Linear Piezoelectric Sensor for Impact Location Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piezoelectric sensors face challenges in detecting impacts on objects with complex shapes and irregular surfaces, requiring multiple point sensors to accurately locate impacts, which increases complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A piezoelectric sensor system utilizing one or more linear piezoelectric elements that generate electrical signals in response to stress, allowing for the detection of impact locations over a wide area with a small number of sensors by assessing signal timing and magnitude across multiple elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple point sensors are used to accurately locate impacts on objects with complex shapes, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is divided into multiple linear piezoelectric elements arranged in a line, where each element can independently detect impacts. This segmentation allows the system to cover a wide detection area while maintaining simplicity, as the linear arrangement requires fewer elements compared to a two-dimensional point sensor array, thus reducing device complexity while preserving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from point sensors (zero-dimensional) to linear piezoelectric elements (one-dimensional), extending the detection capability along a linear dimension. This dimensional change enables wide-area impact detection with fewer sensors, reducing device complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision across the expanded detection area.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple point sensors are installed to identify impact locations over a wide area, then detection coverage is improved, but the number of sensors and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detection area is segmented into multiple zones, each monitored by a specific linear piezoelectric element. This segmentation allows efficient coverage of a wide area using a minimal number of linear elements, reducing the total sensor quantity compared to deploying numerous point sensors across the same area.
Solution Approach 2:
By extending the sensor from a point (zero-dimensional) to a linear element (one-dimensional), the detection coverage area is significantly expanded without proportionally increasing the number of sensors. This dimensional extension achieves wide-area monitoring with reduced sensor quantity.
3Reliability
If point sensors are used on objects with irregular surfaces, then detection capability is maintained, but ease of operation and installation are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The linear piezoelectric element provides an extended detection profile that can better conform to irregular surfaces compared to point sensors. This one-dimensional structure offers greater installation flexibility as it can adapt to curved or uneven surfaces while maintaining reliable detection capability across the entire linear detection zone.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables low-cost, efficient detection of impacts on variously shaped objects with a simple structure, reducing the number of sensors needed and improving installation flexibility, suitable for applications like railway and transportation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a linear piezoelectric element that consists of two or more linear piezoelectric elements disposed near a measured object, generating an electrical signal in response to stress applied to the linear piezoelectric element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
This piezoelectric sensor 1000 is provided with: at least two linear piezoelectric elements 101 that each generate an electric signal according to the stress applied thereto and are disposed near an object for measurement; a signal detection unit 102 for detecting the electric signals generated by the linear piezoelectric elements 101; a surpassing determination unit 103 for determining, for each linear piezoelectric element 101, whether the size of the corresponding electric signal detected by the signal detection unit 102 has surpassed a prescribed threshold; a time recording unit 104 for recording linear piezoelectric element 101 threshold-surpassing times when the surpassing determination unit 103 has determined that the size of any of the electric signals has surpassed the prescribed threshold; and an area specification unit 105 for specifying the area on the object for measurement to which stress has been applied on the basis of the linear piezoelectric element 101 threshold-surpassing times recorded by the time recording unit 104.