Accelerometer Operates in Continuous 260°C Environment

Designed for monitoring vibration in gas turbines, Meggitt Sensing Systems Endevco Model 6222S accelerometer is a piezoelectric design with sensitivities of either 20, 50 or 100 pC/g. The sensor’s piezoelectric technology does not require an external power supply. The unit’s balance differential output allows its use with any industry differential charge amplifier. The sensor’s packaging is a standard ARINC three-point mounting configuration using three mounting bolts. The unit has an integral two-pin 7/16-27 UNS-2A threaded receptacle as standard with an available three-pin option. 

In addition to gas turbine measurements the accelerometers are also well suited for high temperature and high reliability vibration monitoring in helicopter Health & Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) as well as ground and onboard aircraft engine monitoring.

For more information on Meggitt Sensing Systems Endevco Model 6222S – 100A Accelerometer, click here.

4-20 mA Transmitter Targets Accelerometer to Vibration Signal Conversion

Another recently introduced signal conditioning circuit for 4-20 mA output, specifically for vibration signals, comes from IMI Sensors – a division of PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Operating from loop-power supplied by a PLC, DCS or SCADA system, the stainless steel housed 682A09 converts the 100 mV/g output from an accelerometer to a 4-20 mA vibration monitoring signal. The converted signal can monitor machine health for early failure detection to avoid costly downtime. The hermetically sealed design has a 2-pin MIL connector input and 3-pin MIL connector output to cope with harsh environments.

For more information about IMI Sensors 682A09 4-20 mA vibration transmitter click here.

Energy Harvesting for Enthusiasts

Anyone who likes the idea of something for nothing has to be interested in energy harvesting, getting the energy to avoid reliance on traditional energy sources such as batteries, for free – once the initial hardware investment has been made. Today, in addition to solar, wind and falling or flowing water, vibration, RF, heat and other techniques are powering many products, especially sensor-based applications.

For industrial applications, one of the more intriguing energy harvesting techniques involves vibration. In a factory environment, the movement of rotating equipment provides a constant vibration source. A carefully designed system can use this low level of vibration and a piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer to power a sensor and its associated circuitry. Without the need to charge or replace a battery, the sensor can provide low maintenance feedback regarding the normal or abnormal operation of equipment for fault monitoring and downtime prevention. Several companies are involved in the development of the energy harvesting devices as well as other critical components in the ultra-low power consuming sensor circuits.

Those who are interested in more information may want to check out the Power Management: Energy Harvesting & Storage symposium (http://www.sensorsexpo.com/pre-conference-symposia/symposium-3-power-management-energy-harvesting-storage) at Sensors Expo, June 7 in Chicago, IL