Transducers references

Analyte Immobilized species Principle Transducer References... 

But why are acoustic transducers referred to as mass-sensitive Evidently, the plate thickness determines the resonance frequency of the quartz, but it... 

The field of electroactive transducers has reached a certain maturity that they can be used in establishing flmctional devices. The object of this chapter is to review configurations for flmctional devices articulated with EAP actuators, or combination of actuators and sensors, which can be considered as the devices. It is our tmder-standing that a device is an invention or a means such as a mechanical, electrical, or a combination of both, for a particular purpose. A transducer is a device which converts one form of energy into another, e.g., electrical into mechanical and vice versa. This follows that EAP transducers refer to the actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters made of electroactive polymers. 

A resonance in the layered stracture occurs when echoes between two boundaries travel back and forth due to differences in acoustic impedances at the boundaries. For multi-layer structures a number of resonances can be observed depending on their geometry and condition. For each particular defect-free structure and given transducer we obtain a characteristic resonance pattern, an ultrasonic signature, which can be used as a reference. 

Fig.l shows the layout of the SPATE 9000 system. It basically consists of a scan unit connected to a signal amplifier. The signals are then correlated with a reference signal derived from a load transducer (e.g. strain gauge, load cell, accelerometer, or function generator). 

Piezocomposite transducers are an advancement of piezoelectric ceramics. Instead of the classic piezoceramic material, a compound of polymer and piezoceramic is used for the composite element to improve specific properties. The 1-3 structure, which is nowadays mostly used as transducer material, refers to parallel ceramic rods incorporated in an epoxy-resin matrix (see Fig. 1). 

The first example refers to the detection of a 1mm side drilled hole at a depth of 45 mm in a polyethylene plastic material. Due to the high sound absorption in plastics, a low operating frequency is chosen. A probe having a 1 MHz element of 24 mm diameter was selected for this example. The echo pattern of a conventional probe with a PZT transducer is pre-... 

During the attenuation measurements. Transducer 1 was excited with a narrowband tone burst with center frequency 18 MHz, see Figure 1 for a schematic setup. The amplitude of the sound pressure was measured at Tranducer 2 by means of an amplitude peak detector. A reference amplitude, Are/, was measured outside the object as shown at the right hand side of Figure 1. The object was scanned in the j y-plane and for every position, (x, y), the attenuation, a x, y), was calculated as the quotient (in db) between the amplitude at Transducer 2, A[x, y), and Are/, i.e., a(x,y) = lOlogm Pulse echo measurements and preprocessing... 

Special small ultrasound transducers, often referred to as endoscopic transducers, have been designed which can be inserted into blood vessels to examine blockages in arteries (43). These transducers operate at approximately 20 MHz and have a viewing distance of less than a centimeter. Such devices are capable of producing ultrasound images of the inside of arteries and veins. The quaUty of the ultrasound image is sufficient to determine the type of blockage. 

Increasingly, the word sensor is used interchangeably with, or in place of, the word transducer to represent the conversion of one type of energy into another. The word actuator, however, refers to a distinctly different set of devices capable of activating a device upon receiving an appropriate signal. Sensors and actuators may be found as part of a system on a single piece of siUcon. 

Whereas it is no longer an iaterpolation standard of the scale, the thermoelectric principle is one of the most common ways to transduce temperature, although it is challenged ia some disciplines by small iadustrial platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs) and thermistors. Thermocouple junctions can be made very small and ia almost infinite variety, and for base metal thermocouples the component materials are very cheap. Properties of various types of working thermocouple are shown in Table 3 additional properties are given in Reference 5. 

Figure 8-5 shows the main circuit diagram of a potential control rectifier provided with magnetic amplifiers (transducers). The chosen potential is set at the nominal value with a potentiometer. The actual potential is compared with this value, which corresponds to the voltage between a reference electrode and the protected object. 

Vibration data are obtained by the following procedure (1) mounting a transducer onto the machinery at various locations, typically machine housing and bearing caps, and (2) using a portable data-gathering device, referred to as a vibration monitor or analyzer, to connect to the transducer to obtain vibration readings. 

Displacement is the actual change in distance or position of an object relative to a reference point and is usually expressed in units of mils, 0.001 inch. For example, displacement is the actual radial or axial movement of the shaft in relation to the normal centerline usually using the machine housing as the stationary reference. Vibration data, such as shaft displacement measurements acquired using a proximity probe or displacement transducer, should always be expressed in terms of mils peak-to-peak. 

The use of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) obviates the coupling problems already referred to, and has been applied successfully to the inspection of boiler tubes. Ultrasonic time of flight diffraction (TOFD), developed by the Harwell Laboratory" , is utilised to fingerprint flaws (cracks) in process plant. Subsequent examination at, say, six month intervals can indicate any growth or extension of the crack. It is claimed that changes in crack height of 0-5 mm or less be estimated. 

Fig. 3. Schematic beam path of a phase-measurement interference microscope (PMIM, Fizeau optics). The beam partially reflected at the reference plane and at the sample surface interfere with each other while the reference plane is moved by the piezoelectric transducer for automatic phase determination. A reflectivity of at least 1% is required for the sample surface...

FIGURE 6-8 Composition of an electron-relaying redox polymer used for wiring enzymes to electrode transducer. (Reproduced with permission from reference 14.)... 

Indicator electrodes are used both for analytical purposes (in determining the concentrations of different substances from values of the open-circuit potential or from characteristic features of the polarization curves) and for the detection and quantitative characterization of various phenomena and processes (as electrochemical sensors or signal transducers). One variety of indicator electrode are the reference electrodes, which have stable and reproducible values of potential and thus can be used to measure the potentials of other electrodes. 

With the multitude of transducer possibilities in terms of electrode material, electrode number, and cell design, it becomes important to be able to evaluate the performance of an LCEC system in some consistent and meaningful maimer. Two frequently confused and misused terms for evaluation of LCEC systems are sensitivity and detection limit . Sensitivity refers to the ratio of output signal to input analyte amount generally expressed for LCEC as peak current per injected equivalents (nA/neq or nA/nmol). It can also be useful to define the sensitivity in terms of peak area per injected equivalents (coulombs/neq) so that the detector conversion efficiency is obvious. Sensitivity thus refers to the slope of the calibration curve. 

Mossbauer spectra are usually recorded in transmission geometry, whereby the sample, representing the absorber, contains the stable Mossbauer isotope, i.e., it is not radioactive. A scheme of a typical spectrometer setup is depicted in Fig. 3.1. The radioactive Mossbauer source is attached to the electro-mechanical velocity transducer, or Mossbauer drive, which is moved in a controlled manner for the modulation of the emitted y-radiation by the Doppler effect. The Mossbauer drive is powered by the electronic drive control unit according to a reference voltage (Fr), provided by the digital function generator. Most Mossbauer spectrometers are operated in constant-acceleration mode, in which the drive velocity is linearly swept up and down, either in a saw-tooth or in a triangular mode. In either case. 

Adjustable Workbench (PAW) instrument assembly. The SH shown in Figs. 3.15 and 3.16 contains the electromechanical transducer (mounted in the center), the main and reference Co/Rh sources, multilayered radiation shields, detectors and their preamplifiers and main (linear) amplifiers, and a contact plate and sensor. The contact plate and contact sensor are used in conjunction with the IDD to apply a small preload when it places the SH holding it firmly against the target. The electronics board contains power supplies/conditioners, the dedicated CPU, different kinds of memory, firmware, and associated circuitry for instrument control and data processing. The SH of the miniaturized Mossbauer spectrometer MIMOS II has the dimensions (5 x 5.5 x 9.5) cm and weighs only ca. 400 g. Both 14.4 keV y-rays and 6.4 keV Fe X-rays are detected simultaneously by four Si-PIN diodes. The mass of the electronics board is about 90 g [36],... 

Fig. 3.16 Schematic drawing of the MIMOS II Mossbauer spectrometer. The position of the loudspeaker type velocity transducer to which both the reference and main Co/Rh sources are attached is shown. The room temperature transmission spectrum for a prototype internal reference standard shows the peaks corresponding to hematite (a-Fe203), a-Fe, and magnetite (Fe304). The internal reference standards for MIMOS II flight units are hematite, magnetite, and metallic iron. The backscatter spectrum for magnetite (from the external CCT (Compositional Calibration Target) on the rover) is also shown...

To minimize experiment time a very strong Co/Rh source was used, with an initial source strength of about 350 mCi at launch. Instrument internal calibration is accomplished by a second, less intense radioactive source mounted on the end of the velocity transducer opposite to the main source and in transmission measurement geometry with a reference sample. For further details, see the technical description in Sect. 3.3. 

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