3-D finite element modelling of a high pressure strain gauge pressure transducer

The scope of this study is a review of the studies on the pressure transducers designed at the TÜBITAK-UME by utilizing Finite Element Method (FEM) for stress and strain analysis to optimize the design parameters prior to the construction of the pressure transducer prototypes. The constructed and investigated pressure transducer, has a free hardened AISI 4340 steel active element. Hydraulic gauge pressure is applied to the inside and both open ends of this active element. The FEM analysis was conducted by investigating one half of the element in three dimensions and realized at three different pressure values of 60, 100 and 150 MPa. This study presents the FEM output stress and strain values. The validity of those values was established by comparing them with the results obtained from the strain gauge measurements. The relative difference between the two value sets was determined as being lower than 13% of the full scale. The presented results will be helpful for the appropriate design of this kind of pressure transducers using FEM.