Nested, Meander Shaped Strain Gauges for Temperature Compensated Strain Measurement

In recent years, the implementation of printed strain gauges as cost-effective alternatives to conventional glued strain gauges was investigated. Printed strain gauges are, in general, not temperature compensated due to the lacking availability of appropriate materials. Their accuracy (and applicability) therefore is strongly affected by temperature drifts. In this contribution, we propose a concept for temperature compensated strain measurement with printed strain gauges based on two nested, meander shaped strain gauges consisting of different materials. Due to the proximity of the sensors, they are both affected by the same strain and the same local temperature. It is shown that, by measurement of the resistance of both strain gauges, the strain applied to the strain gauges can accurately be determined even if the sensors are subject to temperature fluctuations.