Study On Performance Optimization Of Linear Variable Differential Transformer

The step length of LVDT has a great influence on its output precision and linearity. In the traditional design, designers rely on manual adjustment and repeated experiments to meet the design requirements of the length of the ladders, which lead to the heavy workload and long design cycle. So it is very difficult to get the optimized design parameters. With the development of computer technology, the electromagnetic simulation software such as Ansoft Maxwell can simulate the induced voltage of LVDT in the computer, which can avoid the repeated adjustment and test on the material object and improve the design efficiency. However, for electromagnetic simulation in the Maxwell, some steps such as modeling, defining, loading the excitation source and boundary conditions, mesh rezoning, and parameters solving are needed. When any one of the LVDT design parameters changes, all above steps should be repeated, which lead to the heavy workload. So, the parameters design software of ladder type LVDT is developed, the software can set up model and simulate quickly and complete the results extracting. But it still lacks the method to design and optimize the ladder length of LVDT. Although parametric simulation can greatly shorten the single simulation time, blind optimization process might still cause many repeated calculations, so it is difficult to find the step length design parameters of the optimal accuracy and linearity. Aiming at this problem, this paper puts forward a method to optimize performance of LVDT based on sensitivity using the parametric design software of ladder type LVDT. The mainly works can be included as follows:1. Apply the parametric design software of ladder type LVDT, determined the initial parameters based on the empirical formula, completes the parametric modeling and electromagnetic simulation. This paper completes the electromagnetic simulation of the LVDT with different length of the steps on the software, and evaluate the results, research and analyze the variations on the electromagnetic performance index of LVDT when the length of the steps changs.2. The paper puts forward a method to optimize performance based on sensitivity. By observing the output precision of sampling points, changing the length of each step withpurpose makes the output precision and linearity of the sampling points be satisfied, so that the overall electromagnetic performance index will be optimized.3. It tests the optimization method in this paper. Then through the electromagnetic simulation of another LVDT, in the case which the electromagnetic performance is not meet the requirement, the optimization method proposed in this paper is used to optimize the electromagnetic performance index. Finally, a group of excellent performance parameters are achieved quickly, which verified the feasibility of the optimization method.This optimization method based on sensitivity make designer not only can grasp accurate the electromagnetic performance index but also get the electromagnetic performance requirements quickly before the production of the sensor. At the same time, it reduces the production of prototype, which shortens the simulation cycle and improve the developing efficiency of the new products. Eventually it greatly reduces the workload of designer and help design different kinds of sensor in the future.