Neel Nadpara

10/01/15
ME3263-004L
Intro to Sensors and Data: Lab 1 Summary

Abstract:
The purpose of this lab was to learn how to properly mount strain gauges on a test beam, set up a
quarter bridge configuration of the Wheatstone bridge circuit, and validate that the data being acquired
is accurate.

Setup:
A strain gage is made of a looped wire that is embedded in a thin backing with two copper coated tabs
that serve as solder points for the leads. In order to measure deformation of a certain structure, the
strain gauge is attached to the structure and as the structure is deformed the wire within the strain
gauge stretches and the electrical resistance changes. Employing a Wheatstone bridge setup, the change
in voltage based on the change in resistance can be found allowing one to determine the strain, ε.
The experiment is set up with what appears to be a 1018 Steel cantilever beam as the test specimen. A
load P is applied (by hand on the end of the right side of the beam) until the beam deflects toward the
table and touches the table.

Figure 1: Beam diagram with dimensions

 Figure 2: FBD with Internal Forces

Data Table:
Variable Measurement The ideal strain was calculated to be 554.167 μ-
L 16.0 in strain while our measured value was 452 μ-strain.
Xgage 1.00 in Thus we can calculate the percent error as follows:
P 0.665 in 544.16 − 452
y 0.0625 in × 100 = 18.44%
544.16
εmeasured 452 µ-strain Thus, our percent error is 18.44% which is a fairly
significant error. I believe that our error stems from
measurement errors since some of the
Derivation: measurements were made using measuring tape and
𝐱𝟐 our measuring was not exact. Also, a good deal of
𝐄𝐈𝐰 ′ = ∫ −𝐏(𝐋 − 𝐱)𝐝𝐱 = −𝐏 (𝐋𝐱 − ) + 𝐜𝟏 the error was likely in measuring XGage as well since
𝟐
𝐱=𝟎 we were probably not at the exact center point
(𝟎)𝟐 where the clamping was done. Also, error can be
𝐄𝐈𝐕 ′ = 𝟎 = −𝐏 (𝐋(𝟎) − ) + 𝐜𝟏 , 𝐜𝟏 → 𝟎 attributed to poor surface preparation since we had
𝟐
𝟐
𝐱 to remove and reattach the stain gage when it did
𝐄𝐈𝐰 ′ = −𝐏 (𝐋𝐱 − )
𝟐 not fully adhere to the surface the first time.
𝐱𝟐 𝐋𝐱 𝟐 𝐱 𝟑 Moreover, we likely heated the gage to some extent
𝐄𝐈𝐰(𝐱) = ∫ −𝐏 (𝐋𝐱 − ) 𝐝𝐱 = −𝐏 ( − ) + 𝐜𝟐 in my poor soldering attempts. Also, the strain gage
𝟐 𝟐 𝟔
𝟐 𝟑 was likely not perfectly placed on the beam when we
𝐋𝟎 𝟎
𝐄𝐈𝐰(𝟎) = 𝟎 = −𝐏 ( − ) + 𝐜𝟐 , 𝐜𝟐 → 𝟎 adhered it to the surface.
𝟐 𝟔
−𝐏 ∙ 𝐱 𝟐
𝐰(𝐱) = (𝟑𝐋 − 𝐱)
𝟔𝐄𝐈
𝐱 = 𝐋:
−𝐏𝐋𝟐 −𝐏𝐋𝟑
𝐰(𝐋) = (𝟑𝐋 − 𝐋) =
𝟔𝐄𝐈 𝟑𝐄𝐈
𝐌𝐲
𝛆(𝐱) = − 𝐄𝐈 , 𝐌 = 𝐏𝐋
𝐰(𝐱)(𝟑𝐄𝐈)
𝐏=
𝐋𝟑
𝐰(𝐱)(𝟑𝐄𝐈)
𝐌=
𝐋𝟐
𝐰(𝐱)(𝟑𝐄𝐈) 𝐲 𝟑𝐲𝐰(𝐱)
𝛆(𝐱) = 𝟐
( )=
𝐋 𝐄𝐈 𝐋𝟐
𝟑∙𝐲∙𝛒 3(.0625 𝑖𝑛)(.665 𝑖𝑛)
𝛆(𝐱) = 𝟐 = (16.0 𝑖𝑛−1.00 𝑖𝑛)2
= .000554 × 106 = 𝟓𝟓𝟒. 𝟏𝟔𝟕𝛍 − 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 (𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧)
(𝐋−𝐱𝐆𝐚𝐠𝐞 )