A magnetostrictive system in industrial automation doesn't typically convert vibrations directly into electrical power like a piezoelectric material might. Instead, a magnetostrictive system is commonly used to measure mechanical displacements and convert them into electrical signals for monitoring and control purposes.
Here's a breakdown of how a magnetostrictive system works in industrial automation:
Principle of Magnetostriction: Magnetostriction is the property of certain materials to change their shape or dimensions when exposed to a magnetic field. This phenomenon is used to create magnetostrictive sensors. These sensors consist of a magnetostrictive material (often a ferromagnetic alloy) and a waveguide (usually a metal tube) made of non-magnetic material. When a current pulse is sent through the waveguide, it generates a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetostrictive material, causing it to produce a mechanical strain or vibration.
Mechanical Displacement Detection: The mechanical vibrations or displacements are caused by an external force acting on the system. For example, in industrial applications, this could be the movement of a machine part, fluid level changes, or pressure variations. These vibrations cause the waveguide to experience a strain, which is detected by the magnetostrictive material.
Interaction with Magnetic Field: As the magnetostrictive material experiences the strain, its magnetic properties change. This change affects the propagation of a magnetic pulse sent through the waveguide.
Time-of-Flight Measurement: The time it takes for the magnetic pulse to travel through the waveguide and return to the sensor is measured. This time is directly proportional to the distance the mechanical displacement has caused in the waveguide. By precisely measuring the time of flight of the magnetic pulse, the system can determine the mechanical displacement with high accuracy.
Electrical Signal Generation: The time-of-flight measurement is converted into an electrical signal that represents the displacement or position of the monitored object. This signal can be analog or digital, depending on the design of the system.
Industrial Automation Applications: Magnetostrictive systems are used in various industrial automation applications such as linear position sensing, liquid level measurement, pressure measurement, and more. The detected displacement information is often used for monitoring, control, and feedback in automated processes.
To summarize, a magnetostrictive system in industrial automation doesn't directly convert vibrations into electrical power. Instead, it uses the magnetostrictive effect to detect mechanical displacements caused by vibrations and converts these displacements into electrical signals that can be used for various monitoring and control purposes in industrial processes.