Experimental Estimating Deflection of a Simple Beam Bridge Model Using Grating Eddy Current Sensors.docVIP

Sensors 2012, 12, 9987-10000; doi:10.3390/s120809987 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Experimental Estimating Deflection of a Simple Beam Bridge Model Using Grating Eddy Current Sensors Chunfeng Lü, Weiwen Liu, Yongjie Zhang and Hui Zhao * Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; E-Mails: chunfenglv@ (C.L.); weiwenliu@ (W.L.); zhangyongjie@ (Y.Z.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: huizhao@; Tel./Fax: +86-21-3420-5931. Received: 10 June 2012; in revised form: 1 July 2012 / Accepted: 9 July 2012 / Published: 25 July 2012 Abstract: A novel three-point method using a grating eddy current absolute position sensor (GECS) for bridge deflection estimation is proposed in this paper. Real spatial positions of the measuring points along the span axis are directly used as relative reference points of each other rather than using any other auxiliary static reference points for measuring devices in a conventional method. Every three adjacent measuring points are defined as a measuring unit and a straight connecting bar with a GECS fixed on the center section of it links the two endpoints. In each measuring unit, the displacement of the mid-measuring point relative to the connecting bar measured by the GECS is defined as the relative deflection. Absolute deflections of each measuring point can be calculated from the relative deflections of all the measuring units directly without any correcting approaches. Principles of the three-point method and displacement measurement of the GECS are introduced in detail. Both static and dynamic experiments have been carried out on a simple beam bridge model, which demonstrate that the three-point deflection estimation method using the GECS is effective and offers a reliable way for bridge deflection estimation, especiall