Measurement of the angular acceleration using a PVDF and a piezo-composite

An acceleration measurement system using a piezoelectric material is descri bed. The main advantages of this sensor are that it has a very low cost com pared with other sensors and that there are no moving parts. The piezoelect ric material used in this sensor was either a pre-polarised PVDF film or a polymer/ceramic piezoelectric composite of (PTCa:P(VDF/TrFE) 50:50 vol%). T he measured sensitivity for the PVDF accelerometer is in the range of 0.07 pC rad(-1) s(-2) to 0.12 pC rad(-1) s(-2). For the polymer/ceramic piezoele ctric composite the sensitivity varies from 0.03 pC rad(-1) s(-2) to 0.06 p C rad(-1) s(-2). The experimental results are in good agreement with the th eoretical predictions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.