. The impact of each error component, together with the synthetic error of the 2D-MNAG after principal error compensation are determined using Monte Carlo simulation for further improvement of the 2D-MNAG.

Development of AC-coupled, poly-silicon biased, p-on-n silicon strip detectors in India for HEP experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Geetika; Dalal, Ranjeet; Bhardwaj, Ashutosh; Ranjan, Kirti; Dierlamm, Alexander; Hartmann, Frank; Eber, Robert; Demarteau, Marcel

2018-02-01

P-on-n silicon strip sensors having multiple guard-ring structures have been developed for High Energy Physics applications. The study constitutes the optimization of the sensor design, and fabrication of AC-coupled, poly-silicon biased sensors of strip width of 30 μm and strip pitch of 55 μm. The silicon wafers used for the fabrication are of 4 inch n-type, having an average resistivity of 2-5 k Ω cm, with a thickness of 300 μm. The electrical characterization of these detectors comprises of: (a) global measurements of total leakage current, and backplane capacitance; (b) strip and voltage scans of strip leakage current, poly-silicon resistance, interstrip capacitance, interstrip resistance, coupling capacitance, and dielectric current; and (c) charge collection measurements using ALiBaVa setup. The results of the same are reported here.

Two-Dimensional Micro-/Nanoradian Angle Generator with High Resolution and Repeatability Based on Piezo-Driven Double-Axis Flexure Hinge and Three Capacitive Sensors

PubMed Central

Tan, Xinran; Zhu, Fan; Wang, Chao; Yu, Yang; Shi, Jian; Qi, Xue; Yuan, Feng; Tan, Jiubin

2017-01-01

This study presents a two-dimensional micro-/nanoradian angle generator (2D-MNAG) that achieves high angular displacement resolution and repeatability using a piezo-driven flexure hinge for two-dimensional deflections and three capacitive sensors for output angle monitoring and feedback control. The principal error of the capacitive sensor for precision microangle measurement is analyzed and compensated for; so as to achieve a high angle output resolution of 10 nrad (0.002 arcsec) and positioning repeatability of 120 nrad (0.024 arcsec) over a large angular range of ±4363 μrad (±900 arcsec) for the 2D-MNAG. The impact of each error component, together with the synthetic error of the 2D-MNAG after principal error compensation are determined using Monte Carlo simulation for further improvement of the 2D-MNAG. PMID:29156595

Electrochemical Measurement of Atmospheric Corrosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeArmond, Anna H.; Davis, Dennis D.; Beeson, Harold D.

1999-01-01

Corrosion of Shuttle thruster components in atmospheres containing high concentrations of nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and water is an important issue in ground operations of bipropellant systems in humid locations. Measurements of the corrosivities of NTO-containing atmospheres and the responses of different materials to these atmospheres have been accomplished using an electrochemical sensor. The sensor is composed of alternating aluminum/titanium strips separated by thin insulating layers. Under high humidity conditions a thin film of water covers the surface of the sensor. Added NTO vapor reacts with the water film to form a conductive medium and establishes a galvanic cell. The current from this cell can be integrated with respect to time and related to the corrosion activity. The surface layer formed from humid air/NTO reacts in the same way as an aqueous solution of nitric acid. Nitric acid is generally considered an important agent in NTO corrosion situations. The aluminum/titanium sensor is unresponsive to dry air, responds slightly to humid air (> 75% RH), and responds strongly to the combination of humid air and NTO. The sensor response is a power function (n = 2) of the NTO concentration. The sensor does not respond to NTO in dry air. The response of other materials in this type of sensor is related to position of the material in a galvanic series in aqueous nitric acid. The concept and operation of this electrochemical corrosion measurement is being applied to other corrosive atmospheric contaminants such as hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide, and acidic aerosols.

Theory and Practice of Shear/Stress Strain Gage Hygrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shams, Qamar A.; Fenner, Ralph L.

2006-01-01

Mechanical hygrometry has progressed during the last several decades from crude hygroscopes to state-of-the art strain-gage sensors. The strain-gage devices vary from different metallic beams to strain-gage sensors using cellulose crystallite elements, held in full shear restraint. This old technique is still in use but several companies are now actively pursuing development of MEMS miniaturized humidity sensors. These new sensors use polyimide thin film for water vapor adsorption and desorption. This paper will provide overview about modern humidity sensors.

High-Sensitivity Encoder-Like Micro Area-Changed Capacitive Transducer for a Nano-g Micro Accelerometer

PubMed Central

Zheng, Panpan; Liu, Jinquan; Li, Zhu; Liu, Huafeng

2017-01-01

Encoder-like micro area-changed capacitive transducers are advantageous in terms of their better linearity and larger dynamic range compared to gap-changed capacitive transducers. Such transducers have been widely applied in rectilinear and rotational position sensors, lab-on-a-chip applications and bio-sensors. However, a complete model accounting for both the parasitic capacitance and fringe effect in area-changed capacitive transducers has not yet been developed. This paper presents a complete model for this type of transducer applied to a high-resolution micro accelerometer that was verified by both simulations and experiments. A novel optimization method involving the insertion of photosensitive polyimide was used to reduce the parasitic capacitance, and the capacitor spacing was decreased to overcome the fringe effect. The sensitivity of the optimized transducer was approximately 46 pF/mm, which was nearly 40 times higher than that of our previous transducer. The displacement detection resolution was measured as 50 pm/√Hz at 0.1 Hz using a precise capacitance detection circuit. Then, the transducer was applied to a sandwich in-plane micro accelerometer, and the measured level of the accelerometer was approximately 30 ng/√Hz at 1Hz. The earthquake that occurred in Taiwan was also detected during a continuous gravity measurement. PMID:28930176

Reduced graphene oxide-rose bengal hybrid film for improved ammonia detection with low humidity interference at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midya, Anupam; Ghosh, Ruma; Santra, Sumita; Ray, Samit K.; Guha, Prasanta K.

2016-02-01

Development of chemoresistive ammonia sensor that does not suffer with humidity interference is highly desirable for practical environmental monitoring systems. We report enhanced ammonia sensing using chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and rose bengal (RB) nanocomposite fabricated in a very simple and cost effective manner. The RGO-RB nanocomposites were synthesized using three different concentrations (2 mg mL-1, 5 mg mL-1 and 10 mg mL-1) of RB keeping the RGO concentration same. Ammonia and humidity sensing of these three different composites were explored. Interestingly, it was observed that with increasing concentration of RB, the sensitivity of the sensor towards ammonia was increased but the sensitivity towards humidity was decreased. The response of the nanocomposites varied from ˜9-45% against 400-2800 ppm of ammonia whereas intrinsic RGO showed a response of merely 17% against 2800 ppm of ammonia. On the other hand the response of the nanocomposite based sensor was reduced from 18% to 7% against 100% relative humidity. Also, the sensor was found to be selective towards ammonia when tested against other toxic volatile organic compounds. The limit of detection of the RGO-RB based sensor was calculated to be as low as 0.9 ppm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy were carried out for the detailed structural characterizations of the sensing layer. These results are believed to be very useful for the cost effective fabrication of graphene based ammonia sensors which have reduced effects of humidity.

Cubic mesoporous Ag@CN: a high performance humidity sensor.

PubMed

Tomer, Vijay K; Thangaraj, Nishanthi; Gahlot, Sweta; Kailasam, Kamalakannan

2016-12-01

The fabrication of highly responsive, rapid response/recovery and durable relative humidity (%RH) sensors that can precisely monitor humidity levels still remains a considerable challenge for realizing the next generation humidity sensing applications. Herein, we report a remarkably sensitive and rapid %RH sensor having a reversible response using a nanocasting route for synthesizing mesoporous g-CN (commonly known as g-C 3 N 4 ). The 3D replicated cubic mesostructure provides a high surface area thereby increasing the adsorption, transmission of charge carriers and desorption of water molecules across the sensor surfaces. Owing to its unique structure, the mesoporous g-CN functionalized with well dispersed catalytic Ag nanoparticles exhibits excellent sensitivity in the 11-98% RH range while retaining high stability, negligible hysteresis and superior real time %RH detection performances. Compared to conventional resistive sensors based on metal oxides, a rapid response time (3 s) and recovery time (1.4 s) were observed in the 11-98% RH range. Such impressive features originate from the planar morphology of g-CN as well as unique physical affinity and favourable electronic band positions of this material that facilitate water adsorption and charge transportation. Mesoporous g-CN with Ag nanoparticles is demonstrated to provide an effective strategy in designing high performance %RH sensors and show great promise for utilization of mesoporous 2D layered materials in the Internet of Things and next generation humidity sensing applications.

Mobile patient monitoring based on impedance-loaded SAW-sensors.

PubMed

Karilainen, Anna; Finnberg, Thomas; Uelzen, Thorsten; Dembowski, Klaus; Müller, Jörg

2004-11-01

A remotely requestable, passive, short-range sensor network for measuring small voltages is presented. The sensor system is able to simultaneously monitor six small voltages in millivolt-range, and it can be used for Holter-electrocardiogram (ECG) and other biopotential monitoring, or in industrial applications. The sensors are based on a surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line with voltage-dependent, impedance loading on a reflector interdigital transducer (IDT). The load circuit impedance is varied by the capacitance of the voltage-controlled varactor. High resolution is achieved by developing a MOS-capacitor with a thin oxide, low flat-band voltage, and zero-voltage capacitance in the space-charge region, as well as a high-Q-microcoil by thick metal electroplating. Simultaneous monitoring of multiple potentials is realized by time-division-multiplexing of different sensor signals.

A physicochemical mechanism of chemical gas sensors using an AC analysis.

PubMed

Moon, Jaehyun; Park, Jin-Ah; Lee, Su-Jae; Lee, Jeong-Ik; Zyung, Taehyong; Shin, Eui-Chol; Lee, Jong-Sook

2013-06-21

Electrical modeling of the chemical gas sensors was successfully applied to TiO2 nanofiber gas sensors by developing an equivalent circuit model where the junction capacitance as well as the resistance can be separated from the comparable stray capacitance. The Schottky junction impedance exhibited a characteristic skewed arc described by a Cole-Davidson function, and the variation of the fit and derived parameters with temperature, bias, and NO2 gas concentration indicated definitely a physicochemical sensing mechanism based on the Pt|TiO2 Schottky junctions against the conventional supposition of the enhanced sensitivity in nanostructured gas sensors with high grain boundary/surface area. Analysis on a model Pt|TiO2|Pt structure also confirmed the characteristic impedance response of TiO2 nanofiber sensors.

Moisture content measurement in paddy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klomklao, P.; Kuntinugunetanon, S.; Wongkokua, W.

2017-09-01

Moisture content is an important quantity for agriculture product, especially in paddy. In principle, the moisture content can be measured by a gravimetric method which is a direct method. However, the gravimetric method is time-consuming. There are indirect methods such as resistance and capacitance methods. In this work, we developed an indirect method based on a 555 integrated circuit timer. The moisture content sensor was capacitive parallel plates using the dielectric constant property of the moisture. The instrument generated the output frequency that depended on the capacitance of the sensor. We fitted a linear relation between periods and moisture contents. The measurement results have a standard uncertainty of 1.23 % of the moisture content in the range of 14 % to 20 %.

Fabrication and characterization of bending and pressure sensors for a soft prosthetic hand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, Rui Pedro; Alhais Lopes, Pedro; de Almeida, Anibal T.; Tavakoli, Mahmoud; Majidi, Carmel

2018-03-01

We demonstrate fabrication, characterization, and implementation of ‘soft-matter’ pressure and bending sensors for a soft robotic hand. The elastomer-based sensors are embedded in a robot finger composed of a 3D printed endoskeleton and covered by an elastomeric skin. Two types of sensors are evaluated, resistive pressure sensors and capacitive pressure sensors. The sensor is fabricated entirely out of insulating and conductive rubber, the latter composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer embedded with a percolating network of structured carbon black (CB). The sensor-integrated fingers have a simple materials architecture, can be fabricated with standard rapid prototyping methods, and are inexpensive to produce. When incorporated into a robotic hand, the CB-PDMS sensors and PDMS carrier medium function as an ‘artificial skin’ for touch and bend detection. Results show improved response with a capacitive sensor architecture, which, unlike a resistive sensor, is robust to electromechanical hysteresis, creep, and drift in the CB-PDMS composite. The sensorized fingers are integrated in an anthropomorphic hand and results for a variety of grasping tasks are presented.

Feasibility of novel four degrees of freedom capacitive force sensor for skin interface force

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The objective of our study was to develop a novel capacitive force sensor that enables simultaneous measurements of yaw torque around the pressure axis and normal force and shear forces at a single point for the purpose of elucidating pressure ulcer pathogenesis and establishing criteria for selection of cushions and mattresses. Methods Two newly developed sensors (approximately 10 mm×10 mm×5 mm (10) and 20 mm×20 mm×5 mm (20)) were constructed from silicone gel and four upper and lower electrodes. The upper and lower electrodes had sixteen combinations that had the function as capacitors of parallel plate type. The full scale (FS) ranges of force/torque were defined as 0–1.5 N, –0.5-0.5 N and −1.5-1.5 N mm (10) and 0–8.7 N, –2.9-2.9 N and −16.8-16.8 N mm (20) in normal force, shear forces and yaw torque, respectively. The capacitances of sixteen capacitors were measured by an LCR meter (AC1V, 100 kHz) when displacements corresponding to four degrees of freedom (DOF) forces within FS ranges were applied to the sensor. The measurement was repeated three times in each displacement condition (10 only). Force/torque were calculated by corrected capacitance and were evaluated by comparison to theoretical values and standard normal force measured by an universal tester. Results In measurements of capacitance, the coefficient of variation was 3.23% (10). The Maximum FS errors of estimated force/torque were less than or equal to 10.1 (10) and 16.4% (20), respectively. The standard normal forces were approximately 1.5 (10) and 9.4 N (20) when pressure displacements were 3 (10) and 2 mm (20), respectively. The estimated normal forces were approximately 1.5 (10) and 8.6 N (10) in the same condition. Conclusions In this study, we developed a new four DOF force sensor for measurement of force/torque that occur between the skin and a mattress. In measurement of capacitance, the repeatability was good and it was confirmed that the sensor had characteristics that enabled the correction by linear approximation for adjustment of gain and offset. In estimation of forces/torque, we considered accuracy to be within an acceptable range. PMID:23186069

Development of a highly enantioselective capacitive immunosensor for the detection of alpha-amino acids.

PubMed

Zhang, Song; Ding, Jingjing; Liu, Ying; Kong, Jilie; Hofstetter, Oliver

2006-11-01

This work describes a highly enantioselective and sensitive immunosensor for the detection of chiral amino acids based on capacitive measurement. The sensor was prepared by first binding mercaptoacetic acid to the surface of a gold electrode, followed by modification with tyramine utilizing carbodiimide activation. The hapten 4-amino-D-phenylalanine was then covalently immobilized onto the electrode by diazotization. Stereoselective binding of an anti-D-amino acid antibody to the hapten-modified sensor surface resulted in capacitance changes that were detected with high sensitivity by a potentiostatic step method. Using capacitance measurement, detection limits of 5 pg of antibody/mL were attained. The exquisite stereoselectivity of the antibody was also utilized in a competitive setup to quantitatively determine the concentration of the analyte d-phenylalanine in nonracemic samples containing both enantiomers of this amino acid. Trace impurities of d-phenylalanine as low as 0.001% could be detected.

Analysis of a Segmented Annular Coplanar Capacitive Tilt Sensor with Increased Sensitivity.

PubMed

Guo, Jiahao; Hu, Pengcheng; Tan, Jiubin

2016-01-21

An investigation of a segmented annular coplanar capacitor is presented. We focus on its theoretical model, and a mathematical expression of the capacitance value is derived by solving a Laplace equation with Hankel transform. The finite element method is employed to verify the analytical result. Different control parameters are discussed, and each contribution to the capacitance value of the capacitor is obtained. On this basis, we analyze and optimize the structure parameters of a segmented coplanar capacitive tilt sensor, and three models with different positions of the electrode gap are fabricated and tested. The experimental result shows that the model (whose electrode-gap position is 10 mm from the electrode center) realizes a high sensitivity: 0.129 pF/° with a non-linearity of <0.4% FS (full scale of ± 40°). This finding offers plenty of opportunities for various measurement requirements in addition to achieving an optimized structure in practical design.

CMOS capacitive biosensors for highly sensitive biosensing applications.

PubMed

Chang, An-Yu; Lu, Michael S-C

2013-01-01

Magnetic microbeads are widely used in biotechnology and biomedical research for manipulation and detection of cells and biomolecules. Most lab-on-chip systems capable of performing manipulation and detection require external instruments to perform one of the functions, leading to increased size and cost. This work aims at developing an integrated platform to perform these two functions by implementing electromagnetic microcoils and capacitive biosensors on a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) chip. Compared to most magnetic-type sensors, our detection method requires no externally applied magnetic fields and the associated fabrication is less complicated. In our experiment, microbeads coated with streptavidin were driven to the sensors located in the center of microcoils with functionalized anti-streptavidin antibody. Detection of a single microbead was successfully demonstrated using a capacitance-to-frequency readout. The average capacitance changes for the experimental and control groups were -5.3 fF and -0.2 fF, respectively.

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees.

PubMed

Matheny, Ashley M; Garrity, Steven R; Bohrer, Gil

2017-12-27

Water transport and storage through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum is critical to the terrestrial water cycle, and has become a major research focus area. Biomass capacitance plays an integral role in the avoidance of hydraulic impairment to transpiration. However, high temporal resolution measurements of dynamic changes in the hydraulic capacitance of large trees are rare. Here, we present procedures for the calibration and use of capacitance sensors, typically used to monitor soil water content, to measure the volumetric water content in trees in the field. Frequency domain reflectometry-style observations are sensitive to the density of the media being studied. Therefore, it is necessary to perform species-specific calibrations to convert from the sensor-reported values of dielectric permittivity to volumetric water content. Calibration is performed on a harvested branch or stem cut into segments that are dried or re-hydrated to produce a full range of water contents used to generate a best-fit regression with sensor observations. Sensors are inserted into calibration segments or installed in trees after pre-drilling holes to a tolerance fit using a fabricated template to ensure proper drill alignment. Special care is taken to ensure that sensor tines make good contact with the surrounding media, while allowing them to be inserted without excessive force. Volumetric water content dynamics observed via the presented methodology align with sap flow measurements recorded using thermal dissipation techniques and environmental forcing data. Biomass water content data can be used to observe the onset of water stress, drought response and recovery, and has the potential to be applied to the calibration and evaluation of new plant-level hydrodynamics models, as well as to the partitioning of remotely sensed moisture products into above- and belowground components.

A capacitive power sensor based on the MEMS cantilever beam fabricated by GaAs MMIC technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Zhenxiang; Liao, Xiaoping

2013-03-01

In this paper, a novel capacitive power sensor based on the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) cantilever beam at 8-12 GHz is proposed, fabricated and tested. The presented design can not only realize a cantilever beam instead of the conventional fixed-fixed beam, but also provide fine compatibility with the GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) process. When the displacement of the cantilever beam is very small compared with the initial height of the air gap, the capacitance change between the measuring electrode and the cantilever beam has an approximately linear dependence on the incident radio frequency (RF) power. Impedance compensating technology, by modifying the slot width of the coplanar waveguide transmission line, is adopted to minimize the effect of the cantilever beam on the power sensor; its validity is verified by the simulation of high frequency structure simulator software. The power sensor has been fabricated successfully by Au surface micromachining using polyimide as the sacrificial layer on the GaAs substrate. Optimization of the design with impedance compensating technology has resulted in a measured return loss of less than -25 dB and an insertion loss of around 0.1 dB at 8-12 GHz, which shows the slight effect of the cantilever beam on the microwave performance of this power sensor. The measured capacitance change starts from 0.7 fF to 1.3 fF when the incident RF power increases from 100 to 200 mW and an approximate linear dependence has been obtained. The measured sensitivities of the sensor are about 6.16, 6.27 and 6.03 aF mW-1 at 8, 10 and 12 GHz, respectively.

Fiber optic humidity sensor using water vapor condensation.

PubMed

Limodehi, Hamid E; Légaré, François

2017-06-26

The rate of vapor condensation on a solid surface depends on the ambient relative humidity (RH). Also, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on a metal layer is sensitive to the refractive index change of its adjacent dielectric. The SPR effect appears as soon as a small amount of moisture forms on the sensor, resulting in a decrease in the amount of light transmitted due to plasmonic loss. Using this concept, we developed a fiber optic humidity sensor based on SPR. It can measure the ambient RH over a dynamic range from 10% to 85% with an accuracy of 3%.

"Virtual Feel" Capaciflectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vranish, John M.

2006-01-01

The term "virtual feel" denotes a type of capaciflector (an advanced capacitive proximity sensor) and a methodology for designing and using a sensor of this type to guide a robot in manipulating a tool (e.g., a wrench socket) into alignment with a mating fastener (e.g., a bolt head) or other electrically conductive object. A capaciflector includes at least one sensing electrode, excited with an alternating voltage, that puts out a signal indicative of the capacitance between that electrode and a proximal object.

Perfume Fragrance Discrimination Using Resistance And Capacitance Responses Of Polymer Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, John Paul Hempel; Vandendriessche, Thomas; Fonseca, Fernando J.; Lammertyn, Jeroen; Nicolai, Bart M.; de Andrade, Adnei Melges

2009-05-01

This work shows a comparison between electrical resistance and capacitance responses of ethanol and five different fragrances using an electronic nose based on conducting polymers. Gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) measurements were performed to evaluate the main differences between the analytes. It is shown that although the fragrances are quite similar in their compositions the sensors are able to discriminate them through PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and ANNs (Artificial Neural Network) analysis.

Non-contact capacitance based image sensing method and system

DOEpatents

Novak, J.L.; Wiczer, J.J.

1994-01-25

A system and a method for imaging desired surfaces of a workpiece is described. A sensor having first and second sensing electrodes which are electrically isolated from the workpiece is positioned above and in proximity to the desired surfaces of the workpiece. An electric field is developed between the first and second sensing electrodes of the sensor in response to input signals being applied thereto and capacitance signals are developed which are indicative of any disturbances in the electric field as a result of the workpiece. An image signal of the workpiece may be developed by processing the capacitance signals. The image signals may provide necessary control information to a machining device for machining the desired surfaces of the workpiece in processes such as deburring or chamfering. Also, the method and system may be used to image dimensions of weld pools on a workpiece and surfaces of glass vials. The sensor may include first and second preview sensors used to determine the feed rate of a workpiece with respect to the machining device. 18 figures.

Non-contact capacitance based image sensing method and system

DOEpatents

Novak, J.L.; Wiczer, J.J.

1995-01-03

A system and a method is provided for imaging desired surfaces of a workpiece. A sensor having first and second sensing electrodes which are electrically isolated from the workpiece is positioned above and in proximity to the desired surfaces of the workpiece. An electric field is developed between the first and second sensing electrodes of the sensor in response to input signals being applied thereto and capacitance signals are developed which are indicative of any disturbances in the electric field as a result of the workpiece. An image signal of the workpiece may be developed by processing the capacitance signals. The image signals may provide necessary control information to a machining device for machining the desired surfaces of the workpiece in processes such as deburring or chamfering. Also, the method and system may be used to image dimensions of weld pools on a workpiece and surfaces of glass vials. The sensor may include first and second preview sensors used to determine the feed rate of a workpiece with respect to the machining device. 18 figures.

The detection of organic solvent vapor by using polymer coated chemocapacitor sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusdiarna Indrapraja, Apik; Rivai, Muhammad; Arifin, Achmad; Purwanto, Djoko

2017-05-01

A chemocapacitor consists of planar interdigital electrodes (IDE) made by two comb electrodes on a substrate. A dielectric film was applied on the electrodes in which the absorbed vapor will modify its permittivity. This study has fabricated chemocapacitor with the IDE distance of 0.5 mm, while the dielectric film was a sensitive layer consisting of a polymeric material. The deposition of the polymeric film was accomplished by drop casting. A sensor array consisting of four chemocapacitors coated with different polymers namely PEG-1540, PEG-20M, PEG-6000, and PVP was used to obtain the pattern of shift in the capacitance. The integrated circuit AD7746 was used as the capacitance to-digital converter (CDC). The organic solvents of ethanol, benzene, and aceton were used as the vapor samples in this experiment. The results showed that the change in the capacitance value increases proportionally to the concentration of vapour where sensors coated with PEG-1540 and PVP have higher sensitivity, i.e. 0.0028pF/part per thousand and 0.0027pF/part per thousand, respectively. Based on the capacitance to digital conversion capabilities, the system provides there solution of 0.4084ppm. The sensor array could produce a different pattern for each of the vapor sample. The Neural Network pattern recognition system could identify the type of vapor automatically with the root mean square error of 10-5

The sol-gel template synthesis of porous TiO2 for a high performance humidity sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhuyi; Shi, Liyi; Wu, Fengqing; Yuan, Shuai; Zhao, Yin; Zhang, Meihong

2011-07-01

This research develops a simple template assisted sol-gel process for preparing porous TiO2 for a high performance humidity sensor. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a template was directly introduced into TiO2 sol formed by the hydrolysis and condensation of titanium alkoxide; the following calcination led to the formation of TiO2-SiO2 composite, and the selective removal of SiO2 by dilute HF solution led to the formation of porous structure in TiO2. The resulting porous TiO2-based sensor exhibits high sensitivity and linear response in the wide relative humidity (RH) range of 11%-95%, with an impedance variation of four orders of magnitude to humidity change. Moreover, it exhibits a rapid and highly reversible response characterized by a very small hysteresis of < 1% RH and a short response-recovery time (5 s for adsorption and 8 s for desorption), and a 30-day stability test also confirms its long-term stability. Compared with pure TiO2 prepared by the conventional sol-gel method, our product shows remarkably improved performance and good prospect for a high performance humidity sensor. The complex impedance spectra were used to elucidate its humidity sensing mechanism in detail.

AuNPs Hybrid Black ZnO Nanorods Made by a Sol-Gel Method for Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensing

PubMed Central

Zhang, Min; Lin, Cunchong; Zhang, Jun

2018-01-01

A highly sensitive self-powered humidity sensor has been realized from AuNPs hybrid black zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods prepared through a sol-gel method. XRD pattern reveals that both ZnO and ZnO/AuNPs exhibit a wurtzite structure. ZnO/AuNPs nanorods grow in a vertical alignment, which possesses high uniformity and forms dense arrays with a smaller diameter than that of ZnO nanoparticles. All ZnO/AuNPs and pure black ZnO show lower band gap energy than the typically reported 3.34 eV of pure ZnO. Furthermore, the band gap of ZnO/AuNPs nanocomposites is effectively influenced by the amount of AuNPs. The humidity sensing tests clearly prove that all the ZnO/AuNPs humidity sensors exhibit much higher response than that of ZnO sensors, and the sensitivity of such ZnO/AuNPs nanorods (6 mL AuNPs) display a change three orders higher than that of pure ZnO with relative humidity (RH) ranging from 11% to 95% at room temperature. The response and recovery time of the ZnO/AuNPs are 5.6 s and 32.4 s, respectively. This study of the construction of semiconductor/noble metal sensors provides a rational way to control the morphology of semiconductor nanomaterials and to design a humidity sensor with high performance. PMID:29342860

AuNPs Hybrid Black ZnO Nanorods Made by a Sol-Gel Method for Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensing.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongyan; Zhang, Min; Lin, Cunchong; Zhang, Jun

2018-01-13

A highly sensitive self-powered humidity sensor has been realized from AuNPs hybrid black zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods prepared through a sol-gel method. XRD pattern reveals that both ZnO and ZnO/AuNPs exhibit a wurtzite structure. ZnO/AuNPs nanorods grow in a vertical alignment, which possesses high uniformity and forms dense arrays with a smaller diameter than that of ZnO nanoparticles. All ZnO/AuNPs and pure black ZnO show lower band gap energy than the typically reported 3.34 eV of pure ZnO. Furthermore, the band gap of ZnO/AuNPs nanocomposites is effectively influenced by the amount of AuNPs. The humidity sensing tests clearly prove that all the ZnO/AuNPs humidity sensors exhibit much higher response than that of ZnO sensors, and the sensitivity of such ZnO/AuNPs nanorods (6 mL AuNPs) display a change three orders higher than that of pure ZnO with relative humidity (RH) ranging from 11% to 95% at room temperature. The response and recovery time of the ZnO/AuNPs are 5.6 s and 32.4 s, respectively. This study of the construction of semiconductor/noble metal sensors provides a rational way to control the morphology of semiconductor nanomaterials and to design a humidity sensor with high performance.

40 CFR 1065.215 - Pressure transducers, temperature sensors, and dewpoint sensors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sensors, such as resistive temperature detectors (RTDs). (d) Pressure. Pressure transducers must be... chilled-surface hygrometers, which include chilled mirror detectors and chilled surface acoustic wave (SAW) detectors. For other applications, we recommend thin-film capacitance sensors. You may use other dewpoint...

40 CFR 1065.215 - Pressure transducers, temperature sensors, and dewpoint sensors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sensors, such as resistive temperature detectors (RTDs). (d) Pressure. Pressure transducers must be... chilled-surface hygrometers, which include chilled mirror detectors and chilled surface acoustic wave (SAW) detectors. For other applications, we recommend thin-film capacitance sensors. You may use other dewpoint...

40 CFR 1065.215 - Pressure transducers, temperature sensors, and dewpoint sensors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sensors, such as resistive temperature detectors (RTDs). (d) Pressure. Pressure transducers must be... chilled-surface hygrometers, which include chilled mirror detectors and chilled surface acoustic wave (SAW) detectors. For other applications, we recommend thin-film capacitance sensors. You may use other dewpoint...

40 CFR 1065.215 - Pressure transducers, temperature sensors, and dewpoint sensors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sensors, such as resistive temperature detectors (RTDs). (d) Pressure. Pressure transducers must be... chilled-surface hygrometers, which include chilled mirror detectors and chilled surface acoustic wave (SAW) detectors. For other applications, we recommend thin-film capacitance sensors. You may use other dewpoint...

A highly sensitive and specific capacitive aptasensor for rapid and label-free trace analysis of Bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods.

PubMed

Mirzajani, Hadi; Cheng, Cheng; Wu, Jayne; Chen, Jiangang; Eda, Shigotoshi; Najafi Aghdam, Esmaeil; Badri Ghavifekr, Habib

2017-03-15

A rapid, highly sensitive, specific and low-cost capacitive affinity biosensor is presented here for label-free and single step detection of Bisphenol A (BPA). The sensor design allows rapid prototyping at low-cost using printed circuit board material by benchtop equipment. High sensitivity detection is achieved through the use of a BPA-specific aptamer as probe molecule and large electrodes to enhance AC-electroelectrothermal effect for long-range transport of BPA molecules toward electrode surface. Capacitive sensing technique is used to determine the bounded BPA level by measuring the sample/electrode interfacial capacitance of the sensor. The developed biosensor can detect BPA level in 20s and exhibits a large linear range from 1 fM to 10 pM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 152.93 aM. This biosensor was applied to test BPA in canned food samples and could successfully recover the levels of spiked BPA. This sensor technology is demonstrated to be highly promising and reliable for rapid, sensitive and on-site monitoring of BPA in food samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study of the Detection Limit in Dual-Gate Biosensors Using Ultrathin Silicon Transistors

DOE PAGES

Wu, Ting; Alharbi, Abdullah; You, Kai-Dyi; ...

2017-06-21

Dual-gate field-effect biosensors (bioFETs) with asymmetric gate capacitances were shown to surpass the Nernst limit of 59 mV/pH. However, previous studies have conflicting findings on the effect of the capacitive amplification scheme on the sensor detection limit, which is inversely proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, we present a systematic experimental investigation of the SNR using ultrathin silicon transistors. Our sensors operate at low voltage and feature asymmetric front and back oxide capacitances with asymmetry factors of 1.4 and 2.3. We demonstrate that in the dual-gate configuration, the response of our bioFETs to the pH change increasesmore » proportional to the asymmetry factor and indeed exceeds the Nernst limit. Further, our results reveal that the noise amplitude also increases in proportion to the asymmetry factor. We establish that the commensurate increase of the noise amplitude originates from the intrinsic low-frequency characteristic of the sensor noise, dominated by number fluctuation. Finally, these findings suggest that this capacitive signal amplification scheme does not improve the intrinsic detection limit of the dual-gate biosensors.« less

Experimental Study of the Detection Limit in Dual-Gate Biosensors Using Ultrathin Silicon Transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Ting; Alharbi, Abdullah; You, Kai-Dyi

Dual-gate field-effect biosensors (bioFETs) with asymmetric gate capacitances were shown to surpass the Nernst limit of 59 mV/pH. However, previous studies have conflicting findings on the effect of the capacitive amplification scheme on the sensor detection limit, which is inversely proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, we present a systematic experimental investigation of the SNR using ultrathin silicon transistors. Our sensors operate at low voltage and feature asymmetric front and back oxide capacitances with asymmetry factors of 1.4 and 2.3. We demonstrate that in the dual-gate configuration, the response of our bioFETs to the pH change increasesmore » proportional to the asymmetry factor and indeed exceeds the Nernst limit. Further, our results reveal that the noise amplitude also increases in proportion to the asymmetry factor. We establish that the commensurate increase of the noise amplitude originates from the intrinsic low-frequency characteristic of the sensor noise, dominated by number fluctuation. Finally, these findings suggest that this capacitive signal amplification scheme does not improve the intrinsic detection limit of the dual-gate biosensors.« less

A new capacitive long-range displacement nanometer sensor with differential sensing structure based on time-grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhicheng; Peng, Kai; Liu, Xiaokang; Pu, Hongji; Chen, Ziran

2018-05-01

High-precision displacement sensors, which can measure large displacements with nanometer resolution, are key components in many ultra-precision fabrication machines. In this paper, a new capacitive nanometer displacement sensor with differential sensing structure is proposed for long-range linear displacement measurements based on an approach denoted time grating. Analytical models established using electric field coupling theory and an area integral method indicate that common-mode interference will result in a first-harmonic error in the measurement results. To reduce the common-mode interference, the proposed sensor design employs a differential sensing structure, which adopts a second group of induction electrodes spatially separated from the first group of induction electrodes by a half-pitch length. Experimental results based on a prototype sensor demonstrate that the measurement accuracy and the stability of the sensor are substantially improved after adopting the differential sensing structure. Finally, a prototype sensor achieves a measurement accuracy of  ±200 nm over the full 200 mm measurement range of the sensor.

Packaging Technologies for 500C SiC Electronics and Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Liang-Yu

2013-01-01

Various SiC electronics and sensors are currently under development for applications in 500C high temperature environments such as hot sections of aerospace engines and the surface of Venus. In order to conduct long-term test and eventually commercialize these SiC devices, compatible packaging technologies for the SiC electronics and sensors are required. This presentation reviews packaging technologies developed for 500C SiC electronics and sensors to address both component and subsystem level packaging needs for high temperature environments. The packaging system for high temperature SiC electronics includes ceramic chip-level packages, ceramic printed circuit boards (PCBs), and edge-connectors. High temperature durable die-attach and precious metal wire-bonding are used in the chip-level packaging process. A high temperature sensor package is specifically designed to address high temperature micro-fabricated capacitive pressure sensors for high differential pressure environments. This presentation describes development of these electronics and sensor packaging technologies, including some testing results of SiC electronics and capacitive pressure sensors using these packaging technologies.

A newly developed tool for intra-tracheal temperature and humidity assessment in laryngectomized individuals: the Airway Climate Explorer (ACE)

PubMed Central

Zuur, J. K.; Muller, S. H.; de Jongh, F. H. C.; van der Horst, M. J.; Shehata, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Sinaasappel, M.

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is to develop a postlaryngectomy airway climate explorer (ACE) for assessment of intratracheal temperature and humidity and of influence of heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs). Engineering goals were within-device condensation prevention and fast response time characteristics. The ACE consists of a small diameter, heated air-sampling catheter connected to a heated sensor house, containing a humidity sensor. Air is sucked through the catheter by a controlled-flow pump. Validation was performed in a climate chamber using a calibrated reference sensor and in a two-flow system. Additionally, the analyser was tested in vivo. Over the clinically relevant range of humidity values (5–42 mg H2O/l air) the sensor output highly correlates with the reference sensor readings (R2 > 0.99). The 1–1/e response times are all <0.5 s. A first in vivo pilot measurement was successful. The newly developed, verified, fast-responding ACE is suitable for postlaryngectomy airway climate assessment. PMID:17629761

Lightweight Fiber Optic Gas Sensor for Monitoring Regenerative Food Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidlin, Edward; Goswami, Kisholoy

1995-01-01

In this final report, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) describes its development of sensors for oxygen, carbon dioxide, and relative humidity. POC has constructed a phase fluorometer that can detect oxygen over the full concentration range from 0 percent to 100 percent. Phase-based measurements offer distinct advantages, such as immunity to source fluctuation, photobleaching, and leaching. All optics, optoelectronics, power supply, and the printed circuit board are included in a single box; the only external connections to the fluorometer are the optical fiber sensor and a power cord. The indicator-based carbon dioxide sensor is also suitable for short-term and discrete measurements over the concentration range from 0 percent to 100 percent. The optical fiber-based humidity sensor contains a porous core for direct interaction of the light beam with water vapor within fiber pores; the detection range for the humidity sensor is 10 percent to 100 percent, and response time is under five minutes. POC is currently pursuing the commercialization of these oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors for environmental applications.

Fabrication and characterization of 3C-silicon carbide micro sensor for wireless blood pressure measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basak, Nupur

A potentially implantable single crystal 3C-SiC pressure sensor for blood pressure measurement was designed, simulated, fabricated, characterized and optimized. This research uses a single crystal 3C-SiC, for the first time, to demonstrate its application as a blood pressure measurement sensor. The sensor, which uses the epitaxial grown 3C-SiC membrane to measure changes in pressure, is designed to be wireless, biocompatible and linear. The SiC material was chosen for its superior physical, chemical and mechanical properties; the capacitive sensor uses a 3C-SiC membrane as one of the electrodes; and, the sensor system is wireless for comfort and to allow for convenient reading of real-time pressure data (wireless communication is enabled by connecting the sensor parallel to a planar inductor). Together, the variable capacitive sensor and planar inductor create a pressure sensitive resonant circuit. The sensor system described above allows for implantation into a human patient's body, after which the planar inductor can be coupled with an external inductor to receive data for real-time blood pressure measurement. Electroplating, thick photo-resist characterization, RIE etching, oxidation, CVD, chemical mechanical polishing and wafer bonding were optimized during the process of fabricating the sensor system and, in addition to detailing the sensor system simulation and characterization; the optimized processes are detailed in the dissertation. This absolute pressure sensor is designed to function optimally within the human blood pressure range of 50-350mmHg. The layout and modeling of the sensor uses finite element analysis (FEA) software. The simulations for membrane deflection, stress analysis and electro-mechanical analysis are performed for 100 μm2 and 400μm2sensors. The membrane deflection-pressure, capacitance-pressure and resonant frequency-pressure graphs were obtained, and detailed in the dissertation, along with the planar inductor simulation for differently sized inductors. Ultimately, an optimized sensor with a size of 400μm2 was chosen because of its high sensitivity. The sensor, and the planar inductor, which is 3mm 2, is comparable to the presently researched implantable chip size. The measured inductance of the gold electroplated inductor is 0.371μH. The capacitance changes from 0.934 pF to 0.997pF with frequency shift of 248MHz to 256 MHz. The sensitivity of the sensor is found to be 0.21 fF/mmHg or 27.462 kHz/mmHg with an average non-linearity of 0.23216%.

Resonance-induced sensitivity enhancement method for conductivity sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tai, Yu-Chong (Inventor); Shih, Chi-yuan (Inventor); Li, Wei (Inventor); Zheng, Siyang (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Methods and systems for improving the sensitivity of a variety of conductivity sensing devices, in particular capacitively-coupled contactless conductivity detectors. A parallel inductor is added to the conductivity sensor. The sensor with the parallel inductor is operated at a resonant frequency of the equivalent circuit model. At the resonant frequency, parasitic capacitances that are either in series or in parallel with the conductance (and possibly a series resistance) is substantially removed from the equivalent circuit, leaving a purely resistive impedance. An appreciably higher sensor sensitivity results. Experimental verification shows that sensitivity improvements of the order of 10,000-fold are possible. Examples of detecting particulates with high precision by application of the apparatus and methods of operation are described.

MEMS based hair flow-sensors as model systems for acoustic perception studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krijnen, Gijs J. M.; Dijkstra, Marcel; van Baar, John J.; Shankar, Siripurapu S.; Kuipers, Winfred J.; de Boer, Rik J. H.; Altpeter, Dominique; Lammerink, Theo S. J.; Wiegerink, Remco

2006-02-01

Arrays of MEMS fabricated flow sensors inspired by the acoustic flow-sensitive hairs found on the cerci of crickets have been designed, fabricated and characterized. The hairs consist of up to 1 mm long SU-8 structures mounted on suspended membranes with normal translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Electrodes on the membrane and on the substrate form variable capacitors, allowing for capacitive read-out. Capacitance versus voltage, frequency dependence and directional sensitivity measurements have been successfully carried out on fabricated sensor arrays, showing the viability of the concept. The sensors form a model system allowing for investigations on sensory acoustics by their arrayed nature, their adaptivity via electrostatic interaction (frequency tuning and parametric amplification) and their susceptibility to noise (stochastic resonance).

Selective Detection of Target Volatile Organic Compounds in Contaminated Humid Air Using a Sensor Array with Principal Component Analysis

PubMed Central

Itoh, Toshio; Akamatsu, Takafumi; Tsuruta, Akihiro; Shin, Woosuck

2017-01-01

We investigated selective detection of the target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) nonanal, n-decane, and acetoin for lung cancer-related VOCs, and acetone and methyl i-butyl ketone for diabetes-related VOCs, in humid air with simulated VOC contamination (total concentration: 300 μg/m3). We used six “grain boundary-response type” sensors, including four commercially available sensors (TGS 2600, 2610, 2610, and 2620) and two Pt, Pd, and Au-loaded SnO2 sensors (Pt, Pd, Au/SnO2), and two “bulk-response type” sensors, including Zr-doped CeO2 (CeZr10), i.e., eight sensors in total. We then analyzed their sensor signals using principal component analysis (PCA). Although the six “grain boundary-response type” sensors were found to be insufficient for selective detection of the target gases in humid air, the addition of two “bulk-response type” sensors improved the selectivity, even with simulated VOC contamination. To further improve the discrimination, we selected appropriate sensors from the eight sensors based on the PCA results. The selectivity to each target gas was maintained and was not affected by contamination. PMID:28753948

Capacitive Biosensors and Molecularly Imprinted Electrodes.

PubMed

Ertürk, Gizem; Mattiasson, Bo

2017-02-17

Capacitive biosensors belong to the group of affinity biosensors that operate by registering direct binding between the sensor surface and the target molecule. This type of biosensors measures the changes in dielectric properties and/or thickness of the dielectric layer at the electrolyte/electrode interface. Capacitive biosensors have so far been successfully used for detection of proteins, nucleotides, heavy metals, saccharides, small organic molecules and microbial cells. In recent years, the microcontact imprinting method has been used to create very sensitive and selective biorecognition cavities on surfaces of capacitive electrodes. This chapter summarizes the principle and different applications of capacitive biosensors with an emphasis on microcontact imprinting method with its recent capacitive biosensor applications.

Review of Recent Inkjet-Printed Capacitive Tactile Sensors

PubMed Central

Salim, Ahmed

2017-01-01

Inkjet printing is an advanced printing technology that has been used to develop conducting layers, interconnects and other features on a variety of substrates. It is an additive manufacturing process that offers cost-effective, lightweight designs and simplifies the fabrication process with little effort. There is hardly sufficient research on tactile sensors and inkjet printing. Advancements in materials science and inkjet printing greatly facilitate the realization of sophisticated tactile sensors. Starting from the concept of capacitive sensing, a brief comparison of printing techniques, the essential requirements of inkjet-printing and the attractive features of state-of-the art inkjet-printed tactile sensors developed on diverse substrates (paper, polymer, glass and textile) are presented in this comprehensive review. Recent trends in inkjet-printed wearable/flexible and foldable tactile sensors are evaluated, paving the way for future research. PMID:29125584

Tunable-Sensitivity flexible pressure sensor based on graphene transparent electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Shi; Yang, Jun; Song, Xuefen; Zhou, Xi; Yu, Leyong; Sun, Tai; Yu, Chongsheng; Huang, Deping; Du, Chunlei; Wei, Dapeng

2018-07-01

Tunable-sensitivity and flexibility are considered as two crucial characteristics for future pressure sensors or electronic skins. By the theoretical calculation model, we simulated the relationship curve between the sensitivity and PDMS pyramids with different spacings, and found that the spacing of pyramids is a main factor to affect the sensitivity of the capacitance pressure sensor. Furthermore, we fabricated the capacitance pressure sensors using graphene electrodes and the PDMS pyramid dielectric layers with different spacings. The measurement data were consistent with the simulation results that the sensitivity increases with the spacing of pyramids. In addition, graphene electrode exhibits prefect flexibility and reliability, while the ITO electrode would be destroyed rapidly after bending. These graphene pressure sensors exhibit the potential in the application in the wearable products for monitoring breath, pulse, and other physiological signals.

Guarded capacitance probes for measuring particle concentration and flow

DOEpatents

Louge, M.Y.

1996-08-13

Guarded capacitance probe structures are constructed with guard electrodes surrounding one or more sensor electrodes and ground electrodes or grounded surfaces surrounding the guard electrodes. In a one sensor embodiment, the probe utilizes an apertured sensor electrode and the guard electrode both surrounds the sensor electrode and fills the aperture. This embodiment is particularly useful for measuring particle concentration in a fluid suspension contained within a vessel or pipe. The portion of the guard electrode within the aperture of the sensor electrode prevents electric field lines from emanating from the sensor electrode into the fluid suspension and toward infinity. A two sensor embodiment of the probe is useful for measuring flow velocities of fluid suspensions through cross correlation of the outputs generated by each sensor. The relative dimensions of the guard and sensor electrodes are selected to provide the most accurate measurements by confining the electric lines emanating from the sensor electrode or electrodes and terminating on the surrounding grounded surfaces to a small measurement volume of the fluid suspension near the vessel or pipe wall. 14 figs.

Guarded capacitance probes for measuring particle concentration and flow

DOEpatents

Louge, M.Y.

1995-10-17

Guarded capacitance probe structures are constructed with guard electrodes surrounding one or more sensor electrodes and ground electrodes or grounded surfaces surrounding the guard electrodes. In a one sensor embodiment, the probe utilizes an apertured sensor electrode and the guard electrode both surrounds the sensor electrode and fills the aperture. This embodiment is particularly useful for measuring particle concentration in a fluid suspension contained within a vessel or pipe. The portion of the guard electrode within the aperture of the sensor electrode prevents electric field lines from emanating from the sensor electrode into the fluid suspension and toward infinity. A two sensor embodiment of the probe is useful for measuring flow velocities of fluid suspensions through cross correlation of the outputs generated by each sensor. The relative dimensions of the guard and sensor electrodes are selected to provide the most accurate measurements by confining the electric lines emanating from the sensor electrode or electrodes and terminating on the surrounding grounded surfaces to a small measurement volume of the fluid suspension near the vessel or pipe wall. 14 figs.

Guarded capacitance probes for measuring particle concentration and flow

DOEpatents

Louge, Michel Y.

1995-01-01

Guarded capacitance probe structures are constructed with guard electrodes surrounding one or more sensor electrodes and ground electrodes or grounded surfaces surrounding the guard electrodes. In a one sensor embodiment, the probe utilizes an apertured sensor electrode and the guard electrode both surrounds the sensor electrode and fills the aperture. This embodiment is particularly useful for measuring particle concentration in a fluid suspension contained within a vessel or pipe. The portion of the guard electrode within the aperture of the sensor electrode prevents electric field lines from emanating from the sensor electrode into the fluid suspension and toward infinity. A two sensor embodiment of the probe is useful for measuring flow velocities of fluid suspensions through cross correlation of the outputs generated by each sensor. The relative dimensions of the guard and sensor electrodes are selected to provide the most accurate measurements by confining the electric lines emanating from the sensor electrode or electrodes and terminating on the surrounding grounded surfaces to a small measurement volume of the fluid suspension near the vessel or pipe wall.

Guarded capacitance probes for measuring particle concentration and flow

DOEpatents

Louge, Michel Y.

1996-01-01

Guarded capacitance probe structures are constructed with guard electrodes surrounding one or more sensor electrodes and ground electrodes or grounded surfaces surrounding the guard electrodes. In a one sensor embodiment, the probe utilizes an apertured sensor electrode and the guard electrode both surrounds the sensor electrode and fills the aperture. This embodiment is particularly useful for measuring particle concentration in a fluid suspension contained within a vessel or pipe. The portion of the guard electrode within the aperture of the sensor electrode prevents electric field lines from emanating from the sensor electrode into the fluid suspension and toward infinity. A two sensor embodiment of the probe is useful for measuring flow velocities of fluid suspensions through cross correlation of the outputs generated by each sensor. The relative dimensions of the guard and sensor electrodes are selected to provide the most accurate measurements by confining the electric lines emanating from the sensor electrode or electrodes and terminating on the surrounding grounded surfaces to a small measurement volume of the fluid suspension near the vessel or pipe wall.

Radio frequency and capacitive sensors for dielectric characterization of low-conductivity media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheldon, Robert T.

Low-conductivity media are found in a vast number of applications, for example as electrical insulation or as the matrix polymer in high strength-to-weight ratio structural composites. In some applications, these materials are subjected to extreme environmental, thermal, and mechanical conditions that can affect the material's desired performance. In a more general sense, a medium may be comprised of one or more layers with unknown material properties that may affect the desired performance of the entire structure. It is often, therefore, of great import to be able to characterize the material properties of these media for the purpose of estimating their future performance in a certain application. Low-conductivity media, or dielectrics, are poor electrical conductors and permit electromagnetic waves and static electric fields to pass through with minimal attenuation. The amount of electrical energy that may be stored (and lost) in these fields depends directly upon the material property, permittivity, which is generally complex, frequency-dependent and has a measurable effect on sensors designed to characterize dielectric media. In this work, two different types of dielectric sensors: radio frequency resonant antennas and lower-frequency (<1 MHz) capacitive sensors, are designed for permittivity characterization in their respective frequency regimes. In the first part of this work, the capability of characterizing multilayer dielectric structures is studied using a patch antenna, a type of antenna that is primarily designed for data communications in the microwave bands but has application in the field of nondestructive evaluation as well. Each configuration of a patch antenna has a single lowest resonant (dominant mode) frequency that is dependent upon the antenna's substrate material and geometry as well as the permittivity and geometry of exterior materials. Here, an extant forward model is validated using well-characterized microwave samples and a new method of resonant frequency and quality factor determination from measured data is presented. Excellent agreement between calculated and measured values of sensor resonant frequency was obtained for the samples studied. Agreement between calculated and measured quality factor was good in some cases but incurred the particular challenge of accurately quantifying multiple contributions to loss from the sensor structure itself, which at times dominates the contribution due to the sample material. Two later chapters describe the development of capacitive sensors to quantify the low-frequency changes in material permittivity due to environmental aging mechanisms. One embodiment involves the application of coplanar concentric interdigital electrode sensors for the purpose of investigating polymer-matrix degradation in glass-fiber composites due to isothermal aging. Samples of bismaleimide-matrix glass-fiber composites were aged at several high temperatures to induce thermal degradation and capacitive sensors were used to measure the sensor capacitance and dissipation factor, parameters that are directly proportional to the real and imaginary components of complex permittivity, respectively. It was shown that real permittivity and dissipation factor decreased with increasing aging temperature, a trend that was common to both interdigital sensor measurements and standard parallel plate electrode measurements. The second piece of work involves the development of cylindrical interdigital electrode sensors to characterize complex permittivity changes in wire insulation due to aging-related degradation. The sensor was proven effective in detecting changes in irradiated nuclear power plant wiring insulation and in aircraft wiring insulation due to liquid chemical immersion. In all three cases, the results indicate a clear correlation of measured capacitance and dissipation factor with increased degradation.

Artificial sensory hairs based on the flow sensitive receptor hairs of crickets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dijkstra, M.; van Baar, J. J.; Wiegerink, R. J.; Lammerink, T. S. J.; de Boer, J. H.; Krijnen, G. J. M.

2005-07-01

This paper presents the modelling, design, fabrication and characterization of flow sensors based on the wind-receptor hairs of crickets. Cricket sensory hairs are highly sensitive to drag-forces exerted on the hair shaft. Artificial sensory hairs have been realized in SU-8 on suspended SixNy membranes. The movement of the membranes is detected capacitively. Capacitance versus voltage, frequency dependence and directional sensitivity measurements have been successfully carried out on fabricated sensor arrays, showing the viability of the concept.

Dual-mode self-validating resistance/Johnson noise thermometer system

DOEpatents

Shepard, Robert L.; Blalock, Theron V.; Roberts, Michael J.

1993-01-01

A dual-mode Johnson noise and DC resistance thermometer capable of use in control systems where prompt indications of temperature changes and long term accuracy are needed. A resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) tuned circuit produces a continuous voltage signal for Johnson noise temperature measurement. The RLC circuit provides a mean-squared noise voltage that depends only on the capacitance used and the temperature of the sensor. The sensor has four leads for simultaneous coupling to a noise signal processor and to a DC resistance signal processor.

Computer-Assisted Laboratory Stations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, William J., Hanyak, Michael E.

1985-01-01

Describes the advantages and features of computer-assisted laboratory stations for use in a chemical engineering program. Also describes a typical experiment at such a station: determining the response times of a solid state humidity sensor at various humidity conditions and developing an empirical model for the sensor. (JN)

Optical fiber humidity sensor based on evanescent-wave scattering.

PubMed

Xu, Lina; Fanguy, Joseph C; Soni, Krunal; Tao, Shiquan

2004-06-01

The phenomenon of evanescent-wave scattering (EWS) is used to design an optical-fiber humidity sensor. Porous solgel silica (PSGS) coated on the surface of a silica optical-fiber core scatters evanescent waves that penetrate the coating layer. Water molecules in the gas phase surrounding the optical fiber can be absorbed into the inner surface of the pores of the porous silica. The absorbed water molecules form a thin layer of liquid water on the inner surface of the porous silica and enhance the EWS. The amount of water absorbed into the PSGS coating is in dynamic equilibrium with the water-vapor pressure in the gas phase. Therefore the humidity in the air can be quantitatively determined with fiber-optic EWS caused by the PSGS coating. The humidity sensor reported here is fast in response, reversible, and has a wide dynamic range. The possible interference caused by EWS to an optical-fiber gas sensor with a reagent-doped PSGS coating as a transducer is also discussed.

Sensor system for web inspection

DOEpatents

Sleefe, Gerard E.; Rudnick, Thomas J.; Novak, James L.

2002-01-01

A system for electrically measuring variations over a flexible web has a capacitive sensor including spaced electrically conductive, transmit and receive electrodes mounted on a flexible substrate. The sensor is held against a flexible web with sufficient force to deflect the path of the web, which moves relative to the sensor.

Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Gaobin; Xi, Ye; Chen, Xing; Ma, Yuanming

2017-09-01

Applications based on sensitive property of porous silicon (PSi) were researched. As a kind of porous material, the feasibility of PSi as a getter material was studied. Five groups of samples with different parameters were prepared. The gas-sensing property of PSi was studied by the test system and suitable parameters of PSi were also discussed. Meanwhile a novel structure of humidity sensor, using porous silicon as humidity-sensitive material, based on MEMS process has been successfully designed. The humidity-sensing properties were studied by a test system. Because of the polysilicon layer deposited upon the PSi layer, the humidity sensor can realize a quick dehumidification by itself. To extend service life and reduce the effect of the environment, a passivation layer (Si3N4) was also deposited on the surface of electrodes. The result indicated the novel humidity sensor presented high sensitivity (1.1 pF/RH%), low hysteresis, low temperature coefficient (0.5%RH/°C) and high stability.

New insights on electro-optical response of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) film to humidity

DOE PAGES

Sumpter, Bobby G.; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

2017-04-26

Understanding the relative humidity (RH) response of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is critical for improving the stability of organic electronic devices and developing selective sensors. In this work combined gravimetric sensing, nanoscale surface probing, and mesoscale optoelectronic characterization are used to directly compare the RH dependence of electrical and optical conductivities and unfold connections between the rate of water adsorption and changes in functional properties of PEDOT:PSS film. We report three distinct regimes where changes in electrical conductivity, optical conductivity, and optical bandgap are correlated with the mass of adsorbed water. At low (RH < 25%) and high (RH > 60%) humiditymore » levels dramatic changes in electrical, optical and structural properties occur, while changes are insignificant in mid-RH (25% < RH < 60%) conditions. We associate the three regimes with water adsorption at hydrophilic moieties at low RH, diffusion and swelling throughout the film at mid-RH, and saturation of the film by water at high RH. Optical film thickness increased by 150% as RH was increased from 9% to 80%. Low frequency (1 kHz) impedance increased by ~100% and film capacitance increased by ~30% as RH increased from 9% to 80% due to an increase in the film dielectric constant. Finally, changes in electrical and optical conductivities concomitantly decrease across the full range of RH tested.« less

U-shaped micro-groove fiber based on femtosecond laser processing for humidity sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Gui; Ma, Li-li; Su, Fu-fang; Shi, Meng

2018-05-01

A novel optical fiber sensor with a U-shaped micro-groove structure ablated by femtosecond laser on single-mode fiber for measuring air relative humidity (RH) is reported in this paper. In order to improve the accuracy of sensor, a graphene oxide (GO)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite film is coated on the surface of micro-groove structure. In the U-shaped micro-groove structure, the remaining core and micro-cavity in the micro-groove make up two major optical propagation paths, forming a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). The sensor has a good linear response within the RH range of 30%—85%, and the maximum sensitivity can reach 0.638 1 nm/%RH. The effect of temperature on the overall performance of the humidity sensor is also investigated. As a new type of all-fiber device, the sensor shows excellent sensitivity and stability.

Reliable before-fabrication forecasting of normal and touch mode MEMS capacitive pressure sensor: modeling and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jindal, Sumit Kumar; Mahajan, Ankush; Raghuwanshi, Sanjeev Kumar

2017-10-01

An analytical model and numerical simulation for the performance of MEMS capacitive pressure sensors in both normal and touch modes is required for expected behavior of the sensor prior to their fabrication. Obtaining such information should be based on a complete analysis of performance parameters such as deflection of diaphragm, change of capacitance when the diaphragm deflects, and sensitivity of the sensor. In the literature, limited work has been carried out on the above-stated issue; moreover, due to approximation factors of polynomials, a tolerance error cannot be overseen. Reliable before-fabrication forecasting requires exact mathematical calculation of the parameters involved. A second-order polynomial equation is calculated mathematically for key performance parameters of both modes. This eliminates the approximation factor, and an exact result can be studied, maintaining high accuracy. The elimination of approximation factors and an approach of exact results are based on a new design parameter (δ) that we propose. The design parameter gives an initial hint to the designers on how the sensor will behave once it is fabricated. The complete work is aided by extensive mathematical detailing of all the parameters involved. Next, we verified our claims using MATLAB® simulation. Since MATLAB® effectively provides the simulation theory for the design approach, more complicated finite element method is not used.

A flexible skin piloerection monitoring sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaemin; Seo, Dae Geon; Cho, Young-Ho

2014-06-01

We have designed, fabricated, and tested a capacitive-type flexible micro sensor for measurement of the human skin piloerection arisen from sudden emotional and environmental change. The present skin piloerection monitoring methods are limited in objective and quantitative measurement by physical disturbance stimulation to the skin due to bulky size and heavy weight of measuring devices. The proposed flexible skin piloerection monitoring sensor is composed of 3 × 3 spiral coplanar capacitor array using conductive polymer for having high capacitive density and thin enough thickness to be attached to human skin. The performance of the skin piloerection monitoring sensor is characterized using the artificial bump, representing human skin goosebump; thus, resulting in the sensitivity of -0.00252%/μm and the nonlinearity of 25.9% for the artificial goosebump deformation in the range of 0-326 μm. We also verified successive human skin piloerection having 3.5 s duration on the subject's dorsal forearms, thus resulting in the capacitance change of -6.2 fF and -9.2 fF for the piloerection intensity of 145 μm and 194 μm, respectively. It is demonstrated experimentally that the proposed sensor is capable to measure the human skin piloerection objectively and quantitatively, thereby suggesting the quantitative evaluation method of the qualitative human emotional status for cognitive human-machine interfaces applications.

Sensors for measurement of moisture diffusion in power cables with oil-impregnated paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Z. M.; Zahn, M.; Yang, W.

2007-07-01

Some old power cables use oil-impregnated paper as the insulation material, which is enclosed by a layer of lead sheath. As cracks can form on the sheath of aged cables, the oil-impregnated paper can be exposed to the environmental conditions, and ambient moisture can diffuse into the paper through the cracks, causing a reduced breakdown voltage. To understand this diffusion phenomenon, multi-wavelength dielectrometry sensors have been used to measure permittivity and conductivity, aiming to obtain information on the moisture content. Different electrode-grouping strategies have been suggested to obtain more detailed information. Effectively, an electrode-grouping approach forms a type of electrical capacitance tomography sensor. This paper presents different sensor designs together with a capacitance measuring circuit. Some analytical results are also presented.

Evidence of an application of a variable MEMS capacitive sensor for detecting shunt occlusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apigo, David J.; Bartholomew, Philip L.; Russell, Thomas; Kanwal, Alokik; Farrow, Reginald C.; Thomas, Gordon A.

2017-04-01

A sensor was tested subdural and in vitro, simulating a supine infant with a ventricular-peritoneal shunt and controlled occlusions. The variable MEMS capacitive device is able to detect and forecast blockages, similar to early detection procedures in cancer patients. For example, with gradual occlusion development over a year, the method forecasts a danger over one month ahead of blockage. The method also distinguishes between ventricular and peritoneal occlusions. Because the sensor provides quantitative data on the dynamics of the cerebrospinal fluid, it can help test new therapies and work toward understanding hydrocephalus as well as idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. The sensor appears to be a substantial advance in treating brain injuries treated with shunts and has the potential to bring significant impact in a clinical setting.

Meteorological data for selected sites along the Colorado River Corridor, Arizona, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caster, Joshua J.; Dealy, Timothy P.; Andrews, Timothy; Fairley, Helen C.; East, Amy E.; Sankey, Joel B.

2014-01-01

This report presents data from 14 automated weather stations collected as part of an ongoing monitoring program within the Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon Recreation Area along the Colorado River Corridor in Arizona. Weather data presented in this document include precipitation, wind speed, maximum wind gusts, wind direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity, and air temperature collected by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center at 4-minute intervals between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013, using automated weather stations consisting of a data logger and a weather transmitter equipped with a piezoelectric sensor, ultrasonic transducers, and capacitive thermal and pressure sensors. Data collection was discontinuous because of station additions, station removals, changes in permits, and equipment failure. A large volume of data was collected for each station. These data are part of a larger research effort focused on physical processes affecting landscapes and archaeological-site stability in the Colorado River Corridor—both natural processes (including meteorological events) and those related to the Glen Canyon Dam operations. Meteorological conditions during the study interval were warmer and drier than is typical, due to ongoing drought conditions during the time period studied. The El Niño/Southern Oscillation was primarily in a neutral state during the reporting period.

Mathematical calibration procedure of a capacitive sensor-based indexed metrology platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brau-Avila, A.; Santolaria, J.; Acero, R.; Valenzuela-Galvan, M.; Herrera-Jimenez, V. M.; Aguilar, J. J.

2017-03-01

The demand for faster and more reliable measuring tasks for the control and quality assurance of modern production systems has created new challenges for the field of coordinate metrology. Thus, the search for new solutions in coordinate metrology systems and the need for the development of existing ones still persists. One example of such a system is the portable coordinate measuring machine (PCMM), the use of which in industry has considerably increased in recent years, mostly due to its flexibility for accomplishing in-line measuring tasks as well as its reduced cost and operational advantages compared to traditional coordinate measuring machines. Nevertheless, PCMMs have a significant drawback derived from the techniques applied in the verification and optimization procedures of their kinematic parameters. These techniques are based on the capture of data with the measuring instrument from a calibrated gauge object, fixed successively in various positions so that most of the instrument measuring volume is covered, which results in time-consuming, tedious and expensive verification and optimization procedures. In this work the mathematical calibration procedure of a capacitive sensor-based indexed metrology platform (IMP) is presented. This calibration procedure is based on the readings and geometric features of six capacitive sensors and their targets with nanometer resolution. The final goal of the IMP calibration procedure is to optimize the geometric features of the capacitive sensors and their targets in order to use the optimized data in the verification procedures of PCMMs.

Design and characterization of a single channel two-liquid capacitor and its application to hyperelastic strain sensing.

PubMed

Liu, Shanliangzi; Sun, Xiaoda; Hildreth, Owen J; Rykaczewski, Konrad

2015-03-07

Room temperature liquid-metal microfluidic devices are attractive systems for hyperelastic strain sensing. These liquid-phase electronics are intrinsically soft and retain their functionality even when stretched to several times their original length. Currently two types of liquid metal-based strain sensors exist for in-plane measurements: single-microchannel resistive and two-microchannel capacitive devices. With a winding serpentine channel geometry, these sensors typically have a footprint of about a square centimeter. This large footprint of an individual device limits the number of sensors that can be embedded into, for example, electronic fabric or skin. In this work we introduce an alternative capacitor design consisting of two liquid metal electrodes separated by a liquid dielectric material within a single straight channel. Using a liquid insulator instead of a solid elastomer enables us to tailor the system's capacitance by selecting high or low dielectric constant liquids. We quantify the effects of the electrode geometry including the diameter, spacing, and meniscus shape as well as the dielectric constant of the insulating liquid on the overall system's capacitance. We also develop a procedure for fabricating the two-liquid capacitor within a single straight polydiemethylsiloxane channel and demonstrate that this device can have about 25 times higher capacitance per sensor's base area when compared to two-channel liquid metal capacitors. Lastly, we characterize the response of this compact device to strain and identify operational issues arising from complex hydrodynamics near liquid-liquid and liquid-elastomer interfaces.

Roles of inter-SWCNT junctions in resistive humidity response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kang; Zou, Jianping; Zhang, Qing

2015-11-01

As a promising chemiresistor for gas sensing, the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network has not yet been fully utilized for humidity detection. In this work, it is found that as humidity increases from 10% to 85%, the resistance of as-grown SWCNT networks first decreases and then increases. This non-monotonic resistive response to humidity limits their sensing capabilities. The competition between SWCNT resistance and inter-tube junction resistance changes is then found to be responsible for the non-monotonic resistive humidity responses. Moreover, creating sp3 scattering centers on the SWCNT sidewall by monovalent functionalization of four-bromobenzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate is shown to be capable of eliminating the influence from the inter-tube junctions, resulting in a continuous resistance drop as humidity increases from 10% to 85%. Our results revealed the competing resistive humidity sensing process in as-grown SWCNT networks, which could also be helpful in designing and optimizing as-grown SWCNT networks for humidity sensors and other gas sensors.

Capacitance measuring device

DOEpatents

Andrews, W.H. Jr.

1984-08-01

A capacitance measuring circuit is provided in which an unknown capacitance is measured by comparing the charge stored in the unknown capacitor with that stored in a known capacitance. Equal and opposite voltages are repetitively simultaneously switched onto the capacitors through an electronic switch driven by a pulse generator to charge the capacitors during the ''on'' portion of the cycle. The stored charge is compared by summing discharge currents flowing through matched resistors at the input of a current sensor during the ''off'' portion of the switching cycle. The net current measured is thus proportional to the difference in value of the two capacitances. The circuit is capable of providing much needed accuracy and stability to a great variety of capacitance-based measurement devices at a relatively low cost.

Interdigitated electrodes as impedance and capacitance biosensors: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazlan, N. S.; Ramli, M. M.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Halin, D. S. C.; Isa, S. S. M.; Talip, L. F. A.; Danial, N. S.; Murad, S. A. Z.

2017-09-01

Interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) are made of two individually addressable interdigitated comb-like electrode structures. IDEs are one of the most favored transducers, widely utilized in technological applications especially in the field of biological and chemical sensors due to their inexpensive, ease of fabrication process and high sensitivity. In order to detect and analyze a biochemical molecule or analyte, the impedance and capacitance signal need to be obtained. This paper investigates the working principle and influencer of the impedance and capacitance biosensors. The impedance biosensor depends on the resistance and capacitance while the capacitance biosensor influenced by the dielectric permittivity. However, the geometry and structures of the interdigitated electrodes affect both impedance and capacitance biosensor. The details have been discussed in this paper.

H2 S Sensors: Fumarate-Based fcu-MOF Thin Film Grown on a Capacitive Interdigitated Electrode.

PubMed

Yassine, Omar; Shekhah, Osama; Assen, Ayalew H; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Salama, Khaled N; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2016-12-19

Herein we report the fabrication of an advanced sensor for the detection of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) at room temperature, using thin films of rare-earth metal (RE)-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with underlying fcu topology. This unique MOF-based sensor is made via the in situ growth of fumarate-based fcu-MOF (fum-fcu-MOF) thin film on a capacitive interdigitated electrode. The sensor showed a remarkable detection sensitivity for H 2 S at concentrations down to 100 ppb, with the lower detection limit around 5 ppb. The fum-fcu-MOF sensor exhibits a highly desirable detection selectivity towards H 2 S vs. CH 4 , NO 2 , H 2 , and C 7 H 8 as well as an outstanding H 2 S sensing stability as compared to other reported MOFs. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An All Oxide-Based Imperceptible Thin-Film Transistor with Humidity Sensing Properties

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyung Su; Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Kang, Won Jun; Cho, Sung Woon; Jung, Sung Hyeon; Yoon, Dae Ho; Cho, Hyung Koun

2017-01-01

We have examined the effects of oxygen content and thickness in sputtered InSnO (ITO) electrodes, especially for the application of imperceptible amorphous-InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) in humidity sensors. The imperceptible a-IGZO TFT with 50-nm ITO electrodes deposited at Ar:O2 = 29:0.3 exhibited good electrical performances with Vth of −0.23 V, SS of 0.34 V/dec, µFE of 7.86 cm2/V∙s, on/off ratio of 8.8 × 107, and has no degradation for bending stress up to a 3.5-mm curvature. The imperceptible oxide TFT sensors showed the highest sensitivity for the low and wide gate bias of −1~2 V under a wide range of relative humidity (40–90%) at drain voltage 1 V, resulting in low power consumption by the sensors. Exposure to water vapor led to a negative shift in the threshold voltage (or current enhancement), and an increase in relative humidity induced continuous threshold voltage shift. In particular, compared to conventional resistor-type sensors, the imperceptible oxide TFT sensors exhibited extremely high sensitivity from a current amplification of >103. PMID:28772888

An All Oxide-Based Imperceptible Thin-Film Transistor with Humidity Sensing Properties.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Su; Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Kang, Won Jun; Cho, Sung Woon; Jung, Sung Hyeon; Yoon, Dae Ho; Cho, Hyung Koun

2017-05-13

We have examined the effects of oxygen content and thickness in sputtered InSnO (ITO) electrodes, especially for the application of imperceptible amorphous-InGaZnO ( a -IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) in humidity sensors. The imperceptible a -IGZO TFT with 50-nm ITO electrodes deposited at Ar:O₂ = 29:0.3 exhibited good electrical performances with V th of -0.23 V, SS of 0.34 V/dec, µ FE of 7.86 cm²/V∙s, on/off ratio of 8.8 × 10⁷, and has no degradation for bending stress up to a 3.5-mm curvature. The imperceptible oxide TFT sensors showed the highest sensitivity for the low and wide gate bias of -1~2 V under a wide range of relative humidity (40-90%) at drain voltage 1 V, resulting in low power consumption by the sensors. Exposure to water vapor led to a negative shift in the threshold voltage (or current enhancement), and an increase in relative humidity induced continuous threshold voltage shift. In particular, compared to conventional resistor-type sensors, the imperceptible oxide TFT sensors exhibited extremely high sensitivity from a current amplification of >10³.

Electrophysiological assessment of water stress in fruit-bearing woody plants.

PubMed

Ríos-Rojas, Liliana; Tapia, Franco; Gurovich, Luis A

2014-06-15

Development and evaluation of a real-time plant water stress sensor, based on the electrophysiological behavior of fruit-bearing woody plants is presented. Continuous electric potentials are measured in tree trunks for different irrigation schedules, inducing variable water stress conditions; results are discussed in relation to soil water content and micro-atmospheric evaporative demand, determined continuously by conventional sensors, correlating this information with tree electric potential measurements. Systematic and differentiable patterns of electric potentials for water-stressed and no-stressed trees in 2 fruit species are presented. Early detection and recovery dynamics of water stress conditions can also be monitored with these electrophysiology sensors, which enable continuous and non-destructive measurements for efficient irrigation scheduling throughout the year. The experiment is developed under controlled conditions, in Faraday cages located at a greenhouse area, both in Persea americana and Prunus domestica plants. Soil moisture evolution is controlled using capacitance sensors and solar radiation, temperature, relative humidity, wind intensity and direction are continuously registered with accurate weather sensors, in a micro-agrometeorological automatic station located at the experimental site. The electrophysiological sensor has two stainless steel electrodes (measuring/reference), inserted on the stem; a high precision Keithley 2701 digital multimeter is used to measure plant electrical signals; an algorithm written in MatLab(®), allows correlating the signal to environmental variables. An electric cyclic behavior is observed (circadian cycle) in the experimental plants. For non-irrigated plants, the electrical signal shows a time positive slope and then, a negative slope after restarting irrigation throughout a rather extended recovery process, before reaching a stable electrical signal with zero slope. Well-watered plants presented a continuous signal with daily maximum and a minimum EP of similar magnitude in time, with zero slope. This plant electrical behavior is proposed for the development of a sensor measuring real-time plant water status. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A Survey and Experimental Evaluation of Proximity Sensors for Space Robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volpe, Richard

1993-01-01

This paper provides an overview of our selction process for proximity sensors for manipulator collison avoidance. Five categories of sensors have been considered for this use in space operations: Intensity of reflection, triangulation, time of flight, capacitive, and iductive.

Monitoring pasture variability: optical OptRx(®) crop sensor versus Grassmaster II capacitance probe.

PubMed

Serrano, João M; Shahidian, Shakib; Marques da Silva, José Rafael

2016-02-01

Estimation of pasture productivity is an important step for the farmer in terms of planning animal stocking, organizing animal lots, and determining supplementary feeding needs throughout the year. The main objective of this work was to evaluate technologies which have potential for monitoring aspects related to spatial and temporal variability of pasture green and dry matter yield (respectively, GM and DM, in kg/ha) and support to decision making for the farmer. Two types of sensors were evaluated: an active optical sensor ("OptRx(®)," which measures the NDVI, "Normalized Difference Vegetation Index") and a capacitance probe ("GrassMaster II" which estimates plant mass). The results showed the potential of NDVI for monitoring the evolution of spatial and temporal patterns of vegetative growth of biodiverse pasture. Higher NDVI values were registered as pasture approached its greatest vegetative vigor, with a significant fall in the measured NDVI at the end of Spring, when the pasture began to dry due to the combination of higher temperatures and lower soil moisture content. This index was also effective for identifying different plant species (grasses/legumes) and variability in pasture yield. Furthermore, it was possible to develop calibration equations between the capacitance and the NDVI (R(2) = 0.757; p < 0.01), between capacitance and GM (R(2) = 0.799; p < 0.01), between capacitance and DM (R(2) =0.630; p < 0.01), between NDVI and GM (R(2) = 0.745; p < 0.01), and between capacitance and DM (R(2) = 0.524; p < 0.01). Finally, a direct relationship was obtained between NDVI and pasture moisture content (PMC, in %) and between capacitance and PMC (respectively, R(2) = 0.615; p < 0.01 and R(2) = 0.561; p < 0.01) in Alentejo dryland farming systems.

An examination of polyvinylidene fluoride capacitive sensors as ultrasound transducer for imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes-Ramírez, B.; García-Segundo, C.; García-Valenzuela, A.

2014-05-01

We investigate theoretically and experimentally the performance of low-noise capacitive sensors based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric films to sense water-borne ultrasound signals for their use in photoacoustic tomography. We derive a mechanical-to-electrical transfer function of a piezoelectric capacitor sensor of infinite lateral dimensions and arbitrary thickness assuming that an ultrasound wave is normally incident. Then, we analyse the response for obliquely incident ultrasound waves on sensors of large but finite area and derive an expression for the angle dependence of the sensor's response. We also present experimental different measurements with home-made sensors and compare with our theoretical model. We present measurements of the sensors' response to harmonic signals of variable frequency in the range from 0.5 to 50 MHz and of the angular-dependence factor at 6 MHz. Additionally, because of the scope of interest in these kinds of sensors, we also tested the sensors' response for photoacoustic perturbations. These are generated by laser pulses from directly impinging on the sensor and from ultrasound perturbations produced on neoprene by the same kind of laser pulses and then travelling through water to the sensor.

Material approaches to stretchable strain sensors.

PubMed

Park, Jaeyoon; You, Insang; Shin, Sangbaie; Jeong, Unyong

2015-04-27

With the recent progress made in wearable electronics, devices now require high flexibility and stretchability up to large strain levels (typically larger than 30 % strain). Wearable strain sensors or deformable strain sensors have been gaining increasing research interest because of the rapid development of electronic skins and robotics and because of their biomedical applications. Conventional brittle strain sensors made of metals and piezoresistors are not applicable for such stretchable sensors. This Review summarizes recent advances in stretchable sensors and focuses on material aspects for high stretchability and sensitivity. It begins with a brief introduction to the Wheatstone bridge circuit of conventional resistive strain sensors. Then, studies on the manipulation of materials are reviewed, including waved structural approaches for making metals and semiconductors stretchable, the use of liquid metals, and conductive filler/elastomer composites by using percolation among the fillers. For capacitive strain sensors, the constant conductivity of the electrode is a key factor in obtaining reliable sensors. Possible approaches to developing capacitive strain sensors are presented. This Review concludes with a discussion on the major challenges and perspectives related to stretchable strain sensors. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors.

PubMed

Taylor, Anthony P; Velásquez-García, Luis F

2015-12-18

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors' response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%-60% relative humidity range while consuming <6 μW. Devices with GO layers printed by different deposition recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ∼5 × 10(-4) T) at ∼1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems.

Capacitive Sensors for Feedback Control of Microfluidic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. Z.; Darhuber, A. A.; Troian, S. M.; Wagner, S.

2003-11-01

Automation of microfluidic devices based on thermocapillary flow [1] requires feedback control and detection techniques for monitoring the location, and ideally also composition and volume of liquid droplets. For this purpose we have developed a co-planar capacitance technique with a sensitivity of 0.07 pF at a frequency of 370 kHz. The variation in capacitance due to the presence of a droplet is monitored by the output frequency of an RC relaxation oscillator consisting of two inverters, one resistor and one capacitor. We discuss the performance of this coplanar sensor as a function of the electrode dimensions and geometry. These geometric variables determine the electric field penetration depth within the liquid, which in our studies ranged from 30 to 450 microns. Numerical solutions for the capacitance corresponding to the exact fabricated geometry agree very well with experimental data. An approximate analytic solution, which ignores fringe field effects, provides a simple but excellent guide for design development. [1] A. A. Darhuber et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 657 (2003).

Analysis of a Segmented Annular Coplanar Capacitive Tilt Sensor with Increased Sensitivity

PubMed Central

Guo, Jiahao; Hu, Pengcheng; Tan, Jiubin

2016-01-01

An investigation of a segmented annular coplanar capacitor is presented. We focus on its theoretical model, and a mathematical expression of the capacitance value is derived by solving a Laplace equation with Hankel transform. The finite element method is employed to verify the analytical result. Different control parameters are discussed, and each contribution to the capacitance value of the capacitor is obtained. On this basis, we analyze and optimize the structure parameters of a segmented coplanar capacitive tilt sensor, and three models with different positions of the electrode gap are fabricated and tested. The experimental result shows that the model (whose electrode-gap position is 10 mm from the electrode center) realizes a high sensitivity: 0.129 pF/° with a non-linearity of <0.4% FS (full scale of ±40°). This finding offers plenty of opportunities for various measurement requirements in addition to achieving an optimized structure in practical design. PMID:26805844

Capacitive wearable tactile sensor based on smart textile substrate with carbon black /silicone rubber composite dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xiaohui; Huang, Ying; Cai, Xia; Liu, Caixia; Liu, Ping

2016-04-01

To achieve the wearable comfort of electronic skin (e-skin), a capacitive sensor printed on a flexible textile substrate with a carbon black (CB)/silicone rubber (SR) composite dielectric was demonstrated in this paper. Organo-silicone conductive silver adhesive serves as a flexible electrodes/shielding layer. The structure design, sensing mechanism and the influence of the conductive filler content and temperature variations on the sensor performance were investigated. The proposed device can effectively enhance the flexibility and comfort of wearing the device asthe sensing element has achieved a sensitivity of 0.02536%/KPa, a hysteresis error of 5.6%, and a dynamic response time of ~89 ms at the range of 0-700 KPa. The drift induced by temperature variations has been calibrated by presenting the temperature compensation model. The research on the time-space distribution of plantar pressure information and the experiment of the manipulator soft-grasping were implemented with the introduced device, and the experimental results indicate that the capacitive flexible textile tactile sensor has good stability and tactile perception capacity. This study provides a good candidate for wearable artificial skin.

Effect of Slice Error of Glass on Zero Offset of Capacitive Accelerometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, R.; Yu, H. J.; Zhou, W.; Peng, B.; Guo, J.

2018-03-01

Packaging process had been studied on capacitance accelerometer. The silicon-glass bonding process had been adopted on sensor chip and glass, and sensor chip and glass was adhered on ceramic substrate, the three-layer structure was curved due to the thermal mismatch, the slice error of glass lead to asymmetrical curve of sensor chip. Thus, the sensitive mass of accelerometer deviated along the sensitive direction, which was caused in zero offset drift. It was meaningful to confirm the influence of slice error of glass, the simulation results showed that the zero output drift was 12.3×10-3 m/s2 when the deviation was 40μm.

Compensating for Effects of Humidity on Electronic Noses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homer, Margie; Ryan, Margaret A.; Manatt, Kenneth; Zhou, Hanying; Manfreda, Allison

2004-01-01

A method of compensating for the effects of humidity on the readouts of electronic noses has been devised and tested. The method is especially appropriate for use in environments in which humidity is not or cannot be controlled for example, in the vicinity of a chemical spill, which can be accompanied by large local changes in humidity. Heretofore, it has been common practice to treat water vapor as merely another analyte, the concentration of which is determined, along with that of the other analytes, in a computational process based on deconvolution. This practice works well, but leaves room for improvement: changes in humidity can give rise to large changes in electronic-nose responses. If corrections for humidity are not made, the large humidity-induced responses may swamp smaller responses associated with low concentrations of analytes. The present method offers an improvement. The underlying concept is simple: One augments an electronic nose with a separate humidity and a separate temperature sensor. The outputs of the humidity and temperature sensors are used to generate values that are subtracted from the readings of the other sensors in an electronic nose to correct for the temperature-dependent contributions of humidity to those readings. Hence, in principle, what remains after corrections are the contributions of the analytes only. Laboratory experiments on a first-generation electronic nose have shown that this method is effective and improves the success rate of identification of analyte/ water mixtures. Work on a second-generation device was in progress at the time of reporting the information for this article.

Carbon Nanofiber versus Graphene‐Based Stretchable Capacitive Touch Sensors for Artificial Electronic Skin

PubMed Central

Dussoni, Simeone; Ceseracciu, Luca; Maggiali, Marco; Natale, Lorenzo; Metta, Giorgio; Athanassiou, Athanassia

2017-01-01

Abstract Stretchable capacitive devices are instrumental for new‐generation multifunctional haptic technologies particularly suited for soft robotics and electronic skin applications. A majority of elongating soft electronics still rely on silicone for building devices or sensors by multiple‐step replication. In this study, fabrication of a reliable elongating parallel‐plate capacitive touch sensor, using nitrile rubber gloves as templates, is demonstrated. Spray coating both sides of a rubber piece cut out of a glove with a conductive polymer suspension carrying dispersed carbon nanofibers (CnFs) or graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) is sufficient for making electrodes with low sheet resistance values (≈10 Ω sq−1). The electrodes based on CnFs maintain their conductivity up to 100% elongation whereas the GnPs‐based ones form cracks before 60% elongation. However, both electrodes are reliable under elongation levels associated with human joints motility (≈20%). Strikingly, structural damages due to repeated elongation/recovery cycles could be healed through annealing. Haptic sensing characteristics of a stretchable capacitive device by wrapping it around the fingertip of a robotic hand (ICub) are demonstrated. Tactile forces as low as 0.03 N and as high as 5 N can be easily sensed by the device under elongation or over curvilinear surfaces. PMID:29619306

An Integrated Instrumentation System for Velocity, Concentration and Mass Flow Rate Measurement of Solid Particles Based on Electrostatic and Capacitance Sensors.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Kong, Ming; Xu, Chuanlong; Wang, Shimin; Fan, Ying

2015-12-10

The online and continuous measurement of velocity, concentration and mass flow rate of pneumatically conveyed solid particles for the high-efficiency utilization of energy and raw materials has become increasingly significant. In this paper, an integrated instrumentation system for the velocity, concentration and mass flow rate measurement of dense phase pneumatically conveyed solid particles based on electrostatic and capacitance sensorsis developed. The electrostatic sensors are used for particle mean velocity measurement in combination with the cross-correlation technique, while the capacitance sensor with helical surface-plate electrodes, which has relatively homogeneous sensitivity distribution, is employed for the measurement of particle concentration and its capacitance is measured by an electrostatic-immune AC-based circuit. The solid mass flow rate can be further calculated from the measured velocity and concentration. The developed instrumentation system for velocity and concentration measurement is verified and calibrated on a pulley rig and through static experiments, respectively. Finally the system is evaluated with glass beads on a gravity-fed rig. The experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of the accurate solid mass flow rate measurement, and the relative error is within -3%-8% for glass bead mass flow rates ranging from 0.13 kg/s to 0.9 kg/s.

Carbon Nanofiber versus Graphene-Based Stretchable Capacitive Touch Sensors for Artificial Electronic Skin.

PubMed

Cataldi, Pietro; Dussoni, Simeone; Ceseracciu, Luca; Maggiali, Marco; Natale, Lorenzo; Metta, Giorgio; Athanassiou, Athanassia; Bayer, Ilker S

2018-02-01

Stretchable capacitive devices are instrumental for new-generation multifunctional haptic technologies particularly suited for soft robotics and electronic skin applications. A majority of elongating soft electronics still rely on silicone for building devices or sensors by multiple-step replication. In this study, fabrication of a reliable elongating parallel-plate capacitive touch sensor, using nitrile rubber gloves as templates, is demonstrated. Spray coating both sides of a rubber piece cut out of a glove with a conductive polymer suspension carrying dispersed carbon nanofibers (CnFs) or graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) is sufficient for making electrodes with low sheet resistance values (≈10 Ω sq -1 ). The electrodes based on CnFs maintain their conductivity up to 100% elongation whereas the GnPs-based ones form cracks before 60% elongation. However, both electrodes are reliable under elongation levels associated with human joints motility (≈20%). Strikingly, structural damages due to repeated elongation/recovery cycles could be healed through annealing. Haptic sensing characteristics of a stretchable capacitive device by wrapping it around the fingertip of a robotic hand (ICub) are demonstrated. Tactile forces as low as 0.03 N and as high as 5 N can be easily sensed by the device under elongation or over curvilinear surfaces.

Research and development of novel wireless digital capacitive displacement sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Junning; He, Zhangqiang; Sun, Tao; Bian, Xingyuan; Han, Lu

2015-02-01

In order to solve the problem of noncontact, wireless and nonmagnetic displacement sensing with nanometer resolution within critical limited space for ultraprecision displacement monitoring in the Joule balance device, a novel wireless digital capacitive displacement sensor (WDCDS) is proposed. The WDCDS is fabricated with brass and other nonmagnetic material and powered with a small battery inside, a small integrated circuit is assembled inside for converting and processing of capacitive signal, and low power Bluetooth is used for wireless signal transmission and communication. Experimental results show that the WDCDS proposed has a resolution of better than 1nm and a nonlinearity of 0.077%, therefore it is a delicate design for ultraprecision noncontact displacement monitoring in the Joule balance device, meeting the demand for properties of wireless, nonmagnetic and miniaturized size.

A new soil water and bulk eletrical conductivity sensor technology for irrigation and salinity management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many soil water sensors, especially those based on electromagnetic (EM) properties of soils, have been shown to be unsuitable in salt-affected or clayey soils. Most available soil water content sensors are of this EM type, particularly the so-called capacitance sensors. They often over estimate and ...

Optical humidity sensor

DOEpatents

Tarvin, Jeffrey A.

1987-01-01

An optical dielectric humidity sensor which includes a dielectric mirror having multiple alternating layers of two porous water-adsorbent dielectric materials with differing indices of refraction carried by a translucent substrate. A narrow-band polarized light source is positioned to direct light energy onto the mirror, and detectors are positioned to receive light energy transmitted through and reflected by the mirror. A ratiometer indicates humidity in the atmosphere which surrounds the dielectric mirror as a function of a ratio of light energies incident on the detectors.

Optical humidity sensor

DOEpatents

Tarvin, J.A.

1987-02-10

An optical dielectric humidity sensor is disclosed which includes a dielectric mirror having multiple alternating layers of two porous water-adsorbent dielectric materials with differing indices of refraction carried by a translucent substrate. A narrow-band polarized light source is positioned to direct light energy onto the mirror, and detectors are positioned to receive light energy transmitted through and reflected by the mirror. A ratiometer indicates humidity in the atmosphere which surrounds the dielectric mirror as a function of a ratio of light energies incident on the detectors. 2 figs.

Enhancement of humidity sensitivity of graphene through functionalization with polyethylenimine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ben Aziza, Zeineb; School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Block S1, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798; XLIM UMR 7252 Université de Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges

2015-09-28

In this work, we show that the sensing performance of graphene based humidity sensors can be largely improved through polymer functionalization. Chemical vapor deposited graphene is functionalized with amine rich polymer, leading to electron transfer from amine groups in the polymer to graphene. The functionalized graphene humidity sensor has demonstrated good sensitivity, recovery, and repeatability. Charge transfer between the functionalized graphene and water molecules and the sensing mechanism are studied systemically using field effect transistor geometry and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy.

The Influence of Radiosonde 'Age' on TRMM Field Campaign Soundings Humidity Correction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, Biswadev; Halverson, Jeffrey B.; Wang, Jun-Hong

2002-01-01

Hundreds of Vaisala sondes with a RS80-H Humicap thin-film capacitor humidity sensor were launched during the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) field campaigns in Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere held in Brazil (LBA) and in Kwajalein experiment (KWAJEX) held in the Republic of Marshall Islands. Using Six humidity error correction algorithms by Wang et al., these sondes were corrected for significant dry bias in the RS80-H data. It is further shown that sonde surface temperature error must be corrected for a better representation of the relative humidity. This error becomes prominent due to sensor arm-heating in the first 50-s data.

Relative humidity sensor based on surface plasmon resonance of D-shaped fiber with polyvinyl alcohol embedding Au grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Haitao; Han, Daofu; Li, Ming; Lin, Bo

2017-01-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a D-shaped fiber coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) embedding an Au grating-based relative humidity (RH) sensor. The Au grating is fabricated on a D-shaped fiber to match the wave-vector and excite the surface plasmon, and the PVA is embedded in the Au grating as a sensitive cladding film. The refractive index of PVA changes with the ambient humidity. Measurements in a controlled environment show that the RH sensor can achieve a sensitivity of 5.4 nm per relative humidity unit in the RH range from 0% to 70% RH. Moreover, the surface plasmon resonance can be realized and used for RH sensing at the C band of optical fiber communication instead of the visible light band due to the metallic grating microstructure on the D-shaped fiber.

SAW Humidity Sensor Sensitivity Enhancement via Electrospraying of Silver Nanowires

PubMed Central

Sayar Irani, Farid; Tunaboylu, Bahadir

2016-01-01

In this research, we investigated the influence of the surface coatings of silver nanowires on the sensitivity of surface acoustic wave (SAW) humidity sensors. Silver nanowires, with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), which is a hydrophilic capping agent, were chemically synthesized, with an average length of 15 µm and an average diameter of 60 nm. Humidity sensors, with 433 MHz frequency dual-port resonator Rayleigh-SAW devices, were coated by silver nanowires (AgNWs) using the electrospray coating method. It was demonstrated that increasing thickness of coated AgNW on the surfaces of SAW devices results in increased sensitivity. The highest frequency shift (262 kHz) in these SAW devices was obtained with an injection of 0.5 mL of the AgNW solution with a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL at an injection rate of 1 mL/h. It also showed the highest humidity sensitivity among the other prepared SAW devices. PMID:27916870

Use of soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Various types of soil moisture sensing devices have been developed and are commercially available for water management applications. Each type of soil moisture sensors has its advantages and shortcomings in terms of accuracy, reliability, and cost. Resistive and capacitive based sensors, and time-d...

Study on the Ag Nanowire/PDMS Pressure Sensors with Three-Layer and Back-to-Back Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jianhao; Lan, Qiuming; Yang, Weijia; He, Xin; Yue, Yunting; Jiang, Jiayi; Jiang, Tinghui

2018-01-01

Ag nanowire (NW)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pressure sensors with the three-layer and back-to-back structures were fabricated by a coating-peeling method. The bending and pressing responses of the sensors were comparably investigated. The results reveal that two kinds of pressure sensors show similar response linearity in the bending test with a bending angle of 0-180°. However, the response sensitivity of the three-layer structured pressure sensor is superior to that of the back-to-back structural one, which exhibits that the relationship between the capacitance value (Y) and the bending angle (X) is: Y = 0.01244X + 2.9763. On the contrary, in the pressing test, the response sensitivity of the back-to-back structural sensor is better than that of the three-layer structural one. The relationship between capacitance value (Y) and the number of paper clips (pressure, X2) is Y = 0.09241X2 + 88.03597.

A nondisturbing electric-field sensor using piezoelectric and converse piezoelectric resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yongkwan; Kim, Ilryong; Lee, Soonchil

1997-12-01

An electric-field sensor was developed using both piezoelectric and converse piezoelectric resonances. Composed of no metallic parts, this probe minimizes field disturbance. The most distinguishing feature of this probe is that a signal is transmitted neither electrically nor optically, but mechanically. To demonstrate the field sensing capability of this probe, we measured both the capacitive and inductive fields inside empty and plasma-filled solenoidal coils. The result shows that the capacitive field is dominant in an empty solenoid, although it is almost completely shielded by inductively excited plasma.

Magnetic-Field-Response Measurement-Acquisition System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2006-01-01

A measurement-acquisition system uses magnetic fields to power sensors and to acquire measurements from sensors. The system alleviates many shortcomings of traditional measurement-acquisition systems, which include a finite number of measurement channels, weight penalty associated with wires, use limited to a single type of measurement, wire degradation due to wear or chemical decay, and the logistics needed to add new sensors. Eliminating wiring for acquiring measurements can alleviate potential hazards associated with wires, such as damaged wires becoming ignition sources due to arcing. The sensors are designed as electrically passive inductive-capacitive or passive inductive-capacitive-resistive circuits that produce magnetic-field-responses. One or more electrical parameters (inductance, capacitance, and resistance) of each sensor can be variable and corresponds to a measured physical state of interest. The magnetic-field- response attributes (frequency, amplitude, and bandwidth) of the inductor correspond to the states of physical properties for which each sensor measures. For each sensor, the measurement-acquisition system produces a series of increasing magnetic-field harmonics within a frequency range dedicated to that sensor. For each harmonic, an antenna electrically coupled to an oscillating current (the frequency of which is that of the harmonic) produces an oscillating magnetic field. Faraday induction via the harmonic magnetic fields produces an electromotive force and therefore a current in the sensor. Once electrically active, the sensor produces its own harmonic magnetic field as the inductor stores and releases magnetic energy. The antenna of the measurement- acquisition system is switched from a transmitting to a receiving mode to acquire the magnetic-field response of the sensor. The rectified amplitude of the received response is compared to previous responses to prior transmitted harmonics, to ascertain if the measurement system has detected a response inflection. The "transmit-receive-compare" of sequential harmonics is repeated until the inflection is identified. The harmonic producing the amplitude inflection is the sensor resonant frequency. Resonant frequency and response amplitude are stored and then correlated to calibration data.

Closed-Loop Control of Humidification for Artifact Reduction in Capacitive ECG Measurements.

PubMed

Leicht, Lennart; Eilebrecht, Benjamin; Weyer, Soren; Leonhardt, Steffen; Teichmann, Daniel

2017-04-01

Recording biosignals without the need for direct skin contact offers new opportunities for ubiquitous health monitoring. Electrodes with capacitive coupling have been shown to be suitable for the monitoring of electrical potentials on the body surface, in particular ECG. However, due to triboelectric charge generation and motion artifacts, signal and thus diagnostic quality is inferior to galvanic coupling. Active closed-loop humidification of capacitive electrodes is proposed in this work as a new concept to improve signal quality. A capacitive ECG recording system integrated into a common car seat is presented. It can regulate the micro climate at the interface of electrode and patient by actively dispensing water vapour and monitoring humidity in a closed-loop approach. As a regenerative water reservoir, silica gel is used. The system was evaluated with respect to subjective and objective ECG signal quality. Active humidification was found to have a significant positive effect in case of previously poor quality. Also, it had no diminishing effect in case of already good signal quality.

Investigation of Pristine Graphite Oxide as Room-Temperature Chemiresistive Ammonia Gas Sensing Material.

PubMed

Bannov, Alexander G; Prášek, Jan; Jašek, Ondřej; Zajíčková, Lenka

2017-02-09

Graphite oxide has been investigated as a possible room-temperature chemiresistive sensor of ammonia in a gas phase. Graphite oxide was synthesized from high purity graphite using the modified Hummers method. The graphite oxide sample was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Sensing properties were tested in a wide range of ammonia concentrations in air (10-1000 ppm) and under different relative humidity levels (3%-65%). It was concluded that the graphite oxide-based sensor possessed a good response to NH₃ in dry synthetic air (ΔR/R₀ ranged from 2.5% to 7.4% for concentrations of 100-500 ppm and 3% relative humidity) with negligible cross-sensitivity towards H₂ and CH₄. It was determined that the sensor recovery rate was improved with ammonia concentration growth. Increasing the ambient relative humidity led to an increase of the sensor response. The highest response of 22.2% for 100 ppm of ammonia was achieved at a 65% relative humidity level.

Self-Activated Transparent All-Graphene Gas Sensor with Endurance to Humidity and Mechanical Bending.

PubMed

Kim, Yeon Hoo; Kim, Sang Jin; Kim, Yong-Jin; Shim, Yeong-Seok; Kim, Soo Young; Hong, Byung Hee; Jang, Ho Won

2015-10-27

Graphene is considered as one of leading candidates for gas sensor applications in the Internet of Things owing to its unique properties such as high sensitivity to gas adsorption, transparency, and flexibility. We present self-activated operation of all graphene gas sensors with high transparency and flexibility. The all-graphene gas sensors which consist of graphene for both sensor electrodes and active sensing area exhibit highly sensitive, selective, and reversible responses to NO2 without external heating. The sensors show reliable operation under high humidity conditions and bending strain. In addition to these remarkable device performances, the significantly facile fabrication process enlarges the potential of the all-graphene gas sensors for use in the Internet of Things and wearable electronics.

Design of a Capacitive Flexible Weighing Sensor for Vehicle WIM System

PubMed Central

Cheng, Lu; Zhang, Hongjian; Li, Qing

2007-01-01

With the development of the Highway Transportation and Business Trade, vehicle weigh-in-motion (WIM) technology has become a key technology and trend of measuring traffic loads. In this paper, a novel capacitive flexible weighing sensor which is light weight, smaller volume and easy to carry was applied in the vehicle WIM system. The dynamic behavior of the sensor is modeled using the Maxwell-Kelvin model because the materials of the sensor are rubbers which belong to viscoelasticity. A signal processing method based on the model is presented to overcome effects of rubber mechanical properties on the dynamic weight signal. The results showed that the measurement error is less than ±10%. All the theoretic analysis and numerical results demonstrated that appliance of this system to weigh in motion is feasible and convenient for traffic inspection.

Hydrogen gas sensors using a thin Ta2O5 dielectric film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seongjeen

2014-12-01

A capacitive-type hydrogen gas sensor with a MIS (metal-insulator-semiconductor) structure was investigated for high-temperature applications. In this work, a tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) layer of tens of nanometers in thickness formed by oxidizing tantalum film in rapid thermal processing (RTP) was exploited with the purpose of sensitivity improvement. Silicon carbide (SiC), which is good even at high temperatures over 500 °C, was used as the substrate. We fabricated sensors composed of Pd/Ta2O5/SiC, and the dependences of the capacitance response properties and the I-V characteristics on the hydrogen concentration were analyzed from the temperature range of room temperature to 500 °C. As a result, our hydrogen sensor showed promising performance with respect to the sensitivity and the adaptability at high temperature.

Embedded pitch adapters: A high-yield interconnection solution for strip sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullán, M.; Allport, P. P.; Baca, M.; Broughton, J.; Chisholm, A.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Pyatt, S.; Thomas, J. P.; Wilson, J. A.; Kierstead, J.; Kuczewski, P.; Lynn, D.; Hommels, L. B. A.; Fleta, C.; Fernandez-Tejero, J.; Quirion, D.; Bloch, I.; Díez, S.; Gregor, I. M.; Lohwasser, K.; Poley, L.; Tackmann, K.; Hauser, M.; Jakobs, K.; Kuehn, S.; Mahboubi, K.; Mori, R.; Parzefall, U.; Clark, A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; Ashby, J.; Blue, A.; Bates, R.; Buttar, C.; Doherty, F.; McMullen, T.; McEwan, F.; O'Shea, V.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Unno, Y.; Takashima, R.; Chilingarov, A.; Fox, H.; Affolder, A. A.; Casse, G.; Dervan, P.; Forshaw, D.; Greenall, A.; Wonsak, S.; Wormald, M.; Cindro, V.; Kramberger, G.; Mandić, I.; Mikuž, M.; Gorelov, I.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Palni, P.; Seidel, S.; Taylor, A.; Toms, K.; Wang, R.; Hessey, N. P.; Valencic, N.; Hanagaki, K.; Dolezal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Bohm, J.; Mikestikova, M.; Bevan, A.; Beck, G.; Milke, C.; Domingo, M.; Fadeyev, V.; Galloway, Z.; Hibbard-Lubow, D.; Liang, Z.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Seiden, A.; To, K.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Parker, K.; Jinnouchi, O.; Hara, K.; Bernabeu, J.; Civera, J. V.; Garcia, C.; Lacasta, C.; Marti i Garcia, S.; Rodriguez, D.; Santoyo, D.; Solaz, C.; Soldevila, U.

2016-09-01

A proposal to fabricate large area strip sensors with integrated, or embedded, pitch adapters is presented for the End-cap part of the Inner Tracker in the ATLAS experiment. To implement the embedded pitch adapters, a second metal layer is used in the sensor fabrication, for signal routing to the ASICs. Sensors with different embedded pitch adapters have been fabricated in order to optimize the design and technology. Inter-strip capacitance, noise, pick-up, cross-talk, signal efficiency, and fabrication yield have been taken into account in their design and fabrication. Inter-strip capacitance tests taking into account all channel neighbors reveal the important differences between the various designs considered. These tests have been correlated with noise figures obtained in full assembled modules, showing that the tests performed on the bare sensors are a valid tool to estimate the final noise in the full module. The full modules have been subjected to test beam experiments in order to evaluate the incidence of cross-talk, pick-up, and signal loss. The detailed analysis shows no indication of cross-talk or pick-up as no additional hits can be observed in any channel not being hit by the beam above 170 mV threshold, and the signal in those channels is always below 1% of the signal recorded in the channel being hit, above 100 mV threshold. First results on irradiated mini-sensors with embedded pitch adapters do not show any change in the interstrip capacitance measurements with only the first neighbors connected.

Dew-point measurements at high water vapour pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomperski, S.; Dreier, J.

1996-05-01

A dew-point meter capable of measuring humidity at high vapour pressure and high temperature has been constructed and tested. Humidity measurements in pure steam were made over the temperature range 100 - 1500957-0233/7/5/003/img1C and a vapour pressure range of 1 - 4 bar. The dew-point meter performance was assessed by comparing measurements with a pressure transmitter and agreement between the two was within 0957-0233/7/5/003/img2% relative humidity. Humidity measurements in steam - air mixtures were also made and the dew-point meter readings were compared to those of a zirconia oxygen sensor. For these tests the dew-point meter readings were generally within 0957-0233/7/5/003/img2% relative humidity of the oxygen sensor measurements.

CMOS integration of inkjet-printed graphene for humidity sensing.

PubMed

Santra, S; Hu, G; Howe, R C T; De Luca, A; Ali, S Z; Udrea, F; Gardner, J W; Ray, S K; Guha, P K; Hasan, T

2015-11-30

We report on the integration of inkjet-printed graphene with a CMOS micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) microhotplate for humidity sensing. The graphene ink is produced via ultrasonic assisted liquid phase exfoliation in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) polymer as the stabilizer. We formulate inks with different graphene concentrations, which are then deposited through inkjet printing over predefined interdigitated gold electrodes on a CMOS microhotplate. The graphene flakes form a percolating network to render the resultant graphene-PVP thin film conductive, which varies in presence of humidity due to swelling of the hygroscopic PVP host. When the sensors are exposed to relative humidity ranging from 10-80%, we observe significant changes in resistance with increasing sensitivity from the amount of graphene in the inks. Our sensors show excellent repeatability and stability, over a period of several weeks. The location specific deposition of functional graphene ink onto a low cost CMOS platform has the potential for high volume, economic manufacturing and application as a new generation of miniature, low power humidity sensors for the internet of things.

CMOS integration of inkjet-printed graphene for humidity sensing

PubMed Central

Santra, S.; Hu, G.; Howe, R. C. T.; De Luca, A.; Ali, S. Z.; Udrea, F.; Gardner, J. W.; Ray, S. K.; Guha, P. K.; Hasan, T.

2015-01-01

We report on the integration of inkjet-printed graphene with a CMOS micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) microhotplate for humidity sensing. The graphene ink is produced via ultrasonic assisted liquid phase exfoliation in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) polymer as the stabilizer. We formulate inks with different graphene concentrations, which are then deposited through inkjet printing over predefined interdigitated gold electrodes on a CMOS microhotplate. The graphene flakes form a percolating network to render the resultant graphene-PVP thin film conductive, which varies in presence of humidity due to swelling of the hygroscopic PVP host. When the sensors are exposed to relative humidity ranging from 10–80%, we observe significant changes in resistance with increasing sensitivity from the amount of graphene in the inks. Our sensors show excellent repeatability and stability, over a period of several weeks. The location specific deposition of functional graphene ink onto a low cost CMOS platform has the potential for high volume, economic manufacturing and application as a new generation of miniature, low power humidity sensors for the internet of things. PMID:26616216

CMOS integration of inkjet-printed graphene for humidity sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santra, S.; Hu, G.; Howe, R. C. T.; de Luca, A.; Ali, S. Z.; Udrea, F.; Gardner, J. W.; Ray, S. K.; Guha, P. K.; Hasan, T.

2015-11-01

We report on the integration of inkjet-printed graphene with a CMOS micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) microhotplate for humidity sensing. The graphene ink is produced via ultrasonic assisted liquid phase exfoliation in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) polymer as the stabilizer. We formulate inks with different graphene concentrations, which are then deposited through inkjet printing over predefined interdigitated gold electrodes on a CMOS microhotplate. The graphene flakes form a percolating network to render the resultant graphene-PVP thin film conductive, which varies in presence of humidity due to swelling of the hygroscopic PVP host. When the sensors are exposed to relative humidity ranging from 10-80%, we observe significant changes in resistance with increasing sensitivity from the amount of graphene in the inks. Our sensors show excellent repeatability and stability, over a period of several weeks. The location specific deposition of functional graphene ink onto a low cost CMOS platform has the potential for high volume, economic manufacturing and application as a new generation of miniature, low power humidity sensors for the internet of things.

Poly(3-Methylthiophene) Thin Films Deposited Electrochemically on QCMs for the Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds

PubMed Central

Öztürk, Sadullah; Kösemen, Arif; Şen, Zafer; Kılınç, Necmettin; Harbeck, Mika

2016-01-01

Poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT) thin films were electrochemically deposited on quartz crystal microbalance QCM transducers to investigate their volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing properties depending on ambient conditions. Twelve different VOCs including alcohols, ketones, chlorinated compounds, amines, and the organosphosphate dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) were used as analytes. The responses of the chemical sensors against DMMP were the highest among the tested analytes; thus, fabricated chemical sensors based on PMeT can be evaluated as potential candidates for selectively detecting DMMP. Generally, detection limits in the low ppm range could be achieved. The gas sensing measurements were recorded at various humid air conditions to investigate the effects of the humidity on the gas sensing properties. The sensing performance of the chemical sensors was slightly reduced in the presence of humidity in ambient conditions. While a decrease in sensitivity was observed for humidity levels up to 50% r.h., the sensitivity was nearly unaffected for higher humidity levels and a reliable detection of the VOCs and DMMP was possible with detection limits in the low ppm range. PMID:27023539

Capacitive transducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucifredi, A. L.

1970-01-01

The theory, applications, and possible structural designs of capacitive transducers are presented. Emphasis is placed on the circuits used in connection with the sensors, such as AM, FM, resonant circuits, mode circuits, direct current circuits, and special circuits. Some criteria for selection of a design or the purchase of a commercial device are given.

PEDOT:PSS/QCM-based multimodal humidity and pressure sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muckley, Eric S.; Lynch, James; Kumar, Rajeev

A room-temperature multimodal sensor composed of PEDOT:PSS deposited on an AT-cut quartz crystalmicrobalance (QCM) crystal has been fabricated. The nonlinear resistive and frequency sensor responses aredeconvolved using an articial neural network (ANN), which allows the single sensor to function simultane-ously as a relative humidity (RH) sensor and a pressure sensor using only two electrodes. We demonstratethat the predictive ability of the sensor is highly inuenced by the data used to train the ANN. When trainingsets are tailored to resemble the operating conditions of the sensor, the sensor achieves an average resolutionof < 3% RH from 0-100% RH, even after Hmore » 2O saturation occurs on the surface. Our results indicate thatANNs show strong promise for improving the resolution of low cost gas sensors and for expanding the rangeof environmental conditions in which a given sensor can operate.« less

PEDOT:PSS/QCM-based multimodal humidity and pressure sensor

DOE PAGES

Muckley, Eric S.; Lynch, James; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

2016-05-11

A room-temperature multimodal sensor composed of PEDOT:PSS deposited on an AT-cut quartz crystalmicrobalance (QCM) crystal has been fabricated. The nonlinear resistive and frequency sensor responses aredeconvolved using an articial neural network (ANN), which allows the single sensor to function simultane-ously as a relative humidity (RH) sensor and a pressure sensor using only two electrodes. We demonstratethat the predictive ability of the sensor is highly inuenced by the data used to train the ANN. When trainingsets are tailored to resemble the operating conditions of the sensor, the sensor achieves an average resolutionof < 3% RH from 0-100% RH, even after Hmore » 2O saturation occurs on the surface. Our results indicate thatANNs show strong promise for improving the resolution of low cost gas sensors and for expanding the rangeof environmental conditions in which a given sensor can operate.« less

A droplet-based passive force sensor for remote tactile sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Baoqing; Yao, Ting; Zhang, Yiqiu; Liu, Jian; Chen, Xinjian

2018-01-01

A droplet-based flexible wireless force sensor has been developed for remote tactile-sensing applications. By integration of a droplet-based capacitive sensing unit and two circular planar coils, this inductor-capacitor (LC) passive sensor offers a platform for the mechanical force detection in a wireless transmitting mode. Under external loads, the membrane surface of the sensor deforms the underlying elastic droplet uniformly, introducing a capacitance response in tens of picofarads. The LC circuit transduces the applied force into corresponding variations of its resonance frequency, which is detected by an external electromagnetic coupling coil. Specifically, the liquid droplet features a mechanosensitive plasticity, which results in an increased device sensitivity as high as 2.72 MHz N-1. The high dielectric property of the droplet endows our sensor with high tolerance for noise and large capacitance values (20-40 pF), the highest value in the literature for the LC passive devices in comparable dimensions. It achieves excellent reproducibility under periodical loads ranging from 0 to 1.56 N and temperature fluctuations ranging from 10 °C to 55 °C. As an interesting conceptual demonstration, the flexible device has been configured into a fingertip-amounted setting in a highly compact package (of 11 mm × 11 mm × 0.25 mm) for remote contact force sensing in the table tennis game.

Flexible Bond Wire Capacitive Strain Sensor for Vehicle Tyres.

PubMed

Cao, Siyang; Pyatt, Simon; Anthony, Carl J; Kubba, Ammar I; Kubba, Ali E; Olatunbosun, Oluremi

2016-06-21

The safety of the driving experience and manoeuvrability of a vehicle can be improved by detecting the strain in tyres. To measure strain accurately in rubber, the strain sensor needs to be flexible so that it does not deform the medium that it is measuring. In this work, a novel flexible bond wire capacitive strain sensor for measuring the strain in tyres is developed, fabricated and calibrated. An array of 25 micron diameter wire bonds in an approximately 8 mm × 8 mm area is built to create an interdigitated structure, which consists of 50 wire loops resulting in 49 capacitor pairs in parallel. Laser machining was used to pattern copper on a flexible printed circuit board PCB to make the bond pads for the wire attachment. The wire array was finally packaged and embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which acts as the structural material that is strained. The capacitance of the device is in a linear like relationship with respect to the strain, which can measure the strain up to at least ±60,000 micro-strain (±6%) with a resolution of ~132 micro-strain (0.013%). In-tyre testing under static loading has shown the ability of the sensor to measure large tyre strains. The technology used for sensor fabrication lends itself to mass production and so the design is considered to be consistent with low cost commercialisable strain sensing technology.

Wireless Capacitive Pressure Sensor With Directional RF Chip Antenna for High Temperature Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, M. C.; Jordan, J. L.; Ponchak, G. E.; Zorman, C. A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a wireless capacitive pressure sensor with directional RF chip antenna that is envisioned for the health monitoring of aircraft engines operating in harsh environments. The sensing system is characterized from room temperature (25 C) to 300 C for a pressure range from 0 to 100 psi. The wireless pressure system consists of a Clapp-type oscillator design with a capacitive MEMS pressure sensor located in the LC-tank circuit of the oscillator. Therefore, as the pressure of the aircraft engine changes, so does the output resonant frequency of the sensing system. A chip antenna is integrated to transmit the system output to a receive antenna 10 m away.The design frequency of the wireless pressure sensor is 127 MHz and a 2 increase in resonant frequency over the temperature range of 25 to 300 C from 0 to 100 psi is observed. The phase noise is less than minus 30 dBcHz at the 1 kHz offset and decreases to less than minus 80 dBcHz at 10 kHz over the entire temperature range. The RF radiation patterns for two cuts of the wireless system have been measured and show that the system is highly directional and the MEMS pressure sensor is extremely linear from 0 to 100 psi.

Flexible Bond Wire Capacitive Strain Sensor for Vehicle Tyres

PubMed Central

Cao, Siyang; Pyatt, Simon; Anthony, Carl J.; Kubba, Ammar I.; Kubba, Ali E.; Olatunbosun, Oluremi

2016-01-01

The safety of the driving experience and manoeuvrability of a vehicle can be improved by detecting the strain in tyres. To measure strain accurately in rubber, the strain sensor needs to be flexible so that it does not deform the medium that it is measuring. In this work, a novel flexible bond wire capacitive strain sensor for measuring the strain in tyres is developed, fabricated and calibrated. An array of 25 micron diameter wire bonds in an approximately 8 mm × 8 mm area is built to create an interdigitated structure, which consists of 50 wire loops resulting in 49 capacitor pairs in parallel. Laser machining was used to pattern copper on a flexible printed circuit board PCB to make the bond pads for the wire attachment. The wire array was finally packaged and embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which acts as the structural material that is strained. The capacitance of the device is in a linear like relationship with respect to the strain, which can measure the strain up to at least ±60,000 micro-strain (±6%) with a resolution of ~132 micro-strain (0.013%). In-tyre testing under static loading has shown the ability of the sensor to measure large tyre strains. The technology used for sensor fabrication lends itself to mass production and so the design is considered to be consistent with low cost commercialisable strain sensing technology. PMID:27338402

A novel low profile wireless flow sensor to monitor hemodynamic changes in cerebral aneurysm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yanfei; Jankowitz, Brian T.; Cho, Sung Kwon; Chun, Youngjae

2015-03-01

A proof of concept of low-profile flow sensor has been designed, fabricated, and subsequently tested to demonstrate its feasibility for monitoring hemodynamic changes in cerebral aneurysm. The prototype sensor contains three layers, i.e., a thin polyurethane layer was sandwiched between two sputter-deposited thin film nitinol layers (6μm thick). A novel superhydrophilic surface treatment was used to create hemocompatible surface of thin nitinol electrode layers. A finite element model was conducted using ANSYS Workbench 15.0 Static Structural to optimize the dimensions of flow sensor. A computational fluid dynamics calculations were performed using ANSYS Workbench Fluent to assess the flow velocity patterns within the aneurysm sac. We built a test platform with a z-axis translation stage and an S-beam load cell to compare the capacitance changes of the sensors with different parameters during deformation. Both LCR meter and oscilloscope were used to measure the capacitance and the resonant frequency shifts, respectively. The experimental compression tests demonstrated the linear relationship between the capacitance and applied compression force and decreasing the length, width and increasing the thickness improved the sensor sensitivity. The experimentally measured resonant frequency dropped from 12.7MHz to 12.48MHz, indicating a 0.22MHz shift with 200g ( 2N) compression force while the theoretical resonant frequency shifted 0.35MHz with 50g ( 0.5N). Our recent results demonstrated a feasibility of the low-profile flow sensor for monitoring haemodynamics in cerebral aneurysm region, as well as the efficacy of the use of the surface treated thin film nitinol for the low-profile sensor materials.

Development of an LSI for Tactile Sensor Systems on the Whole-Body of Robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muroyama, Masanori; Makihata, Mitsutoshi; Nakano, Yoshihiro; Matsuzaki, Sakae; Yamada, Hitoshi; Yamaguchi, Ui; Nakayama, Takahiro; Nonomura, Yutaka; Fujiyoshi, Motohiro; Tanaka, Shuji; Esashi, Masayoshi

We have developed a network type tactile sensor system, which realizes high-density tactile sensors on the whole-body of nursing and communication robots. The system consists of three kinds of nodes: host, relay and sensor nodes. Roles of the sensor node are to sense forces and, to encode the sensing data and to transmit the encoded data on serial channels by interruption handling. Relay nodes and host deal with a number of the encoded sensing data from the sensor nodes. A sensor node consists of a capacitive MEMS force sensor and a signal processing/transmission LSI. In this paper, details of an LSI for the sensor node are described. We designed experimental sensor node LSI chips by a commercial 0.18µm standard CMOS process. The 0.18µm LSIs were supplied in wafer level for MEMS post-process. The LSI chip area is 2.4mm × 2.4mm, which includes logic, CF converter and memory circuits. The maximum clock frequency of the chip with a large capacitive load is 10MHz. Measured power consumption at 10MHz clock is 2.23mW. Experimental results indicate that size, response time, sensor sensitivity and power consumption are all enough for practical tactile sensor systems.

Archimedean Spiral Pairs with no Electrical Connections as a Passive Wireless Implantable Sensor

PubMed Central

Drazan, John F; Gunko, Aleksandra; Dion, Matthew; Abdoun, Omar; Cady, Nathaniel C; Connor, Kenneth A; Ledet, Eric H

2015-01-01

We have developed, modeled, fabricated, and tested a passive wireless sensor system that exhibits a linear frequency-displacement relationship. The displacement sensor is comprised of two anti-aligned Archimedean coils separated by an insulating dielectric layer. There are no electrical connections between the two coils and there are no onboard electronics. The two coils are inductively and capacitively coupled due to their close proximity. The sensor system is interrogated wirelessly by monitoring the return loss parameter from a vector network analyzer. The resonant frequency of the sensor is dependent on the displacement between the two coils. Due to changes in the inductive and capacitive coupling between the coils at different distances, the resonant frequency is modulated by coil separation. In a specified range, the frequency shift can be linearized with respect to coil separation. Batch fabrication techniques were used to fabricate copper coils for experimental testing with air as the dielectric. Through testing, we validated the performance of sensors as predicted within acceptable errors. Because of its simplicity, this displacement sensor has potential applications for in vivo sensing. PMID:27430033

0.5 V and 0.43 pJ/bit Capacitive Sensor Interface for Passive Wireless Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Beriain, Andoni; Gutierrez, Iñigo; Solar, Hector; Berenguer, Roc

2015-01-01

This paper presents an ultra low-power and low-voltage pulse-width modulation based ratiometric capacitive sensor interface. The interface was designed and fabricated in a standard 90 nm CMOS 1P9M technology. The measurements show an effective resolution of 10 bits using 0.5 V of supply voltage. The active occupied area is only 0.0045 mm2 and the Figure of Merit (FOM), which takes into account the energy required per conversion bit, is 0.43 pJ/bit. Furthermore, the results show low sensitivity to PVT variations due to the proposed ratiometric architecture. In addition, the sensor interface was connected to a commercial pressure transducer and the measurements of the resulting complete pressure sensor show a FOM of 0.226 pJ/bit with an effective linear resolution of 7.64 bits. The results validate the use of the proposed interface as part of a pressure sensor, and its low-power and low-voltage characteristics make it suitable for wireless sensor networks and low power consumer electronics. PMID:26343681

0.5 V and 0.43 pJ/bit Capacitive Sensor Interface for Passive Wireless Sensor Systems.

PubMed

Beriain, Andoni; Gutierrez, Iñigo; Solar, Hector; Berenguer, Roc

2015-08-28

This paper presents an ultra low-power and low-voltage pulse-width modulation based ratiometric capacitive sensor interface. The interface was designed and fabricated in a standard 90 nm CMOS 1P9M technology. The measurements show an effective resolution of 10 bits using 0.5 V of supply voltage. The active occupied area is only 0.0045 mm2 and the Figure of Merit (FOM), which takes into account the energy required per conversion bit, is 0.43 pJ/bit. Furthermore, the results show low sensitivity to PVT variations due to the proposed ratiometric architecture. In addition, the sensor interface was connected to a commercial pressure transducer and the measurements of the resulting complete pressure sensor show a FOM of 0.226 pJ/bit with an effective linear resolution of 7.64 bits. The results validate the use of the proposed interface as part of a pressure sensor, and its low-power and low-voltage characteristics make it suitable for wireless sensor networks and low power consumer electronics.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Anthony P.; Velásquez-García, Luis F.

2015-12-01

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors’ response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%-60% relative humidity range while consuming <6 μW. Devices with GO layers printed by different deposition recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ˜5 × 10-4 T) at ˜1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems.

Long-Term Monitoring of Fresco Paintings in the Cathedral of Valencia (Spain) Through Humidity and Temperature Sensors in Various Locations for Preventive Conservation

PubMed Central

Zarzo, Manuel; Fernández-Navajas, Angel; García-Diego, Fernando-Juan

2011-01-01

We describe the performance of a microclimate monitoring system that was implemented for the preventive conservation of the Renaissance frescoes in the apse vault of the Cathedral of Valencia, that were restored in 2006. This system comprises 29 relative humidity (RH) and temperature sensors: 10 of them inserted into the plaster layer supporting the fresco paintings, 10 sensors in the walls close to the frescoes and nine sensors measuring the indoor microclimate at different points of the vault. Principal component analysis was applied to RH data recorded in 2007. The analysis was repeated with data collected in 2008 and 2010. The resulting loading plots revealed that the similarities and dissimilarities among sensors were approximately maintained along the three years. A physical interpretation was provided for the first and second principal components. Interestingly, sensors recording the highest RH values correspond to zones where humidity problems are causing formation of efflorescence. Recorded data of RH and temperature are discussed according to Italian Standard UNI 10829 (1999). PMID:22164100

Ultra-Sensitive Humidity Sensor Based on Optical Properties of Graphene Oxide and Nano-Anatase TiO2.

PubMed

Ghadiry, Mahdiar; Gholami, Mehrdad; Lai, C K; Ahmad, Harith; Chong, W Y

2016-01-01

Generally, in a waveguide-based humidity sensors, increasing the relative humidity (RH) causes the cladding refractive index (RI) to increase due to cladding water absorption. However, if graphene oxide (GO) is used, a reverse phenomenon is seen due to a gap increase in graphene layers. In this paper, this interesting property is applied in order to fabricate differential humidity sensor using the difference between RI of reduced GO (rGO) and nano-anatase TiO2 in a chip. First, a new approach is proposed to prepare high quality nano-anatase TiO2 in solution form making the fabrication process simple and straightforward. Then, the resulted solutions (TiO2 and GO) are effortlessly drop casted and reduced on SU8 two channels waveguide and extensively examined against several humid conditions. Investigating the sensitivity and performance (response time) of the device, reveals a great linearity in a wide range of RH (35% to 98%) and a variation of more than 30 dB in transmitted optical power with a response time of only ~0.7 sec. The effect of coating concentration and UV treatment are studied on the performance and repeatability of the sensor and the attributed mechanisms explained. In addition, we report that using the current approach, devices with high sensitivity and very low response time of only 0.3 sec can be fabricated. Also, the proposed device was comprehensively compared with other state of the art proposed sensors in the literature and the results were promising. Since high sensitivity ~0.47dB/%RH and high dynamic performances were demonstrated, this sensor is a proper choice for biomedical applications.

Ultra-Sensitive Humidity Sensor Based on Optical Properties of Graphene Oxide and Nano-Anatase TiO2

PubMed Central

Ghadiry, Mahdiar; Gholami, Mehrdad; Lai, C. K.; Ahmad, Harith; Chong, W. Y.

2016-01-01

Generally, in a waveguide-based humidity sensors, increasing the relative humidity (RH) causes the cladding refractive index (RI) to increase due to cladding water absorption. However, if graphene oxide (GO) is used, a reverse phenomenon is seen due to a gap increase in graphene layers. In this paper, this interesting property is applied in order to fabricate differential humidity sensor using the difference between RI of reduced GO (rGO) and nano-anatase TiO2 in a chip. First, a new approach is proposed to prepare high quality nano-anatase TiO2 in solution form making the fabrication process simple and straightforward. Then, the resulted solutions (TiO2 and GO) are effortlessly drop casted and reduced on SU8 two channels waveguide and extensively examined against several humid conditions. Investigating the sensitivity and performance (response time) of the device, reveals a great linearity in a wide range of RH (35% to 98%) and a variation of more than 30 dB in transmitted optical power with a response time of only ~0.7 sec. The effect of coating concentration and UV treatment are studied on the performance and repeatability of the sensor and the attributed mechanisms explained. In addition, we report that using the current approach, devices with high sensitivity and very low response time of only 0.3 sec can be fabricated. Also, the proposed device was comprehensively compared with other state of the art proposed sensors in the literature and the results were promising. Since high sensitivity ~0.47dB/%RH and high dynamic performances were demonstrated, this sensor is a proper choice for biomedical applications. PMID:27101247

The physical model for research of behavior of grouting mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajovsky, Radovan; Pies, Martin; Lossmann, Jaroslav

2016-06-01

The paper deals with description of physical model designed for verification of behavior of grouting mixtures when applied below underground water level. Described physical model has been set up to determine propagation of grouting mixture in a given environment. Extension of grouting in this environment is based on measurement of humidity and temperature with the use of combined sensors located within preinstalled special measurement probes around grouting needle. Humidity was measured by combined capacity sensor DTH-1010, temperature was gathered by a NTC thermistor. Humidity sensors measured time when grouting mixture reached sensor location point. NTC thermistors measured temperature changes in time starting from initial of injection. This helped to develop 3D map showing the distribution of grouting mixture through the environment. Accomplishment of this particular measurement was carried out by a designed primary measurement module capable of connecting 4 humidity and temperature sensors. This module also takes care of converting these physical signals into unified analogue signals consequently brought to the input terminals of analogue input of programmable automation controller (PAC) WinPAC-8441. This controller ensures the measurement itself, archiving and visualization of all data. Detail description of a complex measurement system and evaluation in form of 3D animations and graphs is supposed to be in a full paper.

The performance of hematite nanostructures in different humidity levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, W. R. W.; Mamat, M. H.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Khusaimi, Z.; Yusof, M. M.; Ismail, A. S.; Saidi, S. A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

In this study, hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanostructure were prepared in Schott vials on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate using the sonicated immersion method in aqueous solution with ferric chloride FeCl3ṡ6H2O as a precursor and urea NH2-CONH2 as a stabilizer. The samples were characterized for different level of humidity conditions within range 40% to 90% RH. Based on the results obtained, the hematite nanostructure exhibited good optical properties and virtuous sensor response with high sensitivity. The fabricated hematite nanostructure has revealed a good potential for humidity sensor application based on the results obtained under different levels of humidity.

Sensitivity optimization of ZnO clad-modified optical fiber humidity sensor by means of tuning the optical fiber waist diameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azad, Saeed; Sadeghi, Ebrahim; Parvizi, Roghaieh; Mazaheri, Azardokht; Yousefi, M.

2017-05-01

In this work, the multimode optical fiber size effects on the performances of the clad-modified fiber with ZnO nanorods relative humidity (RH) sensor were experimentally investigated. Simple and controlled chemical etching method through on line monitoring was used to prepare different fiber waist diameter with long length of 15 mm. More precisely, the competition behavior of sensor performances with varying fiber waist diameter was studied to find appropriate size of maximizing evanescent fields. The obtained results revealed that evanescent wave absorption coefficient (γ) enhanced more than 10 times compare to bare fiber at the proposed optimum fiber diameter of 28 μm. Also, high linearity and fast recovery time about 7 s was obtained at the proposed fiber waist diameter. Applicable features of the proposed sensor allow this device to be used for humidity sensing applications, especially to be applied in remote sensing technologies.

Influence of humidity on CO2 gas sensors based on polyetherimide polymer film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Ting; Xie, Guangzhong; Zhou, Yong; Xie, Tao; Tai, Huiling

2014-09-01

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) coated with polyetherimide (PEI) by spin coating method was applied for carbon dioxide (CO2) gas detection at room temperature in this study. The experiments were performed in dry and humid air atmospheres, and the results revealed that the prepared CO2 sensor in moisture circumstance exhibited a larger sensing response than that at dry condition. An enhanced sensing response took place for CO2 detection with the existence of water molecules. The effect of different humidity on QCM sensor performances was investigated as well in this paper. A curve, which displayed a proportional relationship between sensing response and water vapor concentration, was obtained. Moreover, the relevant sensing mechanisms were investigated.

A 3D Faraday Shield for Interdigitated Dielectrometry Sensors and Its Effect on Capacitance.

PubMed

Risos, Alex; Long, Nicholas; Hunze, Arvid; Gouws, Gideon

2016-12-31

Interdigitated dielectrometry sensors (IDS) are capacitive sensors investigated to precisely measure the relative permittivity ( ϵ r ) of insulating liquids. Such liquids used in the power industry exhibit a change in ϵ r as they degrade. The IDS ability to measure ϵ r in-situ can potentially reduce maintenance, increase grid stability and improve safety. Noise from external electric field sources is a prominent issue with IDS. This paper investigates the novelty of applying a Faraday cage onto an IDS as a 3D shield to reduce this noise. This alters the spatially distributed electric field of an IDS affecting its sensing properties. Therefore, dependency of the sensor's signal with the distance to a shield above the IDS electrodes has been investigated experimentally and theoretically via a Green's function calculation and FEM. A criteria of the shield's distance s = s 0 has been defined as the distance which gives a capacitance for the IDS equal to 1 - e - 2 = 86.5 % of its unshielded value. Theoretical calculations using a simplified geometry gave a constant value for s 0 / λ = 1.65, where λ is the IDS wavelength. In the experiment, values for s 0 were found to be lower than predicted as from theory and the ratio s 0 / λ variable. This was analyzed in detail and it was found to be resulting from the specific spatial structure of the IDS. A subsequent measurement of a common insulating liquid with a nearby noise source demonstrates a considerable reduction in the standard deviation of the relative permittivity from σ unshielded = ± 9.5% to σ shielded = ± 0.6%. The presented findings enhance our understanding of IDS in respect to the influence of a Faraday shield on the capacitance, parasitic capacitances of the IDS and external noise impact on the measurement of ϵ r .

Mechanism and Characteristics of Humidity Sensing with Polyvinyl Alcohol-Coated Fiber Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor.

PubMed

Shao, Yu; Wang, Ying; Cao, Shaoqing; Huang, Yijian; Zhang, Longfei; Zhang, Feng; Liao, Changrui; Wang, Yiping

2018-06-25

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a side-polished single mode fiber coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is demonstrated for relative humidity (RH) sensing. The SPR sensor exhibits a resonant dip in the transmission spectrum in ambient air after PVA film coating, and the resonant wavelength shifts to longer wavelengths as the thickness of the PVA film increases. When RH changes, the resonant dip of the sensor with different film-thicknesses exhibits interesting characteristics for optical spectrum evolution. For sensors with initial wavelengths between 550 nm and 750 nm, the resonant dip shifts to longer wavelengths with increasing RH. The averaged sensitivity increases firstly and then drops, and shows a maximal sensitivity of 1.01 nm/RH%. Once the initial wavelength of the SPR sensor exceeds 850 nm, an inflection point of the resonant wavelength shift can be observed with RH increasing, and the resonant dip shifts to shorter wavelengths for RH values exceeding this point, and sensitivity as high as −4.97 nm/RH% can be obtained in the experiment. The sensor is expected to have potential applications in highly sensitive and cost effective humidity sensing.

Planar Microstrip Ring Resonators for Microwave-Based Gas Sensing: Design Aspects and Initial Transducers for Humidity and Ammonia Sensing.

PubMed

Bogner, Andreas; Steiner, Carsten; Walter, Stefanie; Kita, Jaroslaw; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2017-10-24

A planar microstrip ring resonator structure on alumina was developed using the commercial FEM software COMSOL. Design parameters were evaluated, eventually leading to an optimized design of a miniaturized microwave gas sensor. The sensor was covered with a zeolite film. The device was successfully operated at around 8.5 GHz at room temperature as a humidity sensor. In the next step, an additional planar heater will be included on the reverse side of the resonator structure to allow for testing of gas-sensitive materials under sensor conditions.

Planar Microstrip Ring Resonators for Microwave-Based Gas Sensing: Design Aspects and Initial Transducers for Humidity and Ammonia Sensing

PubMed Central

Bogner, Andreas; Steiner, Carsten; Walter, Stefanie; Kita, Jaroslaw; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2017-01-01

A planar microstrip ring resonator structure on alumina was developed using the commercial FEM software COMSOL. Design parameters were evaluated, eventually leading to an optimized design of a miniaturized microwave gas sensor. The sensor was covered with a zeolite film. The device was successfully operated at around 8.5 GHz at room temperature as a humidity sensor. In the next step, an additional planar heater will be included on the reverse side of the resonator structure to allow for testing of gas-sensitive materials under sensor conditions. PMID:29064438

ZrO{sub 2}-ZnO composite thin films for humidity sensing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Velumani, M., E-mail: velumanimohan@gmail.com; Sivacoumar, R.; Alex, Z. C.

2016-05-23

ZrO{sub 2}-ZnO composite thin films were grown by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction studies reveal the composite nature of the films with separate ZnO and ZrO{sub 2} phase. Scanning electron microscopy studies confirm the nanocrystalline structure of the films. The films were studied for their impedometric relative humidity (RH) sensing characteristics. The complex impedance plot was fitted with a standard equivalent circuit consisting of an inter-granular resistance and a capacitance in parallel. The DC resistance was found to be decreasing with increase in RH.

Penicillin biosensor based on a capacitive field-effect structure functionalized with a dendrimer/carbon nanotube multilayer.

PubMed

Siqueira, José R; Abouzar, Maryam H; Poghossian, Arshak; Zucolotto, Valtencir; Oliveira, Osvaldo N; Schöning, Michael J

2009-10-15

Silicon-based sensors incorporating biomolecules are advantageous for processing and possible biological recognition in a small, reliable and rugged manufactured device. In this study, we report on the functionalization of field-effect (bio-)chemical sensors with layer-by-layer (LbL) films containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. A capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) structure modified with carbon nanotubes (EIS-NT) was built, which could be used as a penicillin biosensor. From atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images, the LbL films were shown to be highly porous due to interpenetration of SWNTs into the dendrimer layers. Capacitance-voltage (C/V) measurements pointed to a high pH sensitivity of ca. 55 mV/pH for the EIS-NT structures. The biosensing ability towards penicillin of an EIS-NT-penicillinase biosensor was also observed as the flat-band voltage shifted to lower potentials at different penicillin concentrations. A dynamic response of penicillin concentrations, ranging from 5.0 microM to 25 mM, was evaluated for an EIS-NT with the penicillinase enzyme immobilized onto the surfaces, via constant-capacitance (ConCap) measurements, achieving a sensitivity of ca. 116 mV/decade. The presence of the nanostructured PAMAM/SWNT LbL film led to sensors with higher sensitivity and better performance.

High frequency measures of OHC nonlinear capacitance (NLC) and their significance: Why measures stray away from predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos-Sacchi, Joseph

2018-05-01

Measures of membrane capacitance (Cm) can be used to assess important characteristics of voltage-dependent membrane proteins (e.g., channels and transporters). In particular, a protein's time-dependent voltage-sensor charge movement is equivalently represented as a frequency-dependent component of Cm, telling much about the kinetics of the protein's conformational behavior. Recently, we have explored the frequency dependence of OHC voltage-dependent capacitance (aka nonlinear capacitance, NLC) to query rates of conformational switching within prestin (SLC26a5), the cell's lateral membrane molecular motor 1. Following removal of confounding stray capacitance effects, high frequency Cm measures using wide-band stimuli accurately reveal unexpected low pass behavior in prestin's molecular motions.

Radiation Dry Bias of the Vaisala RS92 Humidity Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vomel, H.; Selkirk, H.; Miloshevich, L.; Valverde-Canossa, J.; Valdes, J.; Kyro, E.; Kivi, R.; Stolz, W.; Peng, G.; Diaz, J. A.

2007-01-01

The comparison of simultaneous humidity measurements by the Vaisala RS92 radiosonde and by the Cryogenic Frostpoint Hygrometer (CFH) launched at Alajuela, Cosla Rica, during July 2005 reveals a large solar radiation dry bias of the Vaisala RS92 humidity sensor and a minor temperature-dependent calibration error. For soundings launched at solar zenith angles between 10" and 30 , the average dry bias is on the order of 9% at the surface and increases to 50% at 15 km. A simple pressure- and temperature-dependent correction based on the comparison with the CFH can reduce this error to less than 7% at all altitudes up to 15.2 km, which is 700 m below the tropical tropopause. The correction does not depend on relative humidity, but is able to reproduce the relative humidity distribution observed by the CFH.

Eraser-based eco-friendly fabrication of a skin-like large-area matrix of flexible carbon nanotube strain and pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee

2017-03-01

This paper reports a new type of electronic, recoverable skin-like pressure and strain sensor, produced on a flexible, biodegradable pencil-eraser substrate and fabricated using a solvent-free, low-cost and energy efficient process. Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film, the strain sensing element, was patterned on pencil eraser with a rolling pin and a pre-compaction mechanical press. This induces high interfacial bonding between the MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which enables the sensor to achieve recoverability under ambient conditions. The eraser serves as a substrate for strain sensing, as well as acting as a dielectric for capacitive pressure sensing, thereby eliminating the dielectric deposition step, which is crucial in capacitive-based pressure sensors. The strain sensing transduction mechanism is attributed to the tunneling effect, caused by the elastic behavior of the MWCNTs and the strong mechanical interlock between MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which restricts slippage of MWCNTs on the eraser thereby minimizing hysteresis. The gauge factor of the strain sensor was calculated to be 2.4, which is comparable to and even better than most of the strain and pressure sensors fabricated with more complex designs and architectures. The sensitivity of the capacitive pressure sensor was found to be 0.135 MPa-1.To demonstrate the applicability of the sensor as artificial electronic skin, the sensor was assembled on various parts of the human body and corresponding movements and touch sensation were monitored. The entire fabrication process is scalable and can be integrated into large areas to map spatial pressure distributions. This low-cost, easily scalable MWCNT pin-rolled eraser-based pressure and strain sensor has huge potential in applications such as artificial e-skin in flexible electronics and medical diagnostics, in particular in surgery as it provides high spatial resolution without a complex nanostructure architecture.

Eraser-based eco-friendly fabrication of a skin-like large-area matrix of flexible carbon nanotube strain and pressure sensors.

PubMed

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee

2017-03-03

This paper reports a new type of electronic, recoverable skin-like pressure and strain sensor, produced on a flexible, biodegradable pencil-eraser substrate and fabricated using a solvent-free, low-cost and energy efficient process. Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film, the strain sensing element, was patterned on pencil eraser with a rolling pin and a pre-compaction mechanical press. This induces high interfacial bonding between the MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which enables the sensor to achieve recoverability under ambient conditions. The eraser serves as a substrate for strain sensing, as well as acting as a dielectric for capacitive pressure sensing, thereby eliminating the dielectric deposition step, which is crucial in capacitive-based pressure sensors. The strain sensing transduction mechanism is attributed to the tunneling effect, caused by the elastic behavior of the MWCNTs and the strong mechanical interlock between MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which restricts slippage of MWCNTs on the eraser thereby minimizing hysteresis. The gauge factor of the strain sensor was calculated to be 2.4, which is comparable to and even better than most of the strain and pressure sensors fabricated with more complex designs and architectures. The sensitivity of the capacitive pressure sensor was found to be 0.135 MPa -1 .To demonstrate the applicability of the sensor as artificial electronic skin, the sensor was assembled on various parts of the human body and corresponding movements and touch sensation were monitored. The entire fabrication process is scalable and can be integrated into large areas to map spatial pressure distributions. This low-cost, easily scalable MWCNT pin-rolled eraser-based pressure and strain sensor has huge potential in applications such as artificial e-skin in flexible electronics and medical diagnostics, in particular in surgery as it provides high spatial resolution without a complex nanostructure architecture.

Polymer Electrolyte-Based Ambient Temperature Oxygen Microsensors for Environmental Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Xu, Jennifer C.; Liu, Chung-Chiun

2011-01-01

An ambient temperature oxygen microsensor, based on a Nafion polymer electrolyte, has been developed and was microfabricated using thin-film technologies. A challenge in the operation of Nafion-based sensor systems is that the conductivity of Nafion film depends on the humidity in the film. Nafion film loses conductivity when the moisture content in the film is too low, which can affect sensor operation. The advancement here is the identification of a method to retain the operation of the Nafion films in lower humidity environments. Certain salts can hold water molecules in the Nafion film structure at room temperature. By mixing salts with the Nafion solution, water molecules can be homogeneously distributed in the Nafion film increasing the film s hydration to prevent Nafion film from being dried out in low-humidity environment. The presence of organics provides extra sites in the Nafion film to promote proton (H+) mobility and thus improving Nafion film conductivity and sensor performance. The fabrication of ambient temperature oxygen microsensors includes depositing basic electrodes using noble metals, and metal oxides layer on one of the electrode as a reference electrode. The use of noble metals for electrodes is due to their strong catalytic properties for oxygen reduction. A conducting polymer Nafion, doped with water-retaining components and extra sites facilitating proton movement, was used as the electrolyte material, making the design adequate for low humidity environment applications. The Nafion solution was coated on the electrodes and air-dried. The sensor operates at room temperature in potentiometric mode, which measures voltage differences between working and reference electrodes in different gases. Repeat able responses to 21-percent oxygen in nitrogen were achieved using nitrogen as a baseline gas. Detection of oxygen from 7 to 21 percent has also been demonstrated. The room-temperature oxygen micro sensor developed has extremely low power consumption (no heating for operation, no voltage applied to the sensor, only a voltmeter is needed to measure the output), is small in size, is simple to batch-fabricate, and is high in sensor yield. It is applicable in a wide humidity range, with improved operation in low humidity after the additives were added to the Nafion film. Through further improvement and development, the sensor can be used for aerospace applications such as fuel leak detection, fire detection, and environmental monitoring.

Wireless Fluid Level Measuring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A level-sensing probe positioned in a tank is divided into sections with each section including (i) a fluid-level capacitive sensor disposed along the length thereof, (ii) an inductor electrically coupled to the capacitive sensor, (iii) a sensor antenna positioned for inductive coupling to the inductor, and (iv) an electrical conductor coupled to the sensor antenna. An electrically non-conductive housing accessible from a position outside of the tank houses antennas arrayed in a pattern. Each antenna is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor from a corresponding one of the sections. A magnetic field response recorder has a measurement head with transceiving antennas arrayed therein to correspond to the pattern of the housing's antennas. When a measurement is to be taken, the measurement head is mechanically coupled to the housing so that each housing antenna is substantially aligned with a specific one of the transceiving antennas.

Smart skin technology development for measuring ice accretion, stall, and high AOA aircraft performance. Part 1: Capacitive ice detector development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pruzan, Daniel A.; Khatkhate, Ateen A.; Gerardi, Joseph J.; Hickman, Gail A.

1993-01-01

A reliable way to detect and measure ice accretion during flight is required to reduce the hazards of icing currently threatening present day aircraft. Many of the sensors used for this purpose are invasive (probe) sensors which must be placed in areas of the airframe where ice does not naturally form. Due to the difference in capture efficiency of the exposed surface, difficulties result in correlating the ice accretion on the probe to what is happening on a number of vastly different airfoil sections. Most flush mounted sensors in use must be integrated into the aircraft surface by cutting or drilling the aircraft surface. An alternate type of ice detector which is based on a NASA patent is currently being investigated at Innovative Dynamics, Inc. (IDI). Results of the investigation into the performance of different capacitive type sensor designs, both rigid as well as elastic, are presented.

Ethanol Microsensors with a Readout Circuit Manufactured Using the CMOS-MEMS Technique

PubMed Central

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang

2015-01-01

The design and fabrication of an ethanol microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectro-mechanical system (MEMS) technique are investigated. The ethanol sensor is made up of a heater, a sensitive film and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is tin dioxide that is prepared by the sol-gel method. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and the sensitive film is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film needs a working temperature of 220 °C. The heater is employed to provide the working temperature of sensitive film. The sensor generates a change in capacitance when the sensitive film senses ethanol gas. A readout circuit is used to convert the capacitance variation of the sensor into the output frequency. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.9 MHz/ppm. PMID:25594598

Ethanol microsensors with a readout circuit manufactured using the CMOS-MEMS technique.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang

2015-01-14

The design and fabrication of an ethanol microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectro -mechanical system (MEMS) technique are investigated. The ethanol sensor is made up of a heater, a sensitive film and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is tin dioxide that is prepared by the sol-gel method. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and the sensitive film is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film needs a working temperature of 220 °C. The heater is employed to provide the working temperature of sensitive film. The sensor generates a change in capacitance when the sensitive film senses ethanol gas. A readout circuit is used to convert the capacitance variation of the sensor into the output frequency. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.9 MHz/ppm.

An acetone microsensor with a ring oscillator circuit fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm CMOS process.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang; Shih, Po-Jen

2014-07-17

This study investigates the fabrication and characterization of an acetone microsensor with a ring oscillator circuit using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The acetone microsensor contains a sensitive material, interdigitated electrodes and a polysilicon heater. The sensitive material is α-Fe2O3 synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The sensor requires a post-process to remove the sacrificial oxide layer between the interdigitated electrodes and to coat the α-Fe2O3 on the electrodes. When the sensitive material adsorbs acetone vapor, the sensor produces a change in capacitance. The ring oscillator circuit converts the capacitance of the sensor into the oscillation frequency output. The experimental results show that the output frequency of the acetone sensor changes from 128 to 100 MHz as the acetone concentration increases 1 to 70 ppm.

An Acetone Microsensor with a Ring Oscillator Circuit Fabricated Using the Commercial 0.18 μm CMOS Process

PubMed Central

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang; Shih, Po-Jen

2014-01-01

This study investigates the fabrication and characterization of an acetone microsensor with a ring oscillator circuit using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The acetone microsensor contains a sensitive material, interdigitated electrodes and a polysilicon heater. The sensitive material is α-Fe2O3 synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The sensor requires a post-process to remove the sacrificial oxide layer between the interdigitated electrodes and to coat the α-Fe2O3 on the electrodes. When the sensitive material adsorbs acetone vapor, the sensor produces a change in capacitance. The ring oscillator circuit converts the capacitance of the sensor into the oscillation frequency output. The experimental results show that the output frequency of the acetone sensor changes from 128 to 100 MHz as the acetone concentration increases 1 to 70 ppm. PMID:25036331

Identification of wheat varieties with a parallel-plate capacitance sensor using fisher linear discriminant analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fisher’s linear discriminant (FLD) models for wheat variety classification were developed and validated. The inputs to the FLD models were the capacitance (C), impedance (Z), and phase angle ('), measured at two frequencies. Classification of wheat varieties was obtained as output of the FLD mod...

CMOS based capacitance to digital converter circuit for MEMS sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rotake, D. R.; Darji, A. D.

2018-02-01

Most of the MEMS cantilever based system required costly instruments for characterization, processing and also has large experimental setups which led to non-portable device. So there is a need of low cost, highly sensitive, high speed and portable digital system. The proposed Capacitance to Digital Converter (CDC) interfacing circuit converts capacitance to digital domain which can be easily processed. Recent demand microcantilever deflection is part per trillion ranges which change the capacitance in 1-10 femto farad (fF) range. The entire CDC circuit is designed using CMOS 250nm technology. Design of CDC circuit consists of a D-latch and two oscillators, namely Sensor controlled oscillator (SCO) and digitally controlled oscillator (DCO). The D-latch is designed using transmission gate based MUX for power optimization. A CDC design of 7-stage, 9-stage and 11-stage tested for 1-18 fF and simulated using mentor graphics Eldo tool with parasitic. Since the proposed design does not use resistance component, the total power dissipation is reduced to 2.3621 mW for CDC designed using 9-stage SCO and DCO.

Packaged Capacitive Pressure Sensor System for Aircraft Engine Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Zorman, Christian A.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the development of a packaged silicon carbide (SiC) based MEMS pressure sensor system designed specifically for a conventional turbofan engine. The electronic circuit is based on a Clapp-type oscillator that incorporates a 6H-SiC MESFET, a SiCN MEMS capacitive pressure sensor, titanate MIM capacitors, wirewound inductors, and thick film resistors. The pressure sensor serves as the capacitor in the LC tank circuit, thereby linking pressure to the resonant frequency of the oscillator. The oscillator and DC bias circuitry were fabricated on an alumina substrate and secured inside a metal housing. The packaged sensing system reliably operates at 0 to 350 psi and 25 to 540C. The system has a pressure sensitivity of 6.8 x 10E-2 MHzpsi. The packaged system shows negligible difference in frequency response between 25 and 400C. The fully packaged sensor passed standard benchtop acceptance tests and was evaluated on a flight-worthy engine.

Concentric Coplanar Capacitive Sensor System with Quantitative Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Tianming (Inventor); Bowler, Nicola (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A concentric coplanar capacitive sensor includes a charged central disc forming a first electrode, an outer annular ring coplanar with and outer to the charged central disc, the outer annular ring forming a second electrode, and a gap between the charged central disc and the outer annular ring. The first electrode and the second electrode may be attached to an insulative film. A method provides for determining transcapacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and using the transcapacitance in a model that accounts for a dielectric test piece to determine inversely the properties of the dielectric test piece.

Holographic sol-gel monoliths: optical properties and application for humidity sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilatovskii, Daniil A.; Milichko, Valentin; Vinogradov, Alexander V.; Vinogradov, Vladimir V.

2018-05-01

Sol-gel monoliths based on SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2 with holographic colourful diffraction on their surfaces were obtained via a sol-gel synthesis and soft lithography combined method. The production was carried out without any additional equipment at near room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The accurately replicated wavy structure with nanoscale size of material particles yields holographic effect and its visibility strongly depends on refractive index (RI) of materials. Addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in systems increases their RI and lends absorbing properties due to extremely high light absorption constant. Further prospective and intriguing applications based on the most successful samples, MWCNTs-doped titania, were investigated as reversible optical humidity sensor. Owing to such property as reversible resuspension of TiO2 nanoparticles while interacting with water, it was proved that holographic xerogels can repeatedly act as humidity sensors. Materials which can be applied as humidity sensors in dependence on holographic response were discovered for the first time.

Simultaneous monitoring of humidity and chemical changes using quartz crystal microbalance sensors modified with nano-thin films.

PubMed

Selyanchyn, Roman; Korposh, Serhiy; Wakamatsu, Shunichi; Lee, Seung-Woo

2011-01-01

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) electrodes modified with nano-thin films were used to develop a system for measuring significant environment changes (smoke, humidity, hazardous material release). A layer-by-layer approach was used for the deposition of sensitive coatings with a nanometer thickness on the electrode surface. The QCM electrode was modified with self-assembled alternate layers of tetrakis-(4-sulfophenyl) porphine (TSPP) (or its manganese derivative, MnTSPP) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). The QCM sensors, which had been reported previously for humidity sensing purposes, revealing a high possibility to recognize significant environmental changes. Identifying of the origin of environmental change is possible via differential signal analysis of the obtained data. The sensors showed different responses to humidity changes, hazardous gas (ammonia) or cigarette smoke exposure. Even qualitative analysis is not yet available; it has been shown that ventilation triggers or alarms for monitoring smoke or hazardous material release can be built using the obtained result.

A Fast Humidity Sensor Based on Li+-Doped SnO2 One-Dimensional Porous Nanofibers

PubMed Central

Yin, Min; Yang, Fang; Wang, Zhaojie; Zhu, Miao; Liu, Ming; Xu, Xiuru; Li, Zhenyu

2017-01-01

One-dimensional SnO2- and Li+-doped SnO2 porous nanofibers were easily fabricated via electrospinning and a subsequent calcination procedure for ultrafast humidity sensing. Different Li dopant concentrations were introduced to investigate the dopant’s role in sensing performance. The response properties were studied under different relative humidity levels by both statistic and dynamic tests. The best response was obtained with respect to the optimal doping of Li+ into SnO2 porous nanofibers with a maximum 15 times higher response than that of pristine SnO2 porous nanofibers, at a relative humidity level of 85%. Most importantly, the ultrafast response and recovery time within 1 s was also obtained with the 1.0 wt % doping of Li+ into SnO2 porous nanofibers at 5 V and at room temperature, benefiting from the co-contributions of Li-doping and the one-dimensional porous structure. This work provides an effective method of developing ultrafast sensors for practical applications—especially fast breathing sensors. PMID:28772895

Screen printing of a capacitive cantilever-based motion sensor on fabric using a novel sacrificial layer process for smart fabric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yang; Torah, Russel; Yang, Kai; Beeby, Steve; Tudor, John

2013-07-01

Free-standing cantilevers have been fabricated by screen printing sacrificial and structural layers onto a standard polyester cotton fabric. By printing additional conductive layers, a complete capacitive motion sensor on fabric using only screen printing has been fabricated. This type of free-standing structure cannot currently be fabricated using conventional fabric manufacturing processes. In addition, compared to conventional smart fabric fabrication processes (e.g. weaving and knitting), screen printing offers the advantages of geometric design flexibility and the ability to simultaneously print multiple devices of the same or different designs. Furthermore, a range of active inks exists from the printed electronics industry which can potentially be applied to create many types of smart fabric. Four cantilevers with different lengths have been printed on fabric using a five-layer structure with a sacrificial material underneath the cantilever. The sacrificial layer is subsequently removed at 160 °C for 30 min to achieve a freestanding cantilever above the fabric. Two silver electrodes, one on top of the cantilever and the other on top of the fabric, are used to capacitively detect the movement of the cantilever. In this way, an entirely printed motion sensor is produced on a standard fabric. The motion sensor was initially tested on an electromechanical shaker rig at a low frequency range to examine the linearity and the sensitivity of each design. Then, these sensors were individually attached to a moving human forearm to evaluate more representative results. A commercial accelerometer (Microstrain G-link) was mounted alongside for comparison. The printed sensors have a similar motion response to the commercial accelerometer, demonstrating the potential of a printed smart fabric motion sensor for use in intelligent clothing applications.

Distributed Capacitive Sensor for Sample Mass Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toda, Risaku; McKinney, Colin; Jackson, Shannon P.; Mojarradi, Mohammad; Manohara, Harish; Trebi-Ollennu, Ashitey

2011-01-01

Previous robotic sample return missions lacked in situ sample verification/ quantity measurement instruments. Therefore, the outcome of the mission remained unclear until spacecraft return. In situ sample verification systems such as this Distributed Capacitive (DisC) sensor would enable an unmanned spacecraft system to re-attempt the sample acquisition procedures until the capture of desired sample quantity is positively confirmed, thereby maximizing the prospect for scientific reward. The DisC device contains a 10-cm-diameter pressure-sensitive elastic membrane placed at the bottom of a sample canister. The membrane deforms under the weight of accumulating planetary sample. The membrane is positioned in close proximity to an opposing rigid substrate with a narrow gap. The deformation of the membrane makes the gap narrower, resulting in increased capacitance between the two parallel plates (elastic membrane and rigid substrate). C-V conversion circuits on a nearby PCB (printed circuit board) provide capacitance readout via LVDS (low-voltage differential signaling) interface. The capacitance method was chosen over other potential approaches such as the piezoelectric method because of its inherent temperature stability advantage. A reference capacitor and temperature sensor are embedded in the system to compensate for temperature effects. The pressure-sensitive membranes are aluminum 6061, stainless steel (SUS) 403, and metal-coated polyimide plates. The thicknesses of these membranes range from 250 to 500 m. The rigid substrate is made with a 1- to 2-mm-thick wafer of one of the following materials depending on the application requirements glass, silicon, polyimide, PCB substrate. The glass substrate is fabricated by a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication approach. Several concentric electrode patterns are printed on the substrate. The initial gap between the two plates, 100 m, is defined by a silicon spacer ring that is anodically bonded to the glass substrate. The fabricated proof-of-concept devices have successfully demonstrated tens to hundreds of picofarads of capacitance change when a simulated sample (100 g to 500 g) is placed on the membrane.

Nanoscale TiO₂-coated LPGs as radiation-tolerant humidity sensors for high-energy physics applications.

PubMed

Consales, Marco; Berruti, Gaia; Borriello, Anna; Giordano, Michele; Buontempo, Salvatore; Breglio, Giovanni; Makovec, Alajos; Petagna, Paolo; Cusano, Andrea

2014-07-15

This Letter deals with a feasibility analysis for the development of radiation-tolerant fiber-optic humidity sensors based on long-period grating (LPG) technology to be applied in high-energy physics (HEP) experiments currently running at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). In particular, here we propose a high-sensitivity LPG sensor coated with a finely tuned titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin layer (~100 nm thick) through the solgel deposition method. Relative humidity (RH) monitoring in the range 0%-75% and at four different temperatures (in the range -10°C-25°C) was carried out to assess sensor performance in real operative conditions required in typical experiments running at CERN. Experimental results demonstrate the very high RH sensitivities of the proposed device (up to 1.4 nm/% RH in correspondence to very low humidity levels), which turned out to be from one to three orders of magnitude higher than those exhibited by fiber Bragg grating sensors coated with micrometer-thin polyimide overlays. The radiation tolerance capability of the TiO₂-coated LPG sensor is also investigated by comparing the sensing performance before and after its exposure to a 1 Mrad dose of γ-ionizing radiation. Overall, the results collected demonstrate the strong potential of the proposed technology with regard to its future exploitation in HEP applications as a robust and valid alternative to the commercial (polymer-based) hygrometers currently used.

Functionalized Ga2O3 nanowires as active material in room temperature capacitance-based gas sensors.

PubMed

Mazeina, Lena; Perkins, F Keith; Bermudez, Victor M; Arnold, Stephen P; Prokes, S M

2010-08-17

We report the first evidence for functionalization of Ga(2)O(3) nanowires (NWs), which have been incorporated as the active material in room temperature capacitance gas-sensing devices. An adsorbed layer of pyruvic acid (PA) was successfully formed on Ga(2)O(3) NWs by simple room temperature vapor transport, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effect of the adsorbed PA on the surface properties was demonstrated by the change in the response of the NW gas-sensing devices. Results indicate that the adsorption of PA reduced the sensitivity of the Ga(2)O(3) NW device to common hydrocarbons such as nitromethane and acetone while improving the response to triethylamine by an order of magnitude. Taking into account the simplicity of this functionalization together with the ease of producing these capacitance-based gas-sensing devices, this approach represents a viable technique for sensor development.

Investigations on microstructure, electrical and magnetic properties of copper spinel ferrite with WO3 addition for applications in the humidity sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudorache, Florin

2018-04-01

In the present study we report the structural, electrical, magnetic and humidity characteristics of copper ferrite with different percent on tungsten trioxide addition. The aim of this study was to obtain more stable and sensitive active materials for humidity sensors. In order to highlight the influence of tungsten on the structural, electrical and magnetic properties, the ferrite samples were fabricated via sol-gel self-combustion method and sintered for 30 min at 1000 °C with percent between 0 and 20% tungsten trioxide additions. The X-ray diffraction investigations showed the copper ferrite phase composition. The scanning electron microscopy revealed the influence of the substitution on characteristics of the crystallites and the profilometry showed the surface topography of samples. The investigation was focused on the variation of permittivity and electrical conductivity, in relation with tungsten trioxide addition, frequency and humidity. We have also, investigated the relevant magnetic characteristics of the copper ferrite material by highlighting the influence of tungsten trioxide addition on to Curie temperature and the permeability frequency characteristics. The data suggests that the copper ferrite with tungsten trioxide addition can be used as active material for humidity sensors.

Stable and Selective Humidity Sensing Using Stacked Black Phosphorus Flakes.

PubMed

Yasaei, Poya; Behranginia, Amirhossein; Foroozan, Tara; Asadi, Mohammad; Kim, Kibum; Khalili-Araghi, Fatemeh; Salehi-Khojin, Amin

2015-10-27

Black phosphorus (BP) atomic layers are known to undergo chemical degradation in humid air. Yet in more robust configurations such as films, composites, and embedded structures, BP can potentially be utilized in a large number of practical applications. In this study, we explored the sensing characteristics of BP films and observed an ultrasensitive and selective response toward humid air with a trace-level detection capability and a very minor drift over time. Our experiments show that the drain current of the BP sensor increases by ∼4 orders of magnitude as the relative humidity (RH) varies from 10% to 85%, which ranks it among the highest ever reported values for humidity detection. The mechanistic studies indicate that the operation principle of the BP film sensors is based on the modulation in the leakage ionic current caused by autoionization of water molecules and ionic solvation of the phosphorus oxoacids produced on moist BP surfaces. Our stability tests reveal that the response of the BP film sensors remains nearly unchanged after prolonged exposures (up to 3 months) to ambient conditions. This study opens up the route for utilizing BP stacked films in many potential applications such as energy generation/storage systems, electrocatalysis, and chemical/biosensing.

Capacitance-based damage detection sensing for aerospace structural composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahrami, P.; Yamamoto, N.; Chen, Y.; Manohara, H.

2014-04-01

Damage detection technology needs improvement for aerospace engineering application because detection within complex composite structures is difficult yet critical to avoid catastrophic failure. Damage detection is challenging in aerospace structures because not all the damage detection technology can cover the various defect types (delamination, fiber fracture, matrix crack etc.), or conditions (visibility, crack length size, etc.). These defect states are expected to become even more complex with future introduction of novel composites including nano-/microparticle reinforcement. Currently, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods with X-ray, ultrasound, or eddy current have good resolutions (< 0.1 mm), but their detection capabilities is limited by defect locations and orientations and require massive inspection devices. System health monitoring (SHM) methods are often paired with NDE technologies to signal out sensed damage, but their data collection and analysis currently requires excessive wiring and complex signal analysis. Here, we present a capacitance sensor-based, structural defect detection technology with improved sensing capability. Thin dielectric polymer layer is integrated as part of the structure; the defect in the structure directly alters the sensing layer's capacitance, allowing full-coverage sensing capability independent of defect size, orientation or location. In this work, capacitance-based sensing capability was experimentally demonstrated with a 2D sensing layer consisting of a dielectric layer sandwiched by electrodes. These sensing layers were applied on substrate surfaces. Surface indentation damage (~1mm diameter) and its location were detected through measured capacitance changes: 1 to 250 % depending on the substrates. The damage detection sensors are light weight, and they can be conformably coated and can be part of the composite structure. Therefore it is suitable for aerospace structures such as cryogenic tanks and rocket fairings for example. The sensors can also be operating in space and harsh environment such as high temperature and vacuum.

Noncontact Capacitive Clearance Control System For Laser Cutting Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topkaya, Ahmet; Schmall, Karl-Heinz; Majoli, Ralf

1989-03-01

For a continuous high quality laser cut, it is necessary among other things to position the focal point of the laser beam correctly. This means that a constant clearance between the cutting head and the workpiece with a tolerance of +/- 0.Imm must he ensured. When cutting corrugated automobile bodysheet for example, a good quality cut can only be achieved with automatic clearance control. In the following, a method of automatic clearance control is described using the assistance of a noncontact capacitive sensor system. The copper nozzle of the laser cutting head acts as the electrode of the clearance sensor. The nozzle electrode and the workpiece build a small variable capacitance depending on the clearance. A change of clearance also changes the capacitance, which in turn influences a high frequency oscillator circuit. This shift in frequency is then converted into an analogue DC signal, which can be used to operate a servo motor control for the positioning of the laser cutting head in a closed loop servo system. Laser cutting heads with clearance sensor nozzles of different shapes, suited fur most applications in the industry, with focal lengths from 2.5" to 5" have been developed. They are capable to cut metal sheet from 0.2 to 12 mm of thickness, using CO2-lasers with output power up to 2.5 kW. For special applications involving difficult workpiece topographies in automobile production applications special "trunk" nozzles have been developed. For 5-axis cutting machines and robots, new laser cutting heads with integrated nozzle sensors in combination with a high dynamic Z-axis motor drive are in a stage of development.

Design and Laboratory Validation of a Capacitive Sensor for Measuring the Recession of Thin-Layered Ablator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noffz, Gregory K.; Bowman, Michael P.

1996-01-01

Flight vehicles are typically instrumented with subsurface thermocouples to estimate heat transfer at the surface using inverse analysis procedures. If the vehicle has an ablating heat shield, however, temperature time histories from subsurface thermocouples no longer provide enough information to estimate heat flux at the surface. In this situation, the geometry changes and thermal energy leaves the surface in the form of ablation products. The ablation rate is required to estimate heat transfer to the surface. A new concept for a capacitive sensor has been developed to measure ablator depth using the ablator's dielectric effect on a capacitor's fringe region. Relying on the capacitor's fringe region enables the gage to be flush mounted in the vehicle's permanent structure and not intrude into the ablative heat shield applied over the gage. This sensor's design allows nonintrusive measurement of the thickness of dielectric materials, in particular, the recession rates of low-temperature ablators applied in thin (0.020 to 0.060 in. (0.05 to 0.15 mm)) layers. Twenty capacitive gages with 13 different sensing element geometries were designed, fabricated, and tested. A two-dimensional finite-element analysis was performed on several candidate geometries. Calibration procedures using ablator-simulating shims are described. A one-to-one correspondence between system output and dielectric material thickness was observed out to a thickness of 0.055 in. (1.4 mm) for a material with a permittivity about three times that of air or vacuum. A novel method of monitoring the change in sensor capacitance was developed. This technical memorandum suggests further improvements in gage design and fabrication techniques.

DNA Immobilization and Hybridization Detection by the Intrinsic Molecular Charge Using Capacitive Field-Effect Sensors Modified with a Charged Weak Polyelectrolyte Layer.

PubMed

Bronder, Thomas S; Poghossian, Arshak; Scheja, Sabrina; Wu, Chunsheng; Keusgen, Michael; Mewes, Dieter; Schöning, Michael J

2015-09-16

Miniaturized setup, compatibility with advanced micro- and nanotechnologies, and ability to detect biomolecules by their intrinsic molecular charge favor the semiconductor field-effect platform as one of the most attractive approaches for the development of label-free DNA chips. In this work, a capacitive field-effect EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) sensor covered with a layer-by-layer prepared, positively charged weak polyelectrolyte layer of PAH (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)) was used for the label-free electrical detection of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) immobilization and hybridization. The negatively charged probe single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules were electrostatically adsorbed onto the positively charged PAH layer, resulting in a preferentially flat orientation of the ssDNA molecules within the Debye length, thus yielding a reduced charge-screening effect and a higher sensor signal. Each sensor-surface modification step (PAH adsorption, probe ssDNA immobilization, hybridization with complementary target DNA (cDNA), reducing an unspecific adsorption by a blocking agent, incubation with noncomplementary DNA (ncDNA) solution) was monitored by means of capacitance-voltage and constant-capacitance measurements. In addition, the surface morphology of the PAH layer was studied by atomic force microscopy and contact-angle measurements. High hybridization signals of 34 and 43 mV were recorded in low-ionic strength solutions of 10 and 1 mM, respectively. In contrast, a small signal of 4 mV was recorded in the case of unspecific adsorption of fully mismatched ncDNA. The density of probe ssDNA and dsDNA molecules as well as the hybridization efficiency was estimated using the experimentally measured DNA immobilization and hybridization signals and a simplified double-layer capacitor model. The results of field-effect experiments were supported by fluorescence measurements, verifying the DNA-immobilization and hybridization event.

Room temperature humidity sensor based on polyaniline-tungsten disulfide composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjunatha, S.; Chethan, B.; Ravikiran, Y. T.; Machappa, T.

2018-05-01

Polyaniline-tungsten disulfide (PANI-WS2) composite was synthesized using in situ polymerization technique by adding finely grinded powder of WS2 during the polymerization of aniline. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed the granular morphology with porous nature. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the presence of carbon, nitrogen, chlorine of PANI, tungsten and sulfur elements of WS2. Humidity sensing property of the composite was investigated by plotting change in its resistance with different relative humidity environments ranging from 10 to 97% RH. Decrease in resistance of the composite was observed with increase in relative humidity. Maximum sensing response of the composite was found to be 88.46%. Response and recovery times of the composite at 97%RH were fair enough to fabricate a sensor based on it. Stability of the composite with respect to the humidity sensing behavior was observed to be unchanged even after two months.

Low-temperature-sensitive relative humidity sensor based on tapered square no-core fiber coated with SiO2 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Yinping; Ma, Xixi; He, Yong; Zhang, Hongmin; Zhang, Hao; Song, Binbin; Liu, Bo; Yao, Jianquan

2016-05-01

A low-temperature-sensitive relative humidity (RH) sensor based on multimode interference effects has been proposed. The sensor consists of a section of tapered square no-core fiber (TSNCF) coated with SiO2 nanoparticles which is fabricated by splicing the TSNCF with two single-mode fibers (SMFs). The refractive index of SiO2 nanoparticles changes with the variation of environmental humidity levels. Characteristics of the transmission spectral have been investigated under different humidity levels. The wavelength shifts up to 10.2 nm at 1410 nm and 11.5 nm at 1610 nm for a RH range of 43.6-98.6% have been experimentally achieved, and the corresponding sensitivities reach 456.21 pm/%RH and 584.2 pm/%RH for a RH range of 83-96.6%, respectively. The temperature response of the proposed sensor has also been experimentally investigated. Due to the fact that the sensing head is made of a pure silica rod with a low thermal expansion coefficient and the thermo-optic coefficient, the transmission spectrum shows a low temperature sensitivity of about 6 pm/°C for an environmental temperature of 20.9-80 °C, which is a desirable merit to resolve the temperature cross sensitivity. Therefore, the proposed sensor could be applied to breath analysis applications with low temperature fluctuations.

Recent Improvements in Retrieving Near-Surface Air Temperature and Humidity Using Microwave Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, J. Brent

2010-01-01

Detailed studies of the energy and water cycles require accurate estimation of the turbulent fluxes of moisture and heat across the atmosphere-ocean interface at regional to basin scale. Providing estimates of these latent and sensible heat fluxes over the global ocean necessitates the use of satellite or reanalysis-based estimates of near surface variables. Recent studies have shown that errors in the surface (10 meter)estimates of humidity and temperature are currently the largest sources of uncertainty in the production of turbulent fluxes from satellite observations. Therefore, emphasis has been placed on reducing the systematic errors in the retrieval of these parameters from microwave radiometers. This study discusses recent improvements in the retrieval of air temperature and humidity through improvements in the choice of algorithms (linear vs. nonlinear) and the choice of microwave sensors. Particular focus is placed on improvements using a neural network approach with a single sensor (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) and the use of combined sensors from the NASA AQUA satellite platform. The latter algorithm utilizes the unique sampling available on AQUA from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A). Current estimates of uncertainty in the near-surface humidity and temperature from single and multi-sensor approaches are discussed and used to estimate errors in the turbulent fluxes.

Electrostatic capacitance and Faraday cage behavior of carbon nanotube forests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ya'akobovitz, A.; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva; Bedewy, M.

2015-02-02

Understanding of the electrostatic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests is essential to enable their integration in microelectronic and micromechanical devices. In this study, we sought to understand how the hierarchical geometry and morphology of CNT forests determines their capacitance. First, we find that at small gaps, solid micropillars have greater capacitance, yet at larger gaps the capacitance of the CNT forests is greater. The surface area of the CNT forest accessible to the electrostatic field was extracted by analysis of the measured capacitance, and, by relating the capacitance to the average density of CNTs in the forest, we findmore » that the penetration depth of the electrostatic field is on the order of several microns. Therefore, CNT forests can behave as a miniature Faraday cage. The unique electrostatic properties of CNT forests could therefore enable their use as long-range proximity sensors and as shielding elements for miniature electronic devices.« less

Studies on the Evaluation Methods for the Food Quality with a Non-contact type Capacitance Sensor.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narumiya, Tadaoki; Hagura, Yoshio

Changes of capacitance and temperature of ethyl alcohol, hamburger and dough with cheese filling were measured with specially-made measuring devices during the freezing and thawing. The results of measurement of capacitance and temperature suggest a linear correlation for ethyl alcohol as a single constituent substance. The adequate correlation is too estimated from the results of food samples, though the capacitance of food sample varies greatly at the start and end of freezing and thawing process. It has been demonstrated that the quality or physical condition of food sample can be determined easily by the measurement of capacitance using the specially-made devices. Also the quality or physical condition of food can be determined easily by the non-contact and non-destructive measurements of capacitance. A variety application of the present technique is conceivable for the process control of the freezing and thawing foods.

Electrostatic capacitance and Faraday cage behavior of carbon nanotube forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ya'akobovitz, A.; Bedewy, M.; Hart, A. J.

2015-02-01

Understanding of the electrostatic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests is essential to enable their integration in microelectronic and micromechanical devices. In this study, we sought to understand how the hierarchical geometry and morphology of CNT forests determines their capacitance. First, we find that at small gaps, solid micropillars have greater capacitance, yet at larger gaps the capacitance of the CNT forests is greater. The surface area of the CNT forest accessible to the electrostatic field was extracted by analysis of the measured capacitance, and, by relating the capacitance to the average density of CNTs in the forest, we find that the penetration depth of the electrostatic field is on the order of several microns. Therefore, CNT forests can behave as a miniature Faraday cage. The unique electrostatic properties of CNT forests could therefore enable their use as long-range proximity sensors and as shielding elements for miniature electronic devices.

Capacitive sensing of droplets for microfluidic devices based on thermocapillary actuation.

PubMed

Chen, Jian Z; Darhuber, Anton A; Troian, Sandra M; Wagner, Sigurd

2004-10-01

The design and performance of a miniaturized coplanar capacitive sensor is presented whose electrode arrays can also function as resistive microheaters for thermocapillary actuation of liquid films and droplets. Optimal compromise between large capacitive signal and high spatial resolution is obtained for electrode widths comparable to the liquid film thickness measured, in agreement with supporting numerical simulations which include mutual capacitance effects. An interdigitated, variable width design, allowing for wider central electrodes, increases the capacitive signal for liquid structures with non-uniform height profiles. The capacitive resolution and time response of the current design is approximately 0.03 pF and 10 ms, respectively, which makes possible a number of sensing functions for nanoliter droplets. These include detection of droplet position, size, composition or percentage water uptake for hygroscopic liquids. Its rapid response time allows measurements of the rate of mass loss in evaporating droplets.

Moisture Determination of Nuts and Dry Fruits using a Capacitance Sensor

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Impedance (Z), and phase angle (') of a cylindrical parallel-plate capacitor with in-shell peanuts between the plates was measured earlier, using a CI meter (Chari’s Impedance meter), at 1 and 5 MHz . Capacitance C, was derived from Z and ', and using the C, ', and Z values of a set of peanuts whos...

Effective moisture penetration depth model for residential buildings: Sensitivity analysis and guidance on model inputs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, Jason; Winkler, Jon

Moisture buffering of building materials has a significant impact on the building's indoor humidity, and building energy simulations need to model this buffering to accurately predict the humidity. Researchers requiring a simple moisture-buffering approach typically rely on the effective-capacitance model, which has been shown to be a poor predictor of actual indoor humidity. This paper describes an alternative two-layer effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model and its inputs. While this model has been used previously, there is a need to understand the sensitivity of this model to uncertain inputs. In this paper, we use the moisture-adsorbent materials exposed to themore » interior air: drywall, wood, and carpet. We use a global sensitivity analysis to determine which inputs are most influential and how the model's prediction capability degrades due to uncertainty in these inputs. We then compare the model's humidity prediction with measured data from five houses, which shows that this model, and a set of simple inputs, can give reasonable prediction of the indoor humidity.« less

Effective moisture penetration depth model for residential buildings: Sensitivity analysis and guidance on model inputs

DOE PAGES

Woods, Jason; Winkler, Jon

2018-01-31

Moisture buffering of building materials has a significant impact on the building's indoor humidity, and building energy simulations need to model this buffering to accurately predict the humidity. Researchers requiring a simple moisture-buffering approach typically rely on the effective-capacitance model, which has been shown to be a poor predictor of actual indoor humidity. This paper describes an alternative two-layer effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model and its inputs. While this model has been used previously, there is a need to understand the sensitivity of this model to uncertain inputs. In this paper, we use the moisture-adsorbent materials exposed to themore » interior air: drywall, wood, and carpet. We use a global sensitivity analysis to determine which inputs are most influential and how the model's prediction capability degrades due to uncertainty in these inputs. We then compare the model's humidity prediction with measured data from five houses, which shows that this model, and a set of simple inputs, can give reasonable prediction of the indoor humidity.« less

Non-destructive evaluation of laminated composite plates using dielectrometry sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassr, Amr A.; El-Dakhakhni, Wael W.

2009-05-01

The use of composite materials in marine, aerospace and automotive applications is increasing; however, several kinds of damages of composite materials may influence its durability and future applications. In this paper, a methodology was presented for damage detection of laminated composite plates using dielectrometry sensors. The presence of damage in the laminated composite plate leads to changes in its dielectric characteristics, causing variation in the measured capacitance by the sensors. An analytical model was used to analyse the influence of different sensor parameters on the output signals and to optimize sensor design. Two-dimensional finite element (FE) simulations were performed to assess the validity of the analytical results and to evaluate other sensor design-related parameters. To experimentally verify the model, the dielectric permittivity of the composite plate was measured. In addition, a glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminated plate containing pre-fabricated slots through its thickness to simulate delamination and water intrusion defects was inspected in a laboratory setting. Excellent agreements were found between the experimental capacitance response signals and those predicated from the FE simulations. This cost-effective technique can be used for rapid damage screening, regular scheduled inspection, or as a permanent sensor network within the composite system.

Embedding piezoresistive pressure sensors to obtain online pressure profiles inside fiber composite laminates.

PubMed

Moghaddam, Maryam Kahali; Breede, Arne; Brauner, Christian; Lang, Walter

2015-03-27

The production of large and complex parts using fiber composite materials is costly due to the frequent formation of voids, porosity and waste products. By embedding different types of sensors and monitoring the process in real time, the amount of wastage can be significantly reduced. This work focuses on developing a knowledge-based method to improve and ensure complete impregnation of the fibers before initiation of the resin cure. Piezoresistive and capacitive pressure sensors were embedded in fiber composite laminates to measure the real-time the pressure values inside the laminate. A change of pressure indicates resin infusion. The sensors were placed in the laminate and the resin was infused by vacuum. The embedded piezoresistive pressure sensors were able to track the vacuum pressure in the fiber composite laminate setup, as well as the arrival of the resin at the sensor. The pressure increase due to closing the resin inlet was also measured. In contrast, the capacitive type of sensor was found to be inappropriate for measuring these quantities. The following study demonstrates real-time monitoring of pressure changes inside the fiber composite laminate, which validate the use of Darcy's law in porous media to control the resin flow during infusion.

Stretchable Dual-Capacitor Multi-Sensor for Touch-Curvature-Pressure-Strain Sensing.

PubMed

Jin, Hanbyul; Jung, Sungchul; Kim, Junhyung; Heo, Sanghyun; Lim, Jaeik; Park, Wonsang; Chu, Hye Yong; Bien, Franklin; Park, Kibog

2017-09-07

We introduce a new type of multi-functional capacitive sensor that can sense several different external stimuli. It is fabricated only with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films and silver nanowire electrodes by using selective oxygen plasma treatment method without photolithography and etching processes. Differently from the conventional single-capacitor multi-functional sensors, our new multi-functional sensor is composed of two vertically-stacked capacitors (dual-capacitor). The unique dual-capacitor structure can detect the type and strength of external stimuli including curvature, pressure, strain, and touch with clear distinction, and it can also detect the surface-normal directionality of curvature, pressure, and touch. Meanwhile, the conventional single-capacitor sensor has ambiguity in distinguishing curvature and pressure and it can detect only the strength of external stimulus. The type, directionality, and strength of external stimulus can be determined based on the relative capacitance changes of the two stacked capacitors. Additionally, the logical flow reflected on a tree structure with its branches reaching the direction and strength of the corresponding external stimulus unambiguously is devised. This logical flow can be readily implemented in the sensor driving circuit if the dual-capacitor sensor is commercialized actually in the future.

Arduino Uno Microcontroller with Commercially Available Sensors Towards Generating Student Accessible Raw Meteorological Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henson, Gabrielle; Tanner, Meghan; Senevirathne, Indrajith

Microcontroller systems can be a boon to cost - effective techniques that can be used to enhance teaching at college level. We have used Arduino microcontroller coupled with commercially available sensors to systematically measure, record and analyze temperature, humidity and barometric pressure and to upload the real time raw data to cloud. Corresponding data will be available in classroom settings for predictions, analysis and simple weather forecasting. Setup was assembled via breadboard, wire and simple soldering with an Arduino Uno ATmega328P microcontroller connected to a PC. The microcontroller was programmed with Arduino Software while the bootloader was used to upload the code. Commercial DHT22 humidity and temperature sensor and BMP180 barometric pressure sensor were used to obtain relative humidity, temperature and the barometric pressure. System was mounted inside a weather resistant enclosure and data measurements were obtained and were uploaded onto the PC and then to cloud. Cloud data can be accessed via a shared link in a General Education class for multitude of purposes.

Damage Detection/Locating System Providing Thermal Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Jones, Thomas W. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Qamar, A. Shams (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A damage locating system also provides thermal protection. An array of sensors substantially tiles an area of interest. Each sensor is a reflective-surface conductor having operatively coupled inductance and capacitance. A magnetic field response recorder is provided to interrogate each sensor before and after a damage condition. Changes in response are indicative of damage and a corresponding location thereof.

A Probabilistic Mass Estimation Algorithm for a Novel 7- Channel Capacitive Sample Verification Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Michael

2012-01-01

A document describes an algorithm created to estimate the mass placed on a sample verification sensor (SVS) designed for lunar or planetary robotic sample return missions. A novel SVS measures the capacitance between a rigid bottom plate and an elastic top membrane in seven locations. As additional sample material (soil and/or small rocks) is placed on the top membrane, the deformation of the membrane increases the capacitance. The mass estimation algorithm addresses both the calibration of each SVS channel, and also addresses how to combine the capacitances read from each of the seven channels into a single mass estimate. The probabilistic approach combines the channels according to the variance observed during the training phase, and provides not only the mass estimate, but also a value for the certainty of the estimate. SVS capacitance data is collected for known masses under a wide variety of possible loading scenarios, though in all cases, the distribution of sample within the canister is expected to be approximately uniform. A capacitance-vs-mass curve is fitted to this data, and is subsequently used to determine the mass estimate for the single channel s capacitance reading during the measurement phase. This results in seven different mass estimates, one for each SVS channel. Moreover, the variance of the calibration data is used to place a Gaussian probability distribution function (pdf) around this mass estimate. To blend these seven estimates, the seven pdfs are combined into a single Gaussian distribution function, providing the final mean and variance of the estimate. This blending technique essentially takes the final estimate as an average of the estimates of the seven channels, weighted by the inverse of the channel s variance.