Strain Gauge
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Strain Gauge
Strain gauge is a device whose resistance varies with
applied force. It converts force, pressure, tension, weight,
etc., into a change in electrical resistance which can then
be measured.
F F
L
Consider a wire of length L, and area A m/s2 as shown in the
figure.
The stress is defined as
F (1)
σ=
A
Due to the applied force, length of wire increases from L to
∆L. The strain ε is calculated as
∆L
ε= (2)
L
2
Strain Gauge
The resistance of the wire can be calculated as
ρL (3)
R=
A
where ρ is the resistivity of the wire.
The above equation may also be written as
2
ρL L ρL
R= . = where v denotes volume.
A L v
Change in R w.r.t. change in L is calculated as
∆R 2σL 2ρL 2R
= = =
∆L v AL L
or
∆L
∆R = 2 R . = 2Rε (4)
L
∆R This shows that the change in resistance
= 2R depends on the strain ε. 3
ε
Gauge Factor
Gauge Factor is defined as
∆R / R ∆R / R
F= =
∆L / L ε
Using equation (4)
F=2
This is fairly a small value which indicates that the
resistance change will be very small. For some
special alloys and carbon, the F may be as large as
10. A much better F can be obtained if we use
semiconductor materials, especially Silicon.
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Strain Gauge: Example
Example: Find the change in a nominal wire
resistance of 120Ω that results from a strain
of 1000 µm/m.
Solution:
∆L
∆R = 2 R
L
10 − 3
= 2 × 120 × = 0.24Ω
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Effect of Temperature on Strain Gauge
As we know, the resistance changes with change in
temperature. This change in resistance is measured from
the following approximation:
∆R T ≈ Rα∆T
where ∆RT is change in resistance due to change in
temperature ∆T. α is temperature coefficient.
If R = 120Ω, α = 0.004/0C and ∆T = 10C, then
∆RT = 0.48
which is twice the change because of strain.
To minimize temperature dependence, two strain gauges may
e used together.
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Physical Construction
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Strain Gauge: Wheat Stone Bridge
To measure small changes in resistance, strain gage
configurations are based on the concept of a
Wheatstone bridge. The general Wheatstone bridge,
illustrated in Figure, is a network of four resistive
arms with an excitation voltage, VEX, that is applied
across the bridge.
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Strain Gauge: Wheatstone Bridge
The Wheatstone bridge is the electrical
equivalent of two parallel voltage divider
circuits. R1 and R2 compose one voltage
divider circuit, and R4 and R3 compose the
second voltage divider circuit. The output of a
Wheatstone bridge, Vo, is measured between
the middle nodes of the two voltage dividers
R3 R2
V0 = − VEX
R 3 + R 4 R1 + R 2
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From this equation, you can see that when R1 /R2 = R4 /R3, the
voltage output VO is zero. Under these conditions, the bridge is
said to be balanced. Any change in resistance in any arm of the
bridge results in a nonzero output voltage. Therefore, if you
replace R4 in Figure with an active strain gage, any changes in
the strain gage resistance unbalance the bridge and produce a
nonzero output voltage that is a function of strain
VEX V0
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Strain Gauge
Advantages:
• There is no moving part
• It is small and inexpensive
• Negligible maintenance required
Disadvantages:
• It is non-linear
• It needs to be calibrated
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Strain Gauge for Pressure Measurement
In the following figure, the applied pressure causes
deformation of the sensing element (for example
diaphragm), which is connected to a strain gauge that
exhibits a change in resistance when mechanically strained.
The value for pressure is then obtained by reading the
variation of the output voltage which is proportional to the
change in resistance of the strain gauge
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