Abstract:
When buildings are exposed to vibration or shock, those buildings can be damaged
partially or fully depending on the energy of vibration. Hence, quantitative analysis of
building vibration has become popular among researchers. In this research, a vibration
sensor was developed using a piezoelectric ceramic cantilever beam and a tip mass to
confirm that the vibration frequency of the building does not exceed the cosmetic
damage range.
As the first step, a mathematical model was developed to calculate the resonance
frequency of the cantilever beam with a tip mass. At the resonance frequency,
maximum amplitude could be achieved resulting in a higher output voltage of the
piezoelectric sensor. The developed mathematical model and finite element analysis
were used to determine the accurate dimensions of the cantilever beam based
piezoelectric sensor. According to the calculations, width, length and thickness of the
piezoelectric material, copper beam and tip mass are 10x20x1, 10x100x0.3 and
10x30x3 mm respectively. Hence, the piezoelectric sensor output voltage was
calculated using finite element analysis at the vibration frequency range that
corresponds to the cosmetic damage. According to the calculations, threshold voltage
level and frequency of the sensor to activate the alarm were 4.35 mv and 9.5 Hz
respectively.
Arduino software was used to analyze the output signal of the sensor. Vibration source
was used to verify the calculation steps. Finally, liquid crystal display and small buzzer
were added to show the frequency and give a warning when vibration frequency
exceeds the required level.
Citation:
De Silva, H.T.T.M., Dayananda, R.K.A.S., & Adikary, S.U. (2019). Development of a vibration and shock sensor using piezoelectric ceramics
[Abstract]. In V. Sivahar & H.S. Sitinamaluwa (Eds.), Dreams to reality through innovative materials (p. 19). Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa.