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STRAIN GAGE MEASUREMENT LAB REPORT

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Abstract

The goal of this lab experiment was to obtain a strain value from the deflection obtained during

the strain gauge experiment. This experiment utilized the metallic strain gauge and a strain

indicator together with a beam. It involved assembling the strain gauges on a precise location,

then a digital that was connected to the switcher, and the strain was measured for the specimen.

The voltage values were recorded, and it would be used to calculate the strain. Evaluating the

graphs outputs if the experiment is accurately done and providing future recommendations for

better accuracy of the experiment. The gauge factor is the change in resistance for a given value

of strain (ε), as the gauge factor is assumed to be equal to the experiment.

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NOMENCLATURE

Symbols Name

σ stress

p Load

A area

ε strain

δ deflection

E Young Modulus of Elasticity

L Original length

m Suspended mass

g Acceleration due to gravity

d Load to gauge distance

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Table of Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
NOMENCLATURE........................................................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 4
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. 4
List of figures ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Equipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Procedures .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Equations ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Experimental results ................................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion and recommendation ............................................................................................................... 14
References .................................................................................................................................................. 15

List of Tables

Table 1: Raw data of strain, voltage and deflection .................................................................................... 11

List of figures

Figure 1: Metallic strain gauge ..................................................................................................................... 6

Figure 2: A Wheat stone bridge circuit ......................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3: The unstressed dummy gage for temperature compensation (Morris & Langari, 2011). .............. 7
Figure 4: A diagrams of a resistance strain gauge ........................................................................................ 8
Figure 5: A strain indicator and recorder. ..................................................................................................... 8
Figure 6: A graph of voltage (mV) against deflection (inch)...................................................................... 10
Figure 7: A graph of stress measurement against voltage (calibration curve). ........................................... 11
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Introduction

Strain gauges are widely used for engineering applications when the body is loaded, as a change

in resistance is experienced when the gauge is stretched or strained, where changes in the gauge's

electrical properties under a load causes its electrical signal also to change (Marwick, Leano,

Brown, Sun, Hoffmann, Lysyansky & Thomas, 2009). This change is proportional to the strain

experienced in that region, hence will allow measurements of load and voltage to be related to

the material property of the cantilever beam used through stress calculations.

Equipment

The metallic strain gauge

It is made of a thin wire or a metallic foil arranged in a grid pattern that maximizes the amount of

metallic wire or a foil subjected to strain in a parallel direction (Morris & Langari, 2011). As

strain is applied to the gauge, the cross-section of the wire distorts, thus changing its cross-

sectional area and resistance (as resistance per unit length is inversely proportional to the cross-

sectional area. A potential divider, Wheatstone bridge, and an amplifier are used in electrical

circuits for measuring the value of resistance, in which change in gauge resistance is converted to

a voltage signal to improve the accuracy of the measurements, hence, below is the illustration of

a metallic strain gauge with its parts.

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Figure 1: Metallic strain gauge

The Wheatstone bridge involves four 350ω strain measures, with one, two, or each of the four

checks of the scaffold dynamic so as to shape the quarter, half, or full-connect setups,

individually. The comparing switch on the cantilever pillar set up was moved to change the

quantity of checks dynamic.

Figure 2: A Wheat stone bridge circuit

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The Wheatstone bridge comprises four 350Ω strain gauges, with one, two, or all four gauges of

the bridge active in order to form the quarter, half, or full-bridge configurations, respectively

(Marwick, Leano, Brown, Sun, Hoffmann, Lysyansky & Thomas, 2009). The movement of

corresponding switches on the cantilever beam alternated the number of active gauges, as shown

in figure 3.

Figure 3: The unstressed dummy gage for temperature compensation (Morris & Langari, 2011).

A strain gauge uses the physical properties of the electrical conductance and their dependence on

the geometry of the transmitter. Additionally, when it is stuffed, it truncates and grows, thus

lessening the electrical obstruction. Exactly when the electrical transmitter is reached out with

flexibility cutoff points are not surpassed, it ends up being longer and littler which makes the
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electrical obstruction from increase through and through (Ni, H., & Li, X. 2006).

Figure 4: A diagrams of a resistance strain gauge

Figure 5: A strain indicator and recorder.

Procedures

The apparatus comprises of a shaft outfitted with metallic strain gauges. The yield voltage was

recorded for each net burden to perform adjustment of the estimation framework. The digital

gage was associated with the switcher with the strain check on the example. The weight was then

stacked exclusively, and the yield voltage estimated with a digital gage so the mass can be
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resolved from the adjustment chart and precision of the estimation can be assessed. This

technique was rehashed for each new circuit design, yet the excitation voltage, V, was likewise

estimated when no heap was applied to the bar for the Wheatstone connect game plans and the

scaffolds adjusted utilizing the potentiometer associated in parallel with the extension arm

resistors.

Equations

Equation 1

𝑃𝐿3
𝛿=
3𝐸1

This equation illustrates how stress can be used to find out the computation of the modulus of

elasticity.

𝑃𝐿3
𝐸=
3𝛿𝐼

Equation 2

In this equation, the amount of stress that is performed on the areas of the beam is illustrated

below, knowing that the beam is basically a bending beam.

𝑀. 𝐶
𝜎 = 𝐸ℇ =
𝐼

Equation 3

The strain ε is related to stress σ by Hooke's law, equation 2, where E is Young's modulus of the

material:

𝜎
𝐸=
𝜀
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Experimental results

δ(in) V(mV) Strain, σ

0 0.016 0

0.1 0.064 0.045267

0.2 0.112 0.36214

0.3 0.16 1.222222

0.4 0.208 2.897119

0.5 0.257 5.658436

0.6 0.305 9.777778

0.7 0.353 15.52675

0.8 0.401 23.17695

Result 1Table 1: Raw data of strain, voltage and deflection

0.45 y = 0.4817x + 0.0158

R² = 1
0.4

0.35

0.3
Voltage (mV)

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
deflection, δ(in)

Figure 6: A graph of voltage (mV) against deflection (inch).

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The yield voltage was tabulated as each weight was stacked to the beam, and plotted as a

diagram of yield voltage against the applied deflection when the strain gauges on the bar were

associated by means of a potential divider estimation circuit. It has a positive gradient. It

likewise shows that there is a straight connection between the diversion and the measure of

voltage as the output indicated. The best line of fit connections for each arrangement of data can

be utilized as calibration diagrams, while recorded information can be utilized to evaluate the

deflection (inch) (the littlest quantifiable weight change) of every estimation method, where it is

accepted that estimation mistakes are exclusively because of the exactness of the voltmeter,

which is ± half its resolution.

Callibration Curve
25
y = 412.31x3 - 23.401x2 + 0.9169x - 0.017
R² = 1
20

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Strain, σ

10

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45

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Voltage (mV)

Figure 7: A graph of stress measurement against voltage (calibration curve).

Shown above is the curve graph having the best fit line for the data points. It has an equation

estimates of equation412.31𝑥 3 − 23.401𝑥 2 + 0.9169𝑥 − 0.017.

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Calculations

Formulas to be used are the following:

𝛿
𝜀 = 𝐸,

𝑀𝑐
𝛿=
𝐼

𝑉=𝑃

𝑀 = ∫ 𝑉𝑑𝑥 = ∫ 𝑝𝑑𝑥 = 𝑃𝑋 + 𝐶= (−𝑃𝐿) + 𝐷𝑋

𝑝.𝐿
= 𝑃, 𝑃𝑋 − 𝑃𝐿 = (𝑉)
𝐿

1 1 1 𝑃𝑥 2 1
𝛿 = ∫ 𝑀𝑑𝑥 = ∫ 𝑃𝑋 − 𝑃𝐿𝑑𝑋 = ( − 𝑃𝐿𝑥) + 𝑐 = (𝑃𝑥 2 − 𝑃𝐿𝑥)
𝐸𝐼 𝐸𝐼 𝐸𝐼 2 𝐸𝐼

1
𝛿= ∫(𝑃𝑥 2 − 𝑝𝑙𝑥)𝑑𝑥
𝐸𝐼

1 𝑃𝑋 3 𝑃𝐿𝑉 2
𝛿= ( − )
𝐸𝐼 6 6

𝛿 = 𝑃𝑋 2 (3𝐿 − 𝑋)

𝑃𝐿3
𝛿𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
3𝐸𝐼

𝑏ℎ3
𝐼=
12
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Hence, I, E, and P are the following:

I= 𝟐. 𝟒𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟕 𝒎−𝟏 ,

E= 𝟐𝟏𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝑷𝒂,

P = 𝟕𝟕𝟎𝟏𝑲𝒈/𝒎𝟑,

Calculation of modulus of elasticity

The applied force is 1.45N

𝑃𝐿3
𝐸=
3𝛿𝐼

𝛿 𝑃𝐿3
𝐸= =
𝜀 3𝛿𝐼

𝑀𝑐
𝛿= =
𝐼

2.0777𝑋10−17
𝐸=
9.8999𝑋10−26

= 𝟐𝟏𝟏 𝑮𝒑𝒂

Hint (E) can be found in the tables using the Strength of materials book.
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Conclusion and recommendation

The full Wheatstone bridge setup was the most accurate, while the full bridge in addition to

amplifier was found to deliver the most exact results. Young's modulus was found to rise to

2.10^〖10〗^8Pa for the aluminium beam, where the acknowledged value is 69GPa. The error in

this value can be represented by a lacking measure of results, conceivable pre-bowing of the

pillar, and human blunder in estimations. An alignment bend is acquired by plotting the

estimation of voltage and the determined strain. Thus, electronic circuits are appeared to

influence the exactness of estimations when utilizing strain gauges where these estimations can

be identified with a material property - as clear through the figuring of Young's Modulus and

examination of the precision of mass appraisals with the genuine mass of the 'deflection.' For

future proposals, it ought to be considered to utilize the estimation of strain gage for better

precision and rule.

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References

Marwick, T. H., Leano, R. L., Brown, J., Sun, J. P., Hoffmann, R., Lysyansky, P., ... & Thomas,

J. D. (2009). Myocardial strain measurement with 2-dimensional speckle-tracking

echocardiography: definition of normal range. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 2(1), 80-

84.

Morris, A.S. and Langari,R., (2011). ‘Measurement and Instrumentation: Theory and

Application’ Elsevier Science, ISBN:0123819601

Ni, H., & Li, X. (2006). Young’s modulus of ZnO nanobelts measured using atomic force

microscopy and nanoindentation techniques. Nanotechnology, 17(14), 3591.