Development of Low Hysteresis, Linear Weft-Knitted Strain Sensors for Smart Textile Applications

Development of Low Hysteresis, Linear Weft-Knitted Strain Sensors for Smart Textile Applications

Bozali, B. (TU Delft Emerging Materials)
Ghodrat, S. (TU Delft Emerging Materials)
Plaude, L. (TU Delft Technical Support)
van Dam, J.J.F. (TU Delft Technical Support)
Jansen, K.M.B. (TU Delft Emerging Materials)

2022

In recent years, knitted strain sensors have been developed that aim to achieve reliable sensing and high wearability, but they are associated with difficulties due to high hysteresis and low gauge factor (GF) values. This study investigated the electromechanical performance of the weft-knitted strain sensors with a systematic approach to achieve reliable knitted sensors. For two elastic yarn types, six conductive yarns with different resistivities, the knitting density as well as the number of conductive courses were considered as variables in the study. We focused on the 1 × 1 rib structure and in the sensing areas co-knit the conductive and elastic yarns and observed that positioning the conductive yarns at the inside was crucial for obtaining sensors with low hysteresis values. We show that using this technique and varying the knitting density, linear sensors with a working range up to 40% with low hysteresis can be obtained. In addition, using this technique and varying the knitting density, linear sensors with a working range up to 40% strain, hysteresis values as low as 0.03, and GFs varying between 0 and 1.19 can be achieved.

conductive yarns
hysteresis-free sensors
knitted strain sensors
smart textiles

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:42e121d6-43f8-4a65-8f42-d63430acbc61

https://doi.org/10.3390/s22197688

1424-8220

Sensors, 22 (19)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 B. Bozali, S. Ghodrat, L. Plaude, J.J.F. van Dam, K.M.B. Jansen