Strain Gauge Sensors Comprised Of Carbon Nanotube Yarn: Concept and Modeling

Carbon nanotube yarns are micron-size fibers that contain thousands of intertwined carbon nanotubes in their cross sections and exhibit piezoresistance characteristics that can be tapped for sensing purposes. Sensor yarns can be integrated in polymeric and composite materials to measure strain through resistance measurements without adding weight or altering the integrity of the host material. This paper includes the details of novel strain gauge sensor configurations made of carbon nanotube yarn and the modeling of their piezoresistive response using parametric optimization schemes that maximize the sensor ’ sensitivity to mechanical loading. The effect of several sensor configuration parameters are discussed including the angle and separation of the carbon nanotube yarns within the sensor, and also the mechanical properties of the CNT yarns