Schotzko Timo, Lang Walter
Institute for Microsensors, Actuators and Systems (IMSAS), University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee NW1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
Sensors (Basel). 2014 Jul 10;14(7):12387-98. doi: 10.3390/s140712387.
A miniaturized strain gauge with a thickness of 5 µm is molded into a silicone O-ring. This is a first step toward embedding sensors in gaskets for structural health monitoring. The signal of the integrated sensor exhibits a linear correlation with the contact pressure of the O-ring. This affords the opportunity to monitor the gasket condition during installation. Thus, damages caused by faulty assembly can be detected instantly, and early failures, with their associated consequences, can be prevented. Through the embedded strain gauge, the contact pressure applied to the gasket can be directly measured. Excessive pressure and incorrect positioning of the gasket can cause structural damage to the material of the gasket, which can lead to an early outage. A platinum strain gauge is fabricated on a thin polyimide layer and is contacted through gold connections. The measured resistance pressure response exhibits hysteresis for the first few strain cycles, followed by a linear behavior. The short-term impact of the embedded sensor on the stability of the gasket is investigated. Pull-tests with O-rings and test specimens have indicated that the integration of the miniaturized sensors has no negative impact on the stability in the short term.
一个厚度为5微米的小型应变片被模压到一个硅橡胶O形环中。这是朝着将传感器嵌入垫圈以进行结构健康监测迈出的第一步。集成传感器的信号与O形环的接触压力呈现线性相关。这为在安装过程中监测垫圈状况提供了机会。因此，可以立即检测到因装配不当造成的损坏，并防止早期故障及其相关后果。通过嵌入式应变片，可以直接测量施加在垫圈上的接触压力。垫圈压力过大和定位不正确会对垫圈材料造成结构损坏，从而导致提前停机。一个铂应变片制作在一个薄聚酰亚胺层上，并通过金连接进行接触。测量得到的电阻压力响应在前几个应变循环中表现出滞后现象，随后呈线性行为。研究了嵌入式传感器对垫圈稳定性的短期影响。对O形环和测试样品进行的拉伸试验表明，小型传感器的集成在短期内对稳定性没有负面影响。
