An angular accelerometer using amorphous wire

In this paper a novel angular acceleration transducer utilising ferromagnetic amorphous wire is presented. The operating principle involves the detection of the modulated Matteucci voltage directly across the contacts functioning as clamps for holding the wire, resulting from the application of torsional stresses (angular acceleration) on the wire by a seismic mass. This process exploits the magnetic-stress effects inherent to highly magnetostrictive amorphous wires. The derivation/calculation of the theoretical natural frequency of the wire/seismic mass arrangement along with a comparison to the measured results is also included. The device was calibrated by the comparison technique with a commercial linear piezoelectric accelerometer. Experimental data indicate that the proposed accelerometer displays good overall characteristics with low impedance output and superior low frequency response as compared to the piezoelectric accelerometer without the requirement for extra electronic circuitry.