Types of Transducers: Mechanical Transducers

Written by:  • Edited by: Lamar Stonecypher
Updated Jan 28, 2010

There are various types of transducers, which are broadly classified as mechanical and electrical transducers. In this article we will study mechanical transducers.

Types of Transducers

There are various types of transducers depending upon the change in property or the energy they bring about to measure specified physical quantities. The transducers used for the measurement systems are broadly classified into following categories: mechanical and electrical. Let use see these in details.

I) Mechanical Transducers:

The mechanical transducers are the mechanical elements that are used for converting one form of energy into other form that can be measured easily. There are number of mechanical transducers, some of the commonly used ones are described below:

1) Bellows: These are the elastic elements that convert the air pressure into displacement, and it is commonly used for the measurement of pressure.

Bellows
click to enlarge

2) Bourdon tube: This elastic tube converts air pressure to the rotary motion of the pointer used to indicate the pressure.

Bourdon Tube
click to enlarge

3) Spring: The spring tend to expand when force is applied to them, thus they are used for the measurement of force.

4) Proving rings: Like the springs the proving rings also convert applied force to the displacement.

5) Diaphragm: It converts applied pressure to the displacement.

6) Manometer: The manometer converts the applied pressure into variable displacement of the liquid within it enabling to measure the pressure.

7) Thermocouple: Thermocouple is the devise that produces electric current when one of its end is heated. The current produce by the devise can be measured, which can be calibrated against the temperature enabling us to measure the temperature of the body.

8) Bimetals: These are the bimetallic strips comprising of two different metals having different coefficient of thermal expansion, joint together. When the strip is heated one metal expands lesser while the other metal expands more leading to the deflection of the bimetallic strip, which is converted into the rotary motion of the pointer that indicates the temperature.

9) Hydropneumatic transducers: These include devices like orifice, venturi, pitot tube, vanes and turbines that are used for measurement of pressure, velocity, flow rate and force of water.

Apart from the mechanical transducers mentioned above there are many others like seismic mass, pendulum scale, float etc. Most of the mechanical transducers are used as the primary transducers, meaning the initial input is applied to them, while the output obtained from them can be used directly to measure the quantity or it can be given as input to the secondary transducer, which are mostly of electrical type.

Image Courtesy

http://www.kelleramerica.com/history.html


Comments

Showing all 16 comments
 
bhong Nov 22, 2011 5:58 AM
RE: Types of Transducers: Mechanical Transducers
Sir/madam, can you post the definition, background history, uses to the industry and some photos that is exactly relate to that of a kind of transducer, a mechanical transducer....?
K. Tauoa Sep 6, 2011 3:03 AM
electrical transducers
I wud lyk to know the basic operations ofall electrical transducers,their circcuit diagrams and workplaces
srivinayak anikhindi Apr 9, 2011 12:32 PM
automotive engineering
pls can u provide more information on automotive engineering??????
PRIYASREE.K.R. Feb 22, 2011 11:17 PM
mechanical transducer
Thank u for the valuable informations ................
jamil usmani Nov 22, 2010 2:40 AM
transducers
i wanna know , what is the difference betwwen thermometer and temperature transducers
Nehemiah Jul 7, 2010 1:00 PM
other types of transducers
I need to know all the transducers you guys know please
Anbarasu Jul 1, 2010 2:21 PM
RE: Types of Transducers: Mechanical Transducers
Explain the principle of working of transducer
Kumar Pawar Mar 18, 2010 3:31 AM
Mechanical Transducers
plese specify the latest mechanical transducers aplications
vipul soni Jan 27, 2010 2:12 PM
help
i need some info. on how to convert electrical signals generated by a electronic device into mechanical work...plzz send ur review
nephi Nov 22, 2009 10:17 AM
thermal randucers
what the various types of thermal transducers? how thermal transducers work?
Haresh Khemani Nov 3, 2009 2:38 AM
Electronics
A number of electronics transducers have been covered and more will be covered soon.
A.Murugan Nov 3, 2009 1:07 AM
Electronics Transducers
Pls clarify me about electronics more types of transducers.
raj Sep 10, 2009 8:43 PM
RE: Types of Transducers: Mechanical Transducers
thank u i got lot of knlog from ur wonderful work thanks a lot ur supper man keep on doing
Haresh Khemani Aug 18, 2009 5:43 AM
More help
Dear Hassaan,

Please keep visiting for soon to be published new articles.

Thanks,

Haresh
Hassaan 42 Aug 18, 2009 1:50 AM
more help needed...
I wanna know what is the difference between electrical and mechanical transducers.....
susil acharya Aug 5, 2009 4:57 AM
very good
it is important
 
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