Title: Design and analysis of a low frequency MEMS vibration sensor for automotive fault detection

Authors: Joel Rebello, William L. Cleghorn, James K. Mills

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada. ' Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada. ' Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada

Abstract: The modern automobile requires the use of many DC motor and solenoid-actuated systems that are susceptible to wear and sudden failure. Real-time monitoring of the vibration signature of these components could provide early detection of mechanical faults and lead to timely repairs, thereby preventing unexpected failures. This paper presents the theoretical analysis and experimental results of two Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based sensors designed for low frequency vibration detection. One sensor was designed utilising lateral capacitive sensing, and provided an order of magnitude higher mechanical sensitivity than the design employing transverse capacitive sensing. Experimental results confirm the theoretical analysis.

Keywords: MEMS; microelectromechanical systems; vibration sensors; MEMS accelerometers; capacitive sensors; comb-drive; automotive vibration; automobile industry; fault detection; automotive faults; vehicle vibration; real-time monitoring; lateral capacitive sensing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2010.035353

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2010 Vol.54 No.2, pp.93 - 110

Received: 06 Aug 2009
Accepted: 07 Jul 2010
Published online: 26 Sep 2010 *

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