INST2360: Ultrasonic Sensors in Industrial Environments Report

This research report delves into the application of ultrasonic sensors within industrial contexts, focusing on their construction, operational principles, and diverse types. The report begins by defining ultrasonic sensors and highlighting their role in proximity detection and range measurement, crucial for automating industrial processes and enhancing efficiency. It then details the basic construction, comprising transmitters and receivers, and the operational mechanics based on sound wave transmission and reflection. The core of the report explores various sensor types, including diffuse proximity, retro-reflective, and through-beam sensors, illustrating their specific applications. A significant portion is dedicated to a practical example: the use of ultrasonic sensors for measuring forklift distances, including schematic and circuit designs, component descriptions, and operational details. The report concludes by emphasizing the widespread use of ultrasonic sensors in industrial automation, emphasizing their role in enhancing efficiency and simplifying complex tasks. This report is a valuable resource for students studying electrical engineering and related fields and is available on Desklib, a platform for AI-based study tools.

Running head: ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 1
Ultrasonic Sensors in Industrial Environments
INST2360 – Research Paper
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ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 2
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Topic Description...................................................................................................................4
1.2 Purpose...................................................................................................................................4
1.3 Scope......................................................................................................................................4
1.4 Background............................................................................................................................4
1.4.1 Definition of Ultrasonic Sensors......................................................................................4
1.4.2 Industrial Applications of Ultrasonic sensors..................................................................5
1.4.3 Examples of Industrial Application of Ultrasonic Sensors..............................................5
2.0 Basic Construction and Operation of Ultrasonic Sensors..........................................................8
2.1 Construction...........................................................................................................................8
2.2 Operation................................................................................................................................8
3.0 Types of Industrial Ultrasonic Sensors....................................................................................10
Diffuse proximity sensor............................................................................................................10
Retro-reflective sensors..............................................................................................................10
Ultrasonic through-beam sensors..............................................................................................11
4.0 Application of Ultrasonic Sensors in Measurement of Fork-lift distances..............................12
4.1 Schematic and Circuit Design..............................................................................................12
Schematic diagram..................................................................................................................12
Circuit diagram.......................................................................................................................13
4.2 Circuit Components.............................................................................................................13
4.3 Circuit Operation and Sensor Operation in the Circuit........................................................14
5.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................16
6.0 References................................................................................................................................17

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 3
List of Figures
Figure 1: Tanks with Ultrasonic Sensors.........................................................................................6
Figure 2: An Assembly Line that is Ultrasonic Sensor Dependent.................................................6
Figure 3: Measurement of Distance Using Ultrasonic Sensors.......................................................7
Figure 4: Basic Components of Ultrasonic Sensors........................................................................8
Figure 5: Operation of Ultrasonic Sensor........................................................................................9
Figure 6: Diffuse Proximity Sensor...............................................................................................10
Figure 7: Ultrasonic retro-reflective sensor...................................................................................11
Figure 8: Ultrasonic through-beam sensor....................................................................................11
Figure 9: Schematic diagram for Ultrasonic Sensor Used for distance measurement..................12
Figure 10: Circuit diagram for Ultrasonic sensor used in distance measurement.........................13
Figure 11: HC-SRO4 ultrasonic sensor.........................................................................................14
Figure 12: Waves generated by ultrasonic sensor.........................................................................15
Figure 13: Distance measurement by ultrasonic sensor................................................................15

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 4
Ultrasonic Sensors in Industrial Environments
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Topic Description
The topic describes how different types of ultrasonic sensors are used in industrial setups.
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of the project is to introduce the concept of application of ultrasonic sensors
in industrial based applications aimed at making work easier, increasing efficiency and
automating the processes.
1.3 Scope
The report will provide basic description of ultrasonic sensors, how they work, the
different types of ultrasonic sensors used in industrial applications, their application in industrial
processes and an example of a process where its used.
1.4 Background
1.4.1 Definition of Ultrasonic Sensors
Ultrasonic sensors refer to acoustic type sensors that are used in the measurement of
object distances and proximity detection using ultrasonic sound waves that are sent by the
transmitter in the sensor and reflected back to the sensor upon hitting the target (Chan & Chiang,
2020). The reflected sound waves are the converted to electrical pulses which are interpreted to
provide the desired measurement.

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 5
1.4.2 Industrial Applications of Ultrasonic sensors
Ultrasonic sensors are applied in industrials to automate services with an aim of
increasing efficiency and making work easier. The Industrial application of these sensors can be
broadly classified into two classes namely proximity detection and range measurement.
Proximity Detection
Ultrasonic sensors used in proximity detection detect an object passing within a specified
range and generate an output ultrasonic wave which is converted in an electrical pulse by the
analog to digital converter and processed to provide the desired results. The point detected is not
affected by the shaped, size, material or the reflectivity of the material.
Range measurement
Ultrasonic sensors used in range measurement measure the precise distance of objects
advancing towards the sensor or moving away from the sensor. The measurement of distance is
continuously computed and outputted through the observation of the time intervals between the
transmitted wave and the reflected ultrasonic wave.
1.4.3 Examples of Industrial Application of Ultrasonic Sensors
Processes where ultrasonic sensors can be applied in industrial applications include:
Tank level Measurement
Ultrasonic sensors are used in liquid level measurements in tanks used for different
processes in industrial setup. They play a vital role in process control and the data collected from
them assist in inventory management. There are two types of ultrasonic sensors that are used for
liquid level measurement depending on the process where they are used. They are the point level
sensor and the continuous level sensor (Guenther & Kroll, 2016). The point level sensor is an
ultrasonic sensor of proximity type whereas the continuous level sensor is analog in nature.

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 6
Figure 1: Tanks with Ultrasonic Sensors
Production and Assembly line sensors
These are ultrasonic sensors that are used automation of manufacturing processes and
assembly lines. The detect changes in key parameters within the manufacturing or assembly line
and actuate other device to facilitate and effective and reliable process control without or with
minimal human intervention. The reduction of human intervention within the production lines
reduces the overall cost used in labor and hence increases profits.
Figure 2: An Assembly Line that is Ultrasonic Sensor Dependent

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 7
Distance Measurement
Ultrasonic sensors are used in the measurement of distances for different objects in
industries regardless of their shape, size, color or texture. They measure distances of objects
advancing towards them and away from them.
Figure 3: Measurement of Distance Using Ultrasonic Sensors
Other industrial application of ultrasonic sensors includes: anti-collision detection, counting of
bottle in filler and packaging machines, sorting of products, contouring, and people detection.

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 8
2.0 Basic Construction and Operation of Ultrasonic Sensors
2.1 Construction
The construction of ultrasonic sensors comprises of two main components namely the
transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter is the part of the sensor that performs the conversion
of electrical energy into the sound energy at high frequency for transmission. The receiver is the
part of the sensor that receives the reflected sound wave and converts it back into electrical
pulses. Ultrasonic sensors can be constructed with the transmitters and receivers paced in the
same housing or housed separately. Those with transmitters and receivers integrated together are
known as transceivers.
Figure 4: Basic Components of Ultrasonic Sensors
2.2 Operation
The principle of operation of ultrasonic sensors is similar to that of radar systems.
Basically, the sensors transmit sound waves that are beyond the hearing capabilities of the
human ear. The transmission frequency is usually between 18kHz and 40Hkz. After
transmission, the then wait for the signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted sound wave.

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Distance is calculated on the basis of the time taken for the sound wave to travel to and from the
sensor (Huang, 2014).
Figure 5: Operation of Ultrasonic Sensor

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3.0 Types of Industrial Ultrasonic Sensors
The different types of ultrasonic sensors used in industrial applications are:
Diffuse proximity sensor
This type of ultrasonic sensor has a special sonic traducer that allow for sound wave to be
transmitted and received simultaneously. The transducer emits the wave and listens for the echo
and after the echo is received, it is sent to the microcontroller for processing. The sensing range
of diffuse proximity sensors is up to 2.5m (Iniewski, 2016). They are commonly used for range
measurement applications
Figure 6: Diffuse Proximity Sensor
Retro-reflective sensors
This type of sensor is for the detection of objects within a specified range through determination
of the of the propagation time for the sound wave. Series of pulses are emitted by the sensor that
are reflected by a barrier. The reflected waves are back to the sensor within a fixed user
determined time span. The sensor gives an output when the time span changes due to obstruction
by the barrier in the sensing path (Iniewski, 2016). Retro-reflective sensors are ideal for detecting
sounds in sound deflecting objects and sound absorbent materials.

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 11
Figure 7: Ultrasonic retro-reflective sensor
Ultrasonic through-beam sensors
The ultrasonic through beam sensors have the transmitter and the receiver separately housed, the
transmitter continuously emits the sound waves to the receiver. When a disruption occurs in the
sensing path due to an obstacle, the receiver sends an output signal to the microcontroller
(Iniewski, 2016). In industries, they are commonly used in packaging applications and along the
assembly line.
Figure 8: Ultrasonic through-beam sensor

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 12
4.0 Application of Ultrasonic Sensors in Measurement of Fork-lift distances
The scenario detailed below presents industrial application of ultrasonic sensors in the
measurement of distances of automated or manually drive fork-lifts. The measurement of the
distances for fork-lifts allows the shallow hall ways to be effectively used by different fork lifts
one at time by ensuring that a signal is sent to allow entry of a fork lift only when the hall way is
free. Moreover, distances measurement triggers other activities such as the opening of automated
doors when a forklift arrives close to the door (Choi, 2018).
4.1 Schematic and Circuit Design
Schematic diagram
The schematic diagram for the use of ultrasonic sensors in distance measurement is
shown below.
Figure 9: Schematic diagram for Ultrasonic Sensor Used for distance measurement

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 13
Circuit diagram
Figure 10: Circuit diagram for Ultrasonic sensor used in distance measurement
4.2 Circuit Components
The major components in the circuit are:
Power supply: The power supply is used to provide power to the sensor, the
microcontroller and the LCD circuit. A voltage that doesn’t exceed 5V is applied to all the
equipment’s in this circuit since their rating do not exceed 5V.
Microcontroller: The microcontroller is used to process the data received from the
ultrasonic sensor and convert it to an output that is sent to the LCD display and used to actuate
other process such as door opening and door closing. Any type of microcontroller such as a PLC
or Arduino can be used for this application. However, PLC microcontrollers are preferred
because they are robust and can withstand the harsh industrial environments.
Ultrasonic sensor: The ultrasonic sensor is used to sent and receive ultra sound waves at
high frequency through inbuilt transmitter and the receiver, the data is sent to the microcontroller
for processing.

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 14
LCD display: The LCD display or the data acquisition unit is used to display the output
of the sensor after it has been processed by the microcontroller. Usually, it is the distance of the
detected fork-lift within the hall way or near a door opening.
4.3 Circuit Operation and Sensor Operation in the Circuit
The commonly used ultrasonic sensor for distance measurement is the HC-SRO4
ultrasonic sensor shown below. The sensor generates ultrasonic waves at a high frequency equal
to 40kHz and has a duty cycle of 10 microseconds. It is preferred because of its high range of
measurement, low power consumption and relatively low cost (Pessen, 2012).
Figure 11: HC-SRO4 ultrasonic sensor
A microcontroller is used to process the data from the sensor and facilitate communication with
other devices. Determination of distances starts when the microcontroller sends a trigger signal
to the sensor. Once the sensor is triggered, the sensor generates an ultrasonic wave burst and
initiates a timer. The generated signal upon hitting the forklift (barrier) is reflected back to the
sensor. The echo is received by the sensor, the timers stops counting and the sensor gives a high
pulse output that corresponds to the time variation between the transmitted and the received
wave (Choi, 2018).

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Figure 12: Waves generated by ultrasonic sensor
The data is sent to the microcontroller for interpretation to determine the exact distance of the
barrier which in this case is the fork-lift. The microcontroller can initiate other processes such as
door opening and door closing or informing other fork-lifts that hall-way is busy and they have
to wait.
Figure 13: Distance measurement by ultrasonic sensor
The distance measured by the micro-controller can be equated with the following expression.
Distance= Time taken x speed of sound
2

ULTRASONIC SENSORS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS 16
5.0 Conclusion
Ultrasonic sensors are acoustic type of sensors whose mode of operation is much similar
as that of radar. They generate soundwaves at high frequency through the transmitter and upon
hitting a target the waves are reflected back and received by the receiver, information from the
sensor is processed by a microcontroller and later sent to a data acquisition unit or used to
actuate other process such as door opening. In industries, the sensors are used for a wide range of
applications including water level measurement, assembly line monitoring and distance
measurement. The most common of ultrasonic sensors used in industries are the retro-reflective
sensors, beam-through sensors and diffuse proximity sensors. They increase efficiency and make
work easy through automation of services. The major advantages of these sensors include low
power consumption, high range of measurement and relatively low cost.

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6.0 References
Chan, H. L., & Chiang, K. S. (2020). Optical fiber ultrasonic sensors. Ultrasonic Exposimetry,
283-314. doi.org/10.4324/9780429272547-10
Choi, J. (2018). Range sensors: Ultrasonic sensors. Humanoid Robotics, 2521
2538. doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6046-2_108
Guenther, T., & Kroll, A. (2016). Automated detection of compressed air leaks using a scanning
ultrasonic sensor system. 2016 IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium (SAS).
doi:10.1109/sas.2016.7479830
Huang, Y. R. (2014). Sensors: Advancements in modeling, design issues, fabrication and
practical applications (2nd ed.). Springer Science & Business Media.
Iniewski, K. (2016). Smart sensors for industrial applications. CRC Press.
Pessen, D. W. (2012). Industrial automation: Circuit design and components (3rd ed.). John
Wiley & Sons.