LAB SESSION:03

To measure the output Characteristics of the Strain Gauge Transducer

Objective: To study the output characteristic of strain gauge on transducer and

instrumentation controller. By varying weight on load platform, the output
voltage values vary due to change in resistance which is then plotted against the
weight.

Apparatus:

 Palm scope (DMM)

 Transducer and instrumentation controller
 Strain Gauge Circuit
 Connecting wire

Theory:

Strain Gauge: Strain gauges measure strain on the surface of objects. They do so
by changing their electrical resistance as they stretch with the objects they are
glued to. The resistance change is proportional to the amount of stretching they
experience and is reflected as a change in voltage across designated elements,
one being the strain gauge itself, in an electrical circuit.

Strain gauge transducer:

A strain gauge measures the external force (pressure) applied to a fine wire. The
fine wire is usually arranged in the form of a grid. The varying load causes a
resistance change due to the distortion of the wire. The value of the load can be
found by measuring the change in resistance of the wire grid.
 Fig 3.1 : A strain gauge transducer

As the wire grid is distorted by elastic deformation, its length is increased, and its
cross sectional area decreases. These changes cause an increase in the resistance of
the wire of the strain gauge. This change in resistance is used as the variable
resistance in a bridge circuit that provides electrical signal.

Fig. 3.2 : circuit arrangement

The gauge is normally connected in a Wheatstone bridge arrangement with the

bridge balanced under no load conditions. Any change of resistance due to loading
unbalances the bridge and this is indicated by the detector (galvanometer).
 Fig. 3.3: basic Wheatstone bridge arrangement with strain gauge
transducer

As seen from the figure above, the strain gauge load cell is setup based on a
Wheatstone bridge as a network of four strain gauges.

Active and dummy strain gauge:

The dummy strain gauge resistor then comes into play when considering the
variations in the temperature of the active strain gauges. Temperature changes
cause the thermal expansion of the strain gauge and results in changes in size
which will be detected as a strain and hence causes a change in the resistance of
the gauge.

Some strain gauges are designed so that they cancel out the effects of
temperature changes by themselves, such strain gauges are said to be self-
temperature compensating (STC). However for those that do not have this
capability, they can be temperature compensated by the use of dummy strain

gauge.
 Fig. 3.4: active and dummy strain gauge

As shown in the diagram above, the dummy gauge is always wired on the arm
adjacent to the active gauge. It then works in such a way that the temperature
effects on the active and dummy strain gauges cancel out each other.
Circuit Diagram:

Fig. 3.5 circuit connections on Tranducer and

controller

Procedure:

 Connect the circuit as shown in circuit diagram and set Amplifier#1 GAIN
COARSE control to 100.
 Switch ON the power supply and with no load on the strain gauge platform,
adjust the offset control of Amplifier#1 so that output voltage is zero.
 Place all nine of your weights on the load platform and adjust the GAIN
FINE control to give an output voltage of 7V as indicated on the moving coil
meter.
  Place one weight(coin) on the load platform and note the output voltage.
Record values in table
 Repeat the process, adding further weights one at a time, noting the output
voltage at each step and recording the value.
 Plot the graph of output voltage against number of coins(weight of coins)

Observation and Calculations:

Sensitivity=25mv/grams

Amplifiers used= 3

Source Voltage= 12V

Sr.No Weight of Coins Voltage

or discs(g)
1 0 0.066
2 6.5 0.260
3 13 0.492
4 19.5 0.737
5 26 0.973
6 32 1.266
7 38 1.501
8 44 1.745
9 46.6 1.760
10 49.2 1.978
Graph:

Output Characteristics of Strain Guage

2.5

1.978
2 1.745
1.76
Output Voltage

1.501
1.5
1.266
(Volts)

0.973
1
0.737

0.492
0.5
0.26
0.066
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
weight of Coins
(g)

References:

 http://www.ee.hacettepe.edu.tr/~solen/ELE356/DIGIAC%201750.pdf
 https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-function-of-a-dummy-gauge-in-a-
strain-gauge-load-cell
 https://www.engineersedge.com/instrumentation/strain_gauge_transducer_.h
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