• Journal of Industrial Technology
• /
• v.32 no.A
• /
• pp.29-33
• /
• 2012

We demonstrated the viability of fully microfabricating SWCNT(single-wall carbon nanotube) film strain sensors for force and weight sensing. Our spray-deposited SWCNT film strain sensors showed good linearity over a range from 0 to 400 microstrain, and much higher sensitivity compared to commercial metal foil-type gauges. The number of grids and the thickness of the SWCNT film were found to have a significant effect on the strain sensing properties of the SWCNT film gauges. A strain sensing methode for the CNT-based strain gauges was also investigated using a binocular type beam load cells. Preliminary results indicate that the microfabrication method shown here is promising for developing a commercial strain gauge using a spray-coated SWCNT thin film. In the near future, various studies will be performed to further enhance the properties of the spray-coated SWCNT film strain sensors.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.263-273
• /
• 2015

Carbon nanotube strain sensors, or so called "fuzzy fiber" sensors have not yet been studied sufficiently. These sensors are composed of a bundle of fiberglass fibers coated with CNT through a thermal chemical vapor deposition process. The characteristics of these fuzzy fiber sensors differ from a conventional nanocomposite in that the CNTs are anchored to a substrate fiber and the CNTs have a preferential orientation due to this bonding to the substrate fiber. A numerical model was constructed to predict the strain response of a composite with embedded fuzzy fiber sensors in order to compare result with the experimental results obtained in an earlier study. A comparison of the numerical and experimental responses was conducted based on this work. The longitudinal sensor output from the model matches nearly perfectly with the experimental results. The transverse and off-axis tests follow the correct trends; however the magnitude of the output does not match well with the experimental data. An explanation of the disparity is proposed based on microstructural interactions between individual nanotubes within the sensor.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.133-146
• /
• 2007

This paper addresses a new type of broad and stage-based hybrid carbon fiber reinforced polymer (HCFRP) sensor that is suitable for the sensing of infrastructures. The HCFRP sensors, a type of composite sensor, are fabricated with three types of carbon tows of different strength and moduli. For all of the specimens, the active materials are carbon tows by virtue of their electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity. The measurement principles are based on the micro- and macro-fractures of different types of carbon tows. A series of experiments are carried out to investigate the sensing performances of the HCFRP sensors. The main variables include the stack order and volume fractions of different types of carbon tows. It is shown that the change in electrical resistance is in direct proportion to the strain/load in low strain ranges. However, the fractional change in electrical resistance (${\Delta}R/R_0$) is smaller than 2% prior to the macrofractures of carbon tows. In order to improve the resistance changes, measures are taken that can enhance the values of ${\Delta}R/R_0$ by more than 2 times during low strain ranges. In high strain ranges, the electrical resistance changes markedly with strain/load in a step-wise manner due to the gradual ruptures of different types of carbon tows at different strain amplitudes. The values of ${\Delta}R/R_0$ due to the fracture of high modulus carbon tows are larger than 36%. Thus, it is demonstrated that the HCFRP sensors have a broad and stage-based sensing capability.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.299-314
• /
• 2023

Long-gauge carbon fiber line (CFL) sensors have received considerable attention in the past decade. However, there is still a need for an in-depth investigation of their measuring accuracy. This study investigates the accuracy of carbon fiber line sensors to monitor and differentiate the flexural behavior of two beams, one reinforced with steel bars alone and the other reinforced with steel and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer bars. A distributed set of long-gauge carbon fiber line, Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), and traditional strain gauge sensors was mounted on the tensile concrete surface of the studied beams to compare the results and assess the accuracies of the proposed sensors. The test beams were loaded monotonically under four-point bending loading until failure. Results indicated the importance of using long-gauge sensors in providing useful, accurate, and reliable information regarding global structural behavior, while point sensors are affected by local damage and strain concentrations. Furthermore, long-gauge carbon fiber line sensors demonstrated good agreement with the corresponding Fiber Bragg Grating sensors with acceptable accuracy, thereby exhibiting potential for application in monitoring the health of large-scale structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.471-486
• /
• 2011

Various types of strain sensors have been developed and widely used in the field for monitoring the mechanical deformation of structures. However, conventional strain sensors are not suited for measuring large strains associated with impact damage and local crack propagation. In addition, strain sensors are resistive-type transducers, which mean that the sensors require an external electrical or power source. In this study, a gold nanoparticle (GNP)-based polymer composite is proposed for large strain sensing. Fabrication of the composites relies on a novel and simple in situ GNP reduction technique that is performed directly within the elastomeric poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) matrix. First, the reducing and stabilizing capacities of PDMS constituents and mixtures are evaluated via visual observation, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The large strain sensing capacity of the GNP-PDMS thin film is then validated by correlating changes in thin film optical properties (e.g., maximum UV-Vis light absorption) with applied tensile strains. Also, the composite's strain sensing performance (e.g., sensitivity and sensing range) is also characterized with respect to gold chloride concentrations within the PDMS mixture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2008

As bare Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are very fragile, bare FBG without encapsulation is not properly applied in practical infrastructures directly due to the harsh environment in practical engineering. Steel sleeve packaged FBG strain sensor is widely used in civil engineering. Since FBG senses both strain and temperature simultaneously, for accurate measurement of strain, temperature compensation for FBG strain sensors is indispensable. In this paper, based on the FBG's strain and temperature sensing principles, the temperature compensation techniques for steel sleeve packaged FBG sensors are brought forward. And the experiment of concrete early-age shrinkage monitoring by dual FBG sensors is carried out to test the feasibility of the temperature compensation technique.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.595-603
• /
• 2017

Piezoceramic transducers have been widely used in the health monitoring of civil structures. However, in most cases, they are used as sensors either to measure strain or receive stress waves. This paper proposes a method of using piezoelectric transducers as strain gauges and acoustic emission (AE) sensors simultaneously. The signals received by piezoceramic transducers are decomposed into different frequency components for various analysis purposes. The low-frequency signals are used to measure strain, whereas the high-frequency signals are used as acoustic emission signal associated with local damage. The b-value theory is used to process the AE signal in piezoceramic transducers. The proposed method was applied in the bending failure experiments of two reinforced concrete beams to verify its feasibility. The results showed that the extracted low-frequency signals from the piezoceramic transducers had good agreement with that from the strain gauge, and the processed high-frequency signal from piezoceramic transducers as AE could indicate the local damage to concrete. The experimental results verified the feasibly of structural health monitoring using piezoceramic transducers as strain gauges and AE sensors simultaneously, which can advance their application in civil engineering.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.304-309
• /
• 2001

A Fiber optic strain sensor for the measurement of the internal strain of a concrete specimen was developed. This sensor was a 11 mm Fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer attached inside a stainless steel pipe of 2 mm diameter. The fabricated strain sensors were embedded in a reinforced concrete structure of $100{\times}100{\times}500\;mm^3$ size and were measured the internal strain of a concrete structure when the external pressure was applied to the structure. For a field application, the strain sensors were attached on the bottom of a real bridge and dynamic loading test were executed. In the test, they showed good sensitivity as a deformation sensor and capability of remote monitoring.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.1761-1766
• /
• 2004

In this lecture, we reviewed the principle and types of force sensors with strain gages, tactile sensors based on MEMS and force sensor as well as nano force sensors. Also we investigated applications of force sensors for NT, BT and RT.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.340-351
• /
• 2023

Wearable sensors designed for strain, pressure, and temperature measurements are essential for monitoring human movements, health status, physiological data, and responses to external stimuli. Notably, recent research has led to the development of high-performance wearable sensors using innovative materials and device structures that exhibit ultra-high sensitivity compared with their commercial counterparts. However, the quest for accurate sensing has identified a critical challenge. Specifically, the mechanical flexibility of the substrates in wearable sensors can introduce interference signals, particularly when subjected to varying external stimuli and environmental conditions, potentially resulting in signal crosstalk and compromised data fidelity. Consequently, the pursuit of non-interference sensing technology is pivotal for enabling independent measurements of concurrent input signals related to strain, pressure, and temperature, ensuring precise signal acquisition. In this comprehensive review, we present an overview of the recent advances in noninterference sensing strategies. We explore various fabrication methods for sensing strain, pressure, and temperature, emphasizing the use of hybrid composite materials with distinct mechanical properties. This review contributes to the understanding of critical developments in wearable sensor technology that are vital for their ongoing application and evolution in numerous fields.