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You are here Our research > Past Research Projects > Design, Manufacture, Modelling and Testing of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors

Design, Manufacture, Modelling and Testing of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors

Lorries

  • Project Team:
    • Principal investigators: Brian McCormack, Dermot Geraghty and Prof. Margaret O’Mahony
    • Research Student: Xiaoqing Li

  • Description:
    • This project concerned the design, manufacture, modelling and testing of SAW strain sensors for the Real-Time Weigh-In-Motion (RTWIM) of heavy goods vehicles. The design and manufacture of the prototype sensors was accomplished through a new system which integrates the design and manufacturing processes from initial sensor specifications to finished devices, thus yielding significant improvements over existing schemes. Sensor modelling was achieved through new modifications to the coupling-of-modes (COM) SAW model, which allows both the complete frequency responses of the devices, and their sensitivity to biases, to be simulated. The prototype sensors were then tested in both unstrained and strained states, thus enabling the evaluation of both the device fabrication and the COM modelling.

  • Publications:
    • B. Mc Cormack, “Remote Strain Measurement Using Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors”, 7th Sir Bernard Crossland Symposium and Postgraduate Research Workshop, DCU, March 2004.

      B. Mc Cormack, D. Geraghty and M. O’Mahony, “Design and Manufacture of Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors”, 21st International Manufacturing Conference, UL, September 2004.

      B. Mc Cormack, D. Geraghty and M. O’Mahony, “Design and Manufacture of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors”, 345th Wilhelm and Else Hereaus Seminar, Bad Honnef, Germany, April 2005.

      B. Mc Cormack, D. Geraghty and M. O’Mahony, “Design and Manufacture of Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors for Real-Time Weigh-in-Motion”, IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, Ottawa, May 2005.

      B. Mc Cormack, D. Geraghty and M. O’Mahony, “System-Level Modelling of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors”, IEE Irish Signals and Systems Conference, DCU, September 2005.

      B. Mc Cormack, D. Geraghty and M. O’Mahony, “Modelling of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors Using Coupling-Of-Modes Analysis”, Eurosensors XIX Conference, Barcelona, September 2005.

      B. Mc Cormack, “Design, Manufacture, Modelling and Testing of Surface Acoustic Wave Strain Sensors”, Ph.D. thesis, September 2007 (currently under review).

  • Funding Agency:
    • HEA

  • Project Duration:
    • 2002-2007