Search results for "Piezoelectric transducer"
showing 8 items of 8 documents
Application of dual boundary element method in active sensing
2013
In this paper, a boundary element method (BEM) for the dynamic analysis of 3D solid structures with bonded piezoelectric transducers is presented. The host structure is modelled with BEM and the piezoelectric transducers are formulated using a 3D semi-analytical finite element approach. The elastodynamic analysis of the entire structure is carried out in Laplace domain and the response in time domain is obtained by inverse Laplace transform. The BEM is validated against established finite element method (FEM).
A Strain Sensing Structural Health Monitoring System for Delaminated Composite Structures
2012
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for composite materials is becoming a primary task due to their extended use in safety critical applications. Different methods, based on the use of piezoelectric transducers as well as of fiber optics, has been successfully proposed to detect and monitor damage in composite structural components with particular attention focused on delamination cracks.In the present paper a Structural Health Monitoring model, based on the use of piezoelectric sensors, already proposed by the authors for isotropic damaged components, is extended to delaminated composite structures. The dynamic behavior of the host damaged structure and the bonded piezoelectric sensors is m…
A novel approach to current transformer characterization in the presence of harmonic distortion
2009
The current transformer (CT) performance under distorted waveform conditions is usually characterized by means of the frequency-response test. In this paper, a new way to characterize CTs, closer to real operation conditions, is proposed. The harmonic phase-angle and ratio errors are measured using a nonsinusoidal current composed of fundamental and one harmonic with adjustable phase shift. The new method was tested by determining the performance of two metering class CTs commonly used by the Italian power company. The errors measured using the proposed approach are larger than the ones obtained with the frequency response. This result suggests that the frequency-response approach for the e…
A boundary element model for structural health monitoring using piezoelectric transducers
2013
In this paper, for the first time, the boundary element method (BEM) is used for modelling smart structures instrumented with piezoelectric actuators and sensors. The host structure and its cracks are formulated with the 3D dual boundary element method (DBEM), and the modelling of the piezoelectric transducers implements a 3D semi-analytical finite element approach. The elastodynamic analysis of the structure is performed in the Laplace domain and the time history is obtained by inverse Laplace transform. The sensor signals obtained from BEM simulations show excellent agreement with those from finite element modelling simulations and experiments. This work provides an alternative methodolog…
Piezoelectric Rainfall Energy Harvester Performance by an Advanced Arduino-Based Measuring System
2018
This paper presents the performances of rainfall energy harvesting through the use of a piezoelectric transducer and an Arduino-based measuring system. Different studies agree on the possibility of generating electricity from rainfall, but to date, a study on measuring the quantity of energy produced during rainfall is still missing. The present study begins with results obtained from laboratory researchers using piezoelectric transducers and oscilloscopes, finalized to measure the energy produced from a single raindrop, and concludes with an ad hoc Arduino-based measuring system, aimed to measure the actual amount of electrical energy produced by a piezoelectric transducer that is exposed …
Dual boundary element model of 3D piezoelectric smart structures
2017
In this paper, the application of the dual boundary element method (DBEM) in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM) is explored. The model involves a 3D host structure, which is formulated by the DBEM in the Laplace domain, and 3D piezoelectric transducers, whose finite element model is derived from the electro-mechanical behaviour of piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric transducers and the host structure are coupled together via BEM variables. The practicability of this method in active sensing applications is demonstrated through comparisons with established FEM and parametric studies.
A Study on the Measurement Instrumentation for a Custom-Made Bipendulum Impact Testing Machine
2008
Experimental investigations of structures under impact loads are normally carried out by means of drop-weight testing rigs, which are often tailor made, and require sensors for fast transient measurement of mechanical quantities (namely, force, displacement, velocity, and absorbed energy). Since these tests are quite expensive, time consuming, and, often, not repeatable, the sensors must provide reliable and interpretable results in the first trial. In this paper, a thorough study on the measurement instrumentation suitable to carry out reliable low-velocity impact tests by means of a custom-made bipendulum impact testing machine is presented. Attention has been focused on the choice of the…