A Novel Concept of Electromagnetic Pressure Sensor based on Impedance Variation for Pneumatic Applications

Abstract

The core concept of the proposed sensor relies on the architecture of a new type of microscale electromagnetic actuator, previously developed and tested. Previous studies were focus on conceptual design, modelling and simulation and application as an actuator for static and dynamic purposes. Upon presenting the device functioning principle and design, the authors propose a new application of this device, as a detection element, due to its electrodynamic behavior that allows the correlation of displacements and deformations with the variation of the device coil inductance. This dependency could also be used as a feedback information, allowing a closed loop control without an aditional sensorial element. A series of numerical models have been developed and computed in order to test the sensorial properties of the device and to describe the functioning principle as a detection element. The models have been computed using two materials for the sensor’s mobile element, to test if the manufacturing costs can be lowered by using a material without magnetic properties and the conclusions of the studies have also been drawn. Once the sensor behavior and the structural materials have been concluded, a sensor model has been developed and studied using FEM. Further on, one of the sensor constructive parameters has been varied in relation to the desired measuring range and the future research directions have been drawn.