2016 Hackaday Prize entry video:
There are two functioning models right now:
- The linear sensor (hereinafter referred to as Linear FCDT) that has the proper geometry (Length/Radius) ratio can measure tilt in a 40 degrees interval and has a relatively good resolution.
- The circle-like sensor (hereinafter to as Toroid FCDT) that has the proper geometry can measure tilt in a 360 degrees interval.
There is a little demonstration video of the circle-like sensor in working:
(In this video, the sensors' signal conditioners' (Analog Devices AD598) output is measured with a multimeter, and the measured values are sent to a laptop via RS-232 serial port. Then a LabVIEW program calculates the tilt based on the sensors' characteristic, and indicates it.)
The idea
First, let's imagine three coils placed next to each other. The middle coil is called the primary coil, and the two on the sides are called the secondary coils. Let's place an iron core into the coils' air gap, and excite the primary coil with an AC signal (normally with a sine wave). Now, what will happen? Well, it's basically functioning like a transformer, so depending on the iron cores' position different voltages are being induced in the secondary coils. Then, if I move the iron core, the induced voltages in the secondary coils are changing. With the proper signal conditioning circuit, I made a linear displacement sensor! (By the way, these machines are called LVDTs - Linear Variable Differential Transformers, and are widely used in industry.) There's an awesome website where there is a more awesome simulation about the working of an LVDT: http://www.rdpe.com/ex/hiw-lvdt.htm
Cool. Now, you'd probably heard about what ferrofluid is (if don't: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5APHa7vscoI). Ferrofluid is a ferromagnetic fluid which contains nanoparticles of metal, that's why it's being attracted by magnets, and basically functioning like "liquid metal".
The basic idea is that what would happen if you'd remove the LVDT's iron core and replace it with a ferrofluid filled glass tube. Somehow like this:
Well, the ferrofluid would act like the replaced iron core, and as you tilt the sensor, the induced voltages in the secondary coils would change depending on the tilt, so you'd make a tilt sensor!
Linear FCDT
And that's it. That's the basic concept behind the sensor. I call this arrangement the Linear FCDT(Linear - the coils placed "linearly next to each other; FCDT - Ferrofluid Core Differential Transformer)
Our next task is to make experiments with it. First, we'd like to know what is the maximum value of tilt it can measure. Based on experiments I made - as I mentioned earlier - it's a +/- 20 degrees interval. Why? Well, if you reach a specific state of tilt, the ferrofluid runs out from the air gap of one of the secondary coils, like this:
Thus, there won't be generated any voltage in that secondary coil (or the generated voltage would be insignificant), so the sensor's output voltage will deteriorate.
Our next thing to do is to make a sensor which can measure in a larger range, but first, let's measure the accuracy of this arrangement! After hours and hours of making an extremely precise measurement, I came up with this diagram:
(How the precise resolution measurements were made: https://hackaday.io/project/11225-a-new-high-accuracy-tilt-sensor/log/46066-how-the-precise-resolution-measurements-were-made)
Theoretical background of the Linear FCDT: https://hackaday.io/project/11225-a-new-high-accuracy-tilt-sensor/log/46957-theoretical-background-of-the-linear-fcdt
Toroid FCDT
So, if we would like to have a greater measuring range than 40 degrees, we'd have to redesign the whole sensor. The problem with the Linear FCDT was that the ferrofluid ran out from one of it's secondary coils after reaching + or - 20 degrees of tilt. What if we bend a glass tube like a circle, fill it half with ferrofluid, and turn the coils around it toroid-like (hence Toroid FCDT) with the secondaries...
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Hi,
I came across this:
http://liquiglide.com/
Coating the inside of the sensor tube with something like that could get around some of the problems you mentioned.