A New Sensor for Measuring the Derivative of Acceleration

SGER PROPOSAL 0414020 - George C. Lee, SUNY-Buffalo ABSTRACT This proposal is to develop a new 3D jerk sensor for extraction of temporal characteristics at (tangential acceleration), an (normal acceleration), ? (temporal torsion) and (temporal curvature) for seismic ground motion and structural response analysis. The new sensor is based on an innovative coupled electro-mechanic oscillator. The output of the oscillator is directly proportional to the measured jerk (derivative of acceleration). This new approach overcomes the difficulty of differential circuitry in high frequency resonance, amplitude and phrase measurement error. And the sensor itself does not require external power for operation, which reduces the noise from the electrical sources.