A High-Temperature Accelerometer with Excellent Performance Based on the Improved Graphene Aerogel.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• High-temperature accelerometers are crucial for aerospace equipment, but current technologies face limitations above 973 K.
• Existing piezoelectric, piezoresistive, and capacitive sensors suffer from phase transitions, mechanical failure, and current leakage at extreme temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel high-temperature accelerometer capable of continuous and stable operation above 973 K.
• To overcome the inherent limitations of existing vibration sensors for demanding aerospace applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an improved graphene aerogel (GA) using a modulated treatment process.
• Development of a high-temperature accelerometer based on a contact resistance mechanism utilizing the enhanced GA.
• Testing the accelerometer's performance at temperatures up to 1073 K continuously and 1273 K intermittently.

Main Results:

• The graphene aerogel accelerometer operates continuously and stably at 1073 K and intermittently at 1273 K.
• The sensor exhibits high sensitivity (one order of magnitude higher than MEMS accelerometers), wide frequency response (up to 5 kHz at 1073 K), and low nonlinearity error (<1%).
• Excellent and stable mechanical properties of the improved GA from 299 K to 1073 K underpin the sensor's performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed graphene aerogel accelerometer offers a promising solution for high-temperature vibration sensing.
• Its lightweight design, high sensitivity, and stability make it suitable for aerospace applications like space stations and planetary rovers.