High sensitivity piezoelectric accelerometer

A high-sensitivity piezoelectric accelerometer has been developed to monitor and characterize low-level vibration spectra in large structures. The theory of accelerometer design is traced and applied to a specific problem to develop a set of design criteria. The construction and calibration of the accelerometer is described. The accelerometer has a sensitivity of 2.82 V/g (9.0 dB re 1 V/g) at frequencies to 1 kHz. The use of the accelerometer in conjunction with a real-time spectrum analyzer to identify vibration sources and characterize their ’’signatures’’ is described.