Experimental setup and dynamic characterization of a low-power CMOS strain sensor at sub-kilohertz frequencies

Details

Supervisors

Flandre, Denis ; Francis, Laurent

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électricien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThe present master thesis details the development of two experimental measurements setups designed for the dynamic characterization of a nW low-power CMOS strain-sensitive circuit, developed at UCLouvain. Additionaly, it proposes a first dynamic characterization of the device, in this case in the sub-kilohertz frequency range under strain excitation frequencies up to 330Hz. The aim to provide a better understanding of the transducer's behavior takes place in a larger research effort for a potential use as part of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for aerospace applications, through strain measurements. In the recent years, SHM processing has attracted an increasing interest as the continuous evaluation of the health of a given structure offers multiple interesting benefits. In several domains, especially for aerospace applications, the early detection of structural degradation or damage on a given structure is essential to avoid failure, reduce cost either related to maintenance or structure replacement, and improve operational safety. More generally, the use of SHM processing allows the extension of the structure service lifetime by enabling timely maintenance and preventing damage progression. In this work, the first experimental setup enabled the induction of uniaxial strain up to 500ppm in quasi-static conditions, i.e. at frequencies below 1Hz. The second setup was able to generate strain excitations up to 40ppm at frequencies reaching 330Hz while applying a homogeneous strain distribution under bending deformation.