Assessment of vehicle weight measurement method using PVDF transducers

In this paper, the usefulness of piezoelectric transducers for vehicle weig ht measurement is assessed. Under mechanical strain, such as compression or tension, a piezoelectric cable generates electrical charges that can be co nverted into an electrical signal. This property was exploited to design a model measurement setup in the form of an inclined plane to simulate the dy namic pressure exerted by a moving vehicle on the road. The moving vehicle' s momentum is converted into an electrical signal generated by the PVDF tra nsducer under the influence of the vehicle pressure. The obtained results s how the usefulness of the digital signal processing techniques for the proc essing of electrical signals received from PVDF transducers under deformati on and the validity of this method of measuring the weight of moving vehicl es. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.