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Transducer measures pressure by sensing the damping of a vibrating diaphragm immersed in the atmosphere to be measured. Improved sensor can be included in rugged, lightweight package for use aboard aircraft, meteorological vehicles, and space probes.
Diffused diaphragm pressure sensors in impact probes used in wind tunnel tests of dynamic response of supersonic air induction systems
We report the first demonstration of MEMS-based 4H-SiC piezoresistive pressure sensors tested at 750 C and in the process confirmed the existence of strain sensitivity recovery with increasing temperature above 400 C, eventually achieving near or up to 100% of the room temperature values at 750 C. This strain sensitivity recovery phenomenon in 4H-SiC is uncharacteristic of the well-known monotonic decrease in strain sensitivity with increasing temperature in silicon piezoresistors. For the three sensors tested, the room temperature full-scale output (FSO) at 200 psig ranged between 29 and 36 mV. Although the FSO at 400 C dropped by about 60%, full recovery was achieved at 750 C. This result will allow the operation of SiC pressure sensors at higher temperatures, thereby permitting deeper insertion into the engine combustion chamber to improve the accurate quantification of combustor dynamics.
Measurement of pressure of a fluid in a vessel using a cantilever spring in the vessel; a magnet connected to the cantilever spring in the vessel; an electromagnet outside of the vessel operatively connected to the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, wherein the electromagnet induces movement of the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, and wherein the movement is related to the pressure of the fluid in the vessel; a receiving coil operatively positioned relative to the magnet, wherein movement of the cantilever spring and the magnet in the vessel creates an electromotive response in the coil; and a controller analyzer connected to the receiving coil, wherein the controller analyzer uses the electromotive response in the coil for measuring the pressure of the fluid in the vessel.
Measurement of pressure of a fluid in a vessel using a cantilever spring in the vessel; a magnet connected to the cantilever spring in the vessel; an electromagnet outside of the vessel operatively connected to the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, wherein the electromagnet induces movement of the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, and wherein the movement is related to the pressure of the fluid in the vessel; a receiving coil operatively positioned relative to the magnet, wherein movement of the cantilever spring and the magnet in the vessel creates an electromotive response in the coil; and a controller analyzer connected to the receiving coil, wherein the controller analyzer uses the electromotive response in the coil for measuring the pressure of the fluid in the vessel.
Report describes tests of array of pressure sensors connected to small orifices flush with surface of 1/7-scale model of F-14 airplane in wind tunnel. Part of effort to determine whether pressure parameters consisting of various sums, differences, and ratios of measured pressures used to compute accurately free-stream values of stagnation pressure, static pressure, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, and mach number. Such arrays of sensors and associated processing circuitry integrated into advanced aircraft as parts of flight-monitoring and -controlling systems.
The joint research interchange effort was directed at the following principal areas: u further development of NASA-Ames' Mars Micro-meteorology mission concept as a viable NASA space mission especially with regard to the science and instrument specifications u interaction with the flight team from NASA's New Millennium 'Deep-Space 2' (DS-2) mission with regard to selection and design of micro-pressure sensors for Mars u further development of micro-pressure sensors suitable for Mars The research work undertaken in the course of the Joint Research Interchange should be placed in the context of an ongoing planetary exploration objective to characterize the climate system on Mars. In particular, a network of small probes globally-distributed on the surface of the planet has often been cited as the only way to address this particular science goal. A team from NASA Ames has proposed such a mission called the Micrometeorology mission, or 'Micro-met' for short. Surface pressure data are all that are required, in principle, to calculate the Martian atmospheric circulation, provided that simultaneous orbital measurements of the atmosphere are also obtained. Consequently, in the proposed Micro-met mission a large number of landers would measure barometric pressure at various locations around Mars, each equipped with a micro-pressure sensor. Much of the time on the JRI was therefore spent working with the engineers and scientists concerned with Micro-met to develop this particular mission concept into a more realistic proposition.
Partial pressure sensor for mixed gas atmospheres, measuring oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, diluent and total pressure
A data acquisition and experiment control system capable of simulating temperatures from -184 to +220 C and pressures either absolute or differential from 0 to 344.74 kPa is developed to characterize silicon pressure sensor response to temperature and pressure. System software is described that includes sensor data acquisition, algorithms for numerically derived thermal offset and sensitivity correction, and operation of the environmental chamber and pressure standard. This system is shown to be capable of computer interfaced cryogenic testing to within 1 C and 34.47 Pa of single channel or multiplexed arrays of silicon pressure sensors.
A novel fiber optic pressure sensor based on the photoelastic effects has been developed for extremely high temperature gases. At temperatures varying from 25 to 650 C, the sensor experiences no change in the peak pressure of the transfer function and only a 10 percent drop in dynamic range. Refinement of the sensor has resulted in an optoelectronic interface and processor software which can calculate pressure values within 1 percent of full scale at any temperature within the full calibrated temperature range.
This paper presents data on low-temperature measurements of silicon pressure sensors. It was found that both the piezoresistance coefficients and the charge-carrier mobility increase with decreasing temperature. For lightly doped semiconductor materials, the density of free charge carriers decreases with temperature and can freeze out eventually. However, the effect of carrier freeze-out can be minimized by increasing the impurity content to higher levels, at which the temperature dependency of piezoresistance coefficients is reduced. An impurity density of 1 x 10 to the 19th/cu cm was found to be optimal for cryogenic applications of pressure sensor dies.
Miniature capacitor operates as a differential pressure telemetry sensor during free flight of test model in a hypersonic wind tunnel. The capacitor incorporates a beryllium copper diaphragm. It is also used as an absolute pressure sensor.
Particle-impact-noise-detector (PIND) apparatus used in conjunction with computer program analyzing output of apparatus to detect extraneous particles trapped in pressure sensors. PIND tester essentially shaker equipped with microphone measuring noise in pressure sensor or other object being shaken. Shaker applies controlled vibration. Output of microphone recorded and expressed in terms of voltage, yielding history of noise subsequently processed by computer program. Data taken at sampling rate sufficiently high to enable identification of all impacts of particles on sensor diaphragm and on inner surfaces of sensor cavities.
Un-cooled, MEMS-based silicon carbide (SiC) static pressure sensors were used for the first time to measure pressure perturbations at temperatures as high as 600 C during laboratory characterization, and subsequently evaluated in a combustor rig operated under various engine conditions to extract the frequencies that are associated with thermoacoustic instabilities. One SiC sensor was placed directly in the flow stream of the combustor rig while a benchmark commercial water-cooled piezoceramic dynamic pressure transducer was co-located axially but kept some distance away from the hot flow stream. In the combustor rig test, the SiC sensor detected thermoacoustic instabilities across a range of engine operating conditions, amplitude magnitude as low as 0.5 psi at 585 C, in good agreement with the benchmark piezoceramic sensor. The SiC sensor experienced low signal to noise ratio at higher temperature, primarily due to the fact that it was a static sensor with low sensitivity.
The HOTS program will develop a technology for high-bandwidth, high-dynamic-range sensing at high temperature. Performance will be validated through the development and demonstration of a pressure sensor module (i.e., integrated transducer and signal-conditioning microelectronics) achieving the following performance goals: NASA Glenn has unique technology experience in extreme environment pressure sensors & IC electronics, including at 800 °C in air, providing significant risk reduction in meeting DARPA HOTS goals. Appropriate partnership and tech transfer should accelerate realization of DARPA HOTS hard technical challenges.
The study of infrasound (acoustic) and gravity waves sources and propagation in the atmosphere of a planet gives us precious insight on atmosphere dynamics, climate, and even internal structure. The implementation of modern pressure sensors with high rate sampling on stratospheric balloons is improving their study. In our work we analyzed the data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ultra Long Duration Balloon mission (16 May to 30 June 2016). Here, we focus on the balloon's transit of the Andes Mountains. We detected gravity waves that are associated to troposphere convective activity and mountain waves. An increase of the horizontal wavelengths from 50 to 70 km with increasing distance to the mountains is favoring the presence of mountain waves. We also report on the detection of infrasounds generated by the mountains in the 0.01–0.1 Hz range with a pressure amplitude increase by a factor 2 relative background signal. Besides, we characterized the decrease of microbaroms power when the balloon was flying away from the ocean coast. These observations suggest, in a way similar to microseisms for seismometers, that microbaroms are the main background noise sources recorded in the stratosphere even far from the ocean sources. Finally, we observed a broadband signal above the Andes, between 0.45 and 2 Hz, probably associated with a thunderstorm. The diversity of geophysical phenomena captured in less than a day of observation stresses the interest of high rate pressure sensors on board long-duration balloon missions.
Thin film oxygen partial pressure sensor
Nielsen Engineering & Research (NEAR) recently developed an ultrathin data acquisition system for use in turbomachinery testing at NASA Glenn Research Center. This system integrates a microelectromechanical- systems- (MEMS-) based absolute pressure sensor [0 to 50 psia (0 to 345 kPa)], temperature sensor, signal-conditioning application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), microprocessor, and digital memory into a package which is roughly 2.8 in. (7.1 cm) long by 0.75 in. (1.9 cm) wide. Each of these components is flip-chip attached to a thin, flexible circuit board and subsequently ground and polished to achieve a total system thickness of 0.006 in. (0.15 mm). Because this instrument is so thin, it can be quickly adhered to any surface of interest where data can be collected without disrupting the flow being investigated. One issue in the development of the ultrathin data acquisition system was how to attach the MEMS pressure sensor to the circuit board in a manner which allowed the sensor s diaphragm to communicate with the ambient fluid while providing enough support for the chip to survive the grinding and polishing operations. The technique, developed by NEAR and Jabil Technology Services Group (San Jose, CA), is described below. In the approach developed, the sensor is attached to the specially designed circuit board, see Figure 1, using a modified flip-chip technique. The circular diaphragm on the left side of the sensor is used to actively measure the ambient pressure, while the diaphragm on the right is used to compensate for changes in output due to temperature variations. The circuit board is fabricated with an access hole through it so that when the completed system is installed onto a wind tunnel model (chip side down), the active diaphragm is exposed to the environment. After the sensor is flip-chip attached to the circuit board, the die is underfilled to support the chip during the subsequent grinding and polishing operations. To prevent this underfill material from getting onto the sensor s diaphragms, the circuit board is fabricated with two 25- micrometer-tall polymer rings, sized so that the diaphragms fit inside the rings once the chip is attached.