Executive Summary : | Rapid technological advancement in the last few decades has led to the widespread development, fabrication, and application of multifunctional materials. Magnetoelectric composites are one such multifunctional materials that combine two ferroic orders in the form of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism to obtain a product property in the form of magnetoelectricity. Owing to the multifunctional behavior, magnetoelectric composites have witnessed an increasing use primarily in the development of sensors and energy harvesters. This has kept the scientific community engaged in the development of more efficient ME configurations that has the versatility to be used in varied operating conditions. Since the output response of the ME composite is highly dependent on its configurational characteristics, research pertaining to the identification of the same followed by its practical use is of cardinal importance. Scientific objectives: In the national status, the majority of research has focused on the synthesis of particulate composites. However, in the international arena, layered ME composites are sought after due to their significant ME response and easy fabrication. Furthermore, the research has also shifted towards the development of ME-based devices. Thus the scientific objective of this project is to bridge this gap between the national and international arena by developing a displacement sensor based on an identified optimal embedded disc ME composite. The optimal ME configuration will be identified by numerically studying the static and dynamic characteristics of the proposed configurations, followed by its fabrication. Significance: This proposal will be able to identify an optimized press-fit embedded/distributed disc configuration that would have the capability to provide an enhanced response. The nonlinear behavior of the composite under dynamic characteristics would be studied by a finite element formulation based on vibration theory for continuous systems. The obtained optimal configuration will be used to fabricate a Magneto-elastic-electro-thermal (MEET) displacement sensor that would efficiently transform the applied displacement in terms of output electrical voltage. The distributed disc configuration would lead to the existence of multiple resonant modes which would further enhance the sensitivity of the proposed sensor. Moreover, the epoxy-free method of fabrication would enable the sensor to perform in aggravated thermal environments thus enhancing its applicability. The fabricated prototype of the sensor would be tested and calibrated rendering it feasible to be used in actual applications. |