In-situ measurement of sensitivity for a piezoelectric sensor

The paper presents a technique for the in situ and real-time measurement of sensitivity change in a piezoelectric accelerometer. This technique involves the electrical stimulation of the accelerometer's piezoelectric element in a 'diagnostic' frequency band and the measurement of the frequency response of the sensor's electromechanical properties. It is found that changes in the piezomechanical properties of a compression-mode accelerator, as measured by the autocalibration function, detected a relative change in sensitivity.