Load to capacitance transfer using different spring elements in capacitivetransducers

Many physical sensors in which a displacement is the result of a change in the variable to be measured rely on the principle of capacitive transductio n to transfer this displacement into a suitable electric signal. Commonly, the linearity of this transduction is one of the design criteria. The total transduction of physical load to capacitance change can be subdivided into the transfer from load to displacement and from displacement to capacitanc e change. The latter is non-linear due to its well-known hyperbolic behavio ur. The first one - that of load to displacement - depends on the nature of the spring elements between the two plates of the capacitor. When, e.g., a rubber elastic spring is applied. the load to displacement transfer is als o not linear. It is the aim of this paper to show that the two non-linear t ransfer functions of the mentioned subsystems result into a remarkably incr eased linearity for the transfer of the total capacitive transducer. The th us obtained theoretical relation is experimentally verified for the most fa vourable situation, using rubber elastic springs. The results are in good a greement with the theory. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserve d.