The small volume liquid density sensor using surface acoustic wave

Shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) are generated and detected by interdigital transducers (IDT). When the viscoelastic liquid comes in contact with the delay path in a SH-SAW device, the viscous coupling action will effect on the wave propagation. Consequently the frequency, phase and propagating velocity of the SH-SAW will be altered. In this paper the properties of the acoustic wave in a liquid overlay on a piezoelectric substrate are investigated. The theory analysis and initial experiment are presented. The result shows when signal frequency is 57.8MHz, the SH-SAW can be excited effectively in the lithium niobate crystal. By measuring the phase change of the SH-SAW, the liquid density can be detected. Compared with traditional liquid density sensor, the SH-SAW liquid density sensor has the advantages of simple construction, high precision and little sample etc.