A High-Temperature Piezoelectric Accelerometer Operating in Symmetric Shear-Bending Coupling Mode.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Piezoelectric accelerometers are crucial for measuring vibration.
• High-temperature applications require robust sensors with stable performance.
• Existing shear-type accelerometers often lack sufficient sensitivity and thermal stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel high-temperature piezoelectric accelerometer design.
• To investigate its performance in terms of sensitivity, thermal stability, and linearity.
• To explore its potential for aerospace, energy, and nuclear engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized radially polarized BiScO3-PbTiO3 (BS-PT) ceramic rings.
• Operated the device in a symmetric shear-bending coupling vibration mode.
• Conducted thermal cycling tests (room temperature to 260 °C) and forced vibration tests.

Main Results:

• Achieved high sensitivity of 22.8 pC/g at room temperature, ~3x conventional shear-type accelerometers.
• Demonstrated stable performance with 14 pC/g sensitivity after thermal cycling and vibration tests.
• Exhibited a linear response over a wide frequency range.

Conclusions:

• The proposed accelerometer offers high sensitivity and excellent thermal reliability.
• Its robust design is suitable for harsh, high-temperature environments.
• Further development with higher Curie temperature materials can extend operational limits.